Lawrence Berkeley National Lab’s (LBNL) Engineering Division and Advanced Light Source (ALS) has an opening for either a Senior Power Electronics Engineer (E20.3) or a Principal Power Electronics Engineer (E20.4) to join the team.

This position is responsible for assisting in all activities in the full system life cycle of the power conversion systems for electro-magnets, whether pulsed or continuous duty, ranging from tens of watts to roughly 0.5 MW average. The engineer will be responsible for design work, planning and implementation, in collaboration with the Lead Power Supply Electronics Engineer as well as project management and other system engineers and scientists primarily within the ALS (Advanced Light Source) but also collaborating with the ALS-U (Advanced Light Source Upgrade) Project, other divisions, DOE labs, and the international accelerator community. This position is in the Engineering Division and is matrixed to the Advanced Light Source (ALS) Division.

What You Will Do:

● Conduct the study, development, testing and implementation of power supplies and related controllers for high stability, reliability and efficiency, including DC power supplies as well as pulsed power systems including those based on solid state and/or thyratron switching.

● Conduct the complex design of and maintain power supply test stands, and develop test procedures including tuning of PID control loops.

● Design highly stable and reliable unipolar and bipolar power supplies.

● Analyze power supply reliability and develop maintenance procedures based on MTBF for power electronics and associated hardware. Design of pulsed magnetics, including finite element analysis and circuit models to simulate system performance.

● Working in partnership with the Lead Power Supply Electronics Engineer, follow the product life cycle for developments and upgrade projects as follows:

▪ Determine the scope and develop the plan

▪ Conduct systems analysis and develop the requirements

▪ Create the system design, conduct development work, and Integrate and test prototypes

▪ Direct the production and installation of power conversion equipment, as well as provide support operations and maintenance of the system.

● Network with key contacts outside their own area of expertise to develop and maintain collaboration across diverse technical fields (accelerator physics, magnet design, controls, facilities engineering) to develop specifications and requirements for high stability power supplies.

● Present at design reviews for the ALS development and upgrade projects.

● Provide and maintain documentation of power electronics equipment.

● Working in partnership with the Lead Power Supply Electronics Engineer, coordinate cost and schedule estimates for power electronics projects.

● May have occasional foreign and domestic travel to attend reviews, visit vendors and attend conferences and workshops.

● Participate in developing electrical safety procedures for high voltage, current and/or energy devices.

What is Required (E20.3 Level):

● Requires a minimum of 8 years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree; or 6 years and a Master’s degree; or equivalent experience.

● Minimum of 6 years of experience in power electronics, power supply or pulsed power R&D or design.

● Demonstrated experience in the design, development, testing and installation of pulsed power, power electronic, high-voltage, or high-current systems.

● Demonstrated strong technical understanding and experience in power conversion engineering and has provided creative solutions to a range of issues.

● Demonstrated technical understanding and knowledge base with as many of following technical areas as possible:

▪ High voltage, high current and high frequency switching

▪ High stability, high accuracy and tight regulation power converters

▪ Magnet systems and inductive loads including under ramping or pulsed profiles

▪ Circuit design using power electronics devices including BJTs, MOSFETS and IGBTs

▪ Integration of equipment into highly complex systems

▪ Single phase and poly-phase AC circuits and power distribution

▪ Communication and feedback control theory, including PID controllers

● Knowledge of electrical codes and electrical safety such as NEC, LOTO and NFPA 70E.

● Experience with Electrical CAD tools for schematic capture and PCB layout such as KiCad, Cadence/OrCAD, Altium, Siemens EDA / Mentor Graphics or equivalent.

Desired Qualifications (E20.3 Level):

● Experience with Analog, logic and mixed signal circuit design, analysis and simulation using SPICE, Simplorer, Saber, or similar

● Experience with Mechanical design CAD modeling tools such as 2D AutoCAD or 3D SOLIDWORKS, Creo Parametric or equivalent.

● Experience with Electromagnetics analysis using 2D and 3D FEA simulation codes such as MAXWELL, OPERA or similar.

● Experience with Thermal analysis and design, and the use of Multiphysics FEA simulation codes.

● Experience with Programming skills such as MATLAB, FPGA languages, C/C++, and visual basics.

What is Required (E20.4 Level):

● Requires a minimum of 15 years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree; or 12 years and a Master’s degree; or equivalent experience.

● Minimum of 12 years of experience in power electronics, power supply or pulsed power R&D or design.

● Demonstrated record of providing technical leadership in the design, development, testing and installation of pulsed power, power electronic, high-voltage, or high-current systems.

● Demonstrated technical leadership in developing advanced concepts for pulsed power, power electronic systems, or high-voltage/high-current systems.

● Demonstrated experience coordinating multidisciplinary projects in design or upgrade of complex pulsed power or power electronic systems.

● Demonstrated strong technical understanding and experience in power conversion engineering and has provided creative solutions to a range of issues.

● Demonstrated strong technical leadership and understanding with as many of following technical areas as possible:

▪ High voltage, high current and high frequency switching

▪ High stability, high accuracy and tight regulation power converters

▪ Magnet systems and inductive loads including under ramping or pulsed profiles

▪ Circuit design using power electronics devices including BJTs, MOSFETS and IGBTs

▪ Integration of equipment into highly complex systems

▪ Single phase and poly-phase AC circuits and power distribution

▪ Communication and feedback control theory, including PID controllers

● Knowledge of electrical codes and electrical safety such as NEC, LOTO and NFPA 70E.

● Experience with Electrical CAD tools for schematic capture and PCB layout such as KiCad, Cadence/OrCAD, Altium, Siemens EDA / Mentor Graphics or equivalent.

● Experience with Analog, logic and mixed signal circuit design, analysis and simulation using SPICE, Simplorer, Saber, or similar

● Experience with Mechanical design CAD modeling tools such as 2D AutoCAD or 3D SOLIDWORKS, Creo Parametric or equivalent.

● Experience with Electromagnetics analysis using 2D and 3D FEA simulation codes such as MAXWELL, OPERA or similar.

● Experience with Thermal analysis and design, and the use of FEA multiphysics simulation codes.

Desired Qualifications (E20.4 Level)

● Demonstrated experience leading a team of engineers and/or technicians.

● Experience with vacuum tubes and thyratrons.

● Experience designing Systems controls using PLCs, PXI or similar.

● Familiarity with particle accelerators.

● Experience with the EPICS (Experimental Physics and Industrial Control System) toolkit.

● Programming skills such as MATLAB, FPGA languages, C/C++, and visual basics.

Salary Range:

The expected salary range of this position at the E20.3 level is between $10,771.00 - $13,165.00 monthly, which falls into the full salary range of $9,575.00 - $16,155.00 monthly. The final salary depends upon the candidate’s skills, knowledge, and abilities, including education, certifications, and years of experience.

The expected salary range of this position at the E20.4 level is between $12,880.00 - $15,742.00 monthly, which falls into the full salary range of $11,448.00 - $19,320.00 monthly. The final salary depends upon the candidate’s skills, knowledge, and abilities, including education, certifications, and years of experience.

Notes:

● This is a full-time career appointment, exempt (monthly paid) from overtime pay.

● This position may be subject to a background check. Any convictions will be evaluated to determine if they directly relate to the responsibilities and requirements of the position. Having a conviction history will not automatically disqualify an applicant from being considered for employment.

● Work will be primarily performed at: Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA.

Berkeley Lab is committed to Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accountability (IDEA) and strives to continue building community with these shared values and commitments. Berkeley Lab is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer. We heartily welcome applications from women, minorities, veterans, and all who would contribute to the Lab's mission of leading scientific discovery, inclusion, and professionalism. In support of our diverse global community, all qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or protected veteran status.

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