Power Electronics Engineer

At Lightyear we are working on a family of power converters to convert solar energy from PV panels on vehicles to their batteries. The converter range consists of LV variants, HV variants and a multi-port variant that is able to convert energy from multiple solar panels to both LV and HV batteries. By intelligently combining several functions, this topology allows for a reduction in component count and improvement in efficiency.

What will you do as a Power Electronics Engineer?

As a Power Electronics Engineer, your role is pivotal. Your primary focus is the hands-on design of power electronics, with deep expertise in wide bandgap semiconductors and magnetics, while not shying away from tackling analog and digital electronics design. This is not a research-only role; your work spans the full lifecycle. You will perform topology research, define the optimal number of PV ports and power and voltage ratings, with stakeholders, and develop concepts. Crucially, you will build, test, and iterate on prototypes at high speed to deliver final products.

You must be excellent at both simulation and practical lab work seamlessly switching between the two. We do not value endless time in simulations if it can be verified with a quick prototype, nor do we value prototyping without understanding the underlying physics. We create designs that are built for scale; if it only works in the lab, it isn't working. You will ensure our solutions are rigorously optimized for mass manufacturability, low cost, reliable, and high performance, directly reducing complexity and cost for our customers.

A day as a Power Electronics Engineer

Your day is dynamic, balancing deep-dive design work with high-speed prototyping in the lab. There are no endless planning meetings or administrative loops here; you are empowered to just go. You might start your morning running simulations to validate a new topology concept or optimizing a magnetics design. By midday, you are at the bench, soldering a modified prototype board to verify your latest iteration. You might also jump into a call with a critical supplier to secure components that keep our supply chain moving. You are constantly toggling between simulation, physical testing, and real-world supply chain considerations, ensuring your theoretical models align with production reality.

When you hit a snag, whether it’s unexpected thermal behavior or a control loop instability, you don’t just move on; you investigate. You pull out the oscilloscope and power analyzer to understand the physics behind the behavior. If the prototype falls short, you analyze the data, consult with cross-functional experts to refine the concept, and quickly implement a fix.

Crucially, you always keep mass manufacturability in mind. Whether you are defining PV port architectures or selecting components, you are asking, 'Can we build this at scale at the right cost?' By the end of the day, you have either validated a design, gained critical insight through a quick prototype, or moved a concept one step closer to production-ready hardware.

What do we expect from a Power Electronics Engineer?

In order to succeed in the dynamic world of Lightyear; pro-activity, professionalism, communication and adaptability are crucial. We are looking for someone with an ambitious attitude who learns from the past but who is especially open to transforming new developments or ideas into the ‘tried and tested’ of the future!

• MSc or PhD in Electronics.

• Expertise in defining and validating robust power converter topologies that are optimized for mass production, not just lab-perfect performance.

• Proficiency in simulation tools (Simulink/Matlab/PLECS) coupled with the drive to rapidly validate and debug your models with physical hardware.

• Deep, hands-on experience with Wide Bandgap semiconductors (GaN/SiC) and high-frequency magnetics design this is core to our technology.

• Experience in (planar) magnetics design, including thermal management and optimization for high-frequency operation.

• Strong foundation in control schemes (e.g., MPC, DAB) and soft-switching techniques (ZVS/ZCS).

• "Lab-native" mindset: You are deeply comfortable with oscilloscopes, power analyzers, and soldering. You can seamlessly translate design concepts into functional prototypes without hesitation.

• Experience with Design for Manufacturing (DFM) in power electronics.

Don’t meet every single requirement? If you have the right drive and expertise to make a difference, we still encourage you to apply.

What can you expect from Lightyear?

In addition to a challenging role we also offer:

• A high degree of freedom and independence in your role

• A role within a multidisciplinary team consisting of highly motivated, inquisitive and talented people with a broad diversity of experience

• Salary range EUR 65.000-95.000,-

• Participation in a good pension scheme 

• 40 vacation days per year (based on a 40 hour contract)