Sr Staff System Engineer

About the Position

Applicants for this position must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. Renesas is unable to sponsor applicants for work visas for this position now or in the future.

Hybrid - This role may sit in San Jose, CA; Phoenix, AZ; or Chandler, AZ (local candidates to these cities preferred - no relocation)

This role sits within our Low-Voltage GaN Marketing & Systems Group, acting as a Sr Staff System Engineer to define the future of our power semiconductor portfolio. In this strategic role, you will not simply support existing products-you will be the technical authority responsible for driving next-generation IC product definition, silicon architectures, and long-term roadmap strategy.

By leveraging deep expertise in low-voltage (<400V) BLDC and PMSM motor control, you will identify market gaps across high-growth applications (robotics, humanoids, e-mobility, power tools) and translate complex system-level challenges into actionable silicon-level requirements to deliver highly differentiated, system-optimized products.

Key Responsibilities

• Product Definition & Specs: Translate system-level application requirements into detailed IC specifications (e.g., Rds-on targets, gate drive source/sink strength, dead-time control, protection features like OCP/OTP, packaging thermal constraints, and monolithically integrated features).
• Architecture & Strategy: Develop and influence future chip architectures based on system-level understanding of GaN-based power stage and driver IP and sensing topologies. Drive the multi-year technology roadmap aligned with emerging market trends.
• Silicon & Cross-Functional Collaboration: Collaborate closely with IC Design, R&D, and Marketing teams to ensure silicon implementation matches application realities. Balance system performance, silicon die area, cost targets, and time-to-market.
• Prototype & Reference Design Development: Design, schematic-capture, layout, and validate high-power-density system-level prototypes and evaluation boards (EVBs) to showcase GaN's superior switching performance under real-world operating conditions.
• System Analysis: Perform rigorous technical trade-off analyses, worst-case circuit simulations, and competitive benchmarking to quantify GaN’s value proposition at the system level.
• Customer & Ecosystem Engagement: Support key tier-1 customer engagements at the architecture level, co-designing and influencing their future system topologies rather than merely troubleshooting legacy designs.

Requirements

Hardware Requirements

• Experience designing integrated circuits with power drivers and related circuitry like slew rate control, current sensing, short circuit protection, high voltage level shifting, bootstrap, and charge pump supplies. Strong knowledge of basic infrastructure and communications blocks like current/voltage references, level shifters, SPI, I2C, registers, e-fuse, amplifiers, and comparators.
• Experience designing detailed schematics for motor driver circuits including gate drivers, discrete transistors, and power stages utilizing MOSFETs, IGBTs, or Wide-Bandgap SiC / GaN devices.
• Experience designing motor control hardware protection and diagnostics that can withstand fault conditions like short circuit, over current, open circuit, over/under voltage, sudden loss of power, and over temperature.
• Advanced knowledge of PCB layout optimization for high-power switching, including minimizing parasitic inductance, mitigating EMI/EMC, and managing thermal dissipation (via thermal vias, or heatsinks).

Simulation & Software Tools

• Proficiency with model-based design using Mathworks (Matlab, Simulink, Simscape), Saber, PLECS, or PSIM to simulate motor drive systems. Alternatively, experience with co-simulation of the mechanical and electrical system using a combination like Simplis for the power inverter and Simulink for the motor mechanics and control.

IC Architecture and Specification

• Proven track record of successful product definition and customer support in motor drive / control applications taking a product from conception through mass production.
• Experience driving innovation by identifying and evaluating new concepts that will enable future products that lead the market.
• Expertise translating system-level requirements and customer needs into an IC architecture with concrete electrical specifications documented in the device hardware requirements and the customer datasheet.
• Experience creating and maintaining a specification compliance matrix that covers all product requirements and ensures the device meets the requirements by working with all relevant product groups design, test, validation, FuSa, and quality.

Lab Experience

• Hands-on experience characterizing motors and motor control systems utilizing motor control hardware and software together with standard lab equipment and a motor test stand.
• Experience debugging and characterizing initial prototypes using standard lab equipment like power supplies, electronic load, oscilloscopes, digital multimeters, SMU, and other related test equipment.
• Expertise identifying the root cause of complex issues, then identifying workarounds to allow users to evaluate and use products and finally identifying fixes for addressing issues long term.

Qualifications

• Experience: 5-7+ years of experience in power electronics, semiconductor systems, or motor drive design, with a proven track record of successfully defining and launching motor control ICs or discrete power solutions to market.
• Semiconductor Knowledge: Solid understanding of power semiconductor physics, specifically comparing Wide Bandgap (WBG) materials like GaN against silicon MOSFETs, including gate charge (Qg), reverse recovery (Qrr), and parasitic inductances.
• Education: BS in Electrical Engineering, Power Electronics, or a related field required; MS or PhD preferred.
• Soft Skills: Exceptional cross-functional collaboration and communication skills, with the ability to confidently present complex architectural concepts to both internal executive stakeholders and external customer engineering teams.

We Offer

• Competitive salary range: $160,000 - $235,000 annually.
• Bonus opportunities.
• Comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, health and/or dependent care flexible spending accounts, pre-tax commuter benefits, life insurance, AD&D, and pet insurance.
• Company-paid life insurance and AD&D, LTD, short term medical benefits, paid sick time, paid holidays, and accrued paid vacation.

About the Company

Renesas is an embedded semiconductor solution provider driven by its Purpose, To Make Our Lives Easier. With a global team of over 21,000 engineers and problem solvers in more than 30 countries, we offer the opportunity to work on world-leading technology for Automotive, Industrial, Infrastructure, and IoT, shaping a safer, healthier, greener, and smarter future.

At Renesas, TAGIE is our culture, grounded in being Transparent, Agile, Global, Innovative, and Entrepreneurial. It shapes how we work, grow, and deliver on our purpose together. This collaborative spirit and mindset drive our semiconductor technology to transform industries and impact millions of lives.

We believe in rewarding our employees with a competitive benefits package alongside their salary. More information will be provided during the hiring process.

Are you ready to join our team and shape the future with us?

Renesas Electronics is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer, committed to supporting diversity and fostering a work environment free of discrimination on the basis of sex, race, religion, national origin, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, sexual orientation, military status, veteran status, or any other basis protected by law. For more information, please read our Diversity & Inclusion Statement.

Renesas Electronics deals with dual-use technology that is subject to U.S. export controls regulations. Under these regulations, it may be necessary for Renesas to obtain a U.S. government export license prior to release of technology to certain persons. The decision whether or not to file or pursue an export license application is at the sole discretion of Renesas.