First Mode draws on the exceptional talent and creativity of its multidisciplinary team to solve the toughest problems on and off the planet. We help companies, governments, and individuals from the earliest stages of problem definition to prototype creation and demonstration. A continual desire to discover and invent has led our team to drill into the unknown surface of Mars, electrify large industrial equipment, and apply remote sensing technologies to water conservation. 

While each project is unique, we typically meld together robotics, automation, systems engineering, modeling and simulation, and advanced fabrication to create a new future across many industries. If you have exceptional talent and a vision for the future, we want to talk.

As part of the electrical engineering and embedded systems team at First Mode, you will support the development of the high power electrical systems used in First Mode’s electric vehicles and other applications. You will be both a design and systems engineer, either designing power electronics from scratch, or interfacing and integrating an existing COTS product into a First Mode system. You will assist in the software interface and control of DC/DC converters, as well as work with your mechanical colleagues to meet challenging thermal envelopes. A self-starting attitude and desire to learn everything about the system under design from all disciplines and team members is required.

Position Responsibilities

• Own the implementation of high-voltage (400..1500 VDC) power electronics (DC/DC converters, VLUs, etc.) for a given application
• Represent your hardware from a systems perspective – support electrical interfaces (e.g, harnessing, communications busses, etc.), control interfaces (e.g., Simulink), and mechanical interfaces (e.g., thermal, packaging)
• Support design, development, and test of electric vehicle drivetrains and other components for First Mode customers

Required Qualifications

• Working knowledge in the design and implementation of high-power, high-voltage (>400 VDC) power electronics in a system
• Proficiency in common electrical engineering design tools (e.g., SPICE, Altium Designer, MATLAB)
• 5+ years of relevant experience

Desired Qualifications

• Hands-on experience in the design, development, and test of electric vehicle drivetrain components such as AC/DC, DC/DC converters and inverters
• Ability to write and speak clearly about technical subject matter (e.g., technical specification development, wiki documentation)
• Working knowledge of converter topologies and basic control schemes/algorithms
• Experience working on or with battery/fuel-cell electric vehicle drivetrains
• Familiarity with power electronics safety and environmental certifications, controllers, components, and efficiency techniques
• Programming experience in at least one scripting language (e.g., Python)
• Experience through a complete product lifecycle (requirements, design, build, test, manufacturing)

Location

• This position will be located at First Mode’s headquarters in Seattle, WA
• Travel to customer sites and vendors may be required per project

Eligibility

• To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.

First Mode is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with First Mode is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.