What does a power electronics engineer do?

What is a Power Electronics Engineer?

Power electronics engineers are electrical engineers who focus on creating systems that control and convert electrical power efficiently. They work with components like semiconductors, converters, inverters, and transformers to make these systems work smoothly. Their work helps support cleaner energy, smarter power grids, and battery-powered transportation, which reduces pollution and increases energy independence.

Without power electronics engineers, many of today's electrical systems would be less efficient, too big, or not practical for everyday use.

What does a Power Electronics Engineer do?

Duties and Responsibilities
The power electronics engineer designs and develops power and control electronic equipment or hardware for products with motors. Their work involves:

• Designing Power Circuits – Creating power electronic circuits, including DC-DC converters, AC-DC rectifiers, inverters, and motor drives for applications like electric vehicles, renewable energy, and industrial automation
• Simulating and Analyzing – Using software like MATLAB, PSpice, and LTspice to model, analyze, and refine power systems for efficiency and reliability
• Selecting Components – Choosing appropriate MOSFETs, IGBTs, SiC/GaN transistors, capacitors, and transformers to meet power and thermal requirements
• Ensuring Efficiency and Safety – Managing thermal performance (proper cooling of power devices), electromagnetic interference (EMI), and compliance with safety standards (IEC, IEEE, UL)
• Prototyping and Validation – Developing and testing power electronic circuits to optimize performance, reliability, and manufacturability
• Collaborating with Other Engineers – Working alongside mechanical, embedded systems, and control engineers to integrate power solutions into larger systems

Different Types of Power Electronics Engineers
Power electronics engineers can specialize in different areas based on industry applications and expertise. Each specialization requires proficiency in power semiconductor devices, control algorithms, thermal management, and compliance standards relevant to its field. Here’s a summary:

• Renewable Energy Power Electronics Engineers focus on solar inverters, wind turbine converters, and grid integration. They develop high-efficiency DC-DC and DC-AC conversion for renewable energy systems.
• Electric Vehicle (EV) Power Electronics Engineers design motor drives, onboard chargers, and battery management systems (BMS) for EVs. They work with high-power inverters and fast-charging technologies.
• Industrial and Automation Power Electronics Engineers develop motor drives, variable frequency drives (VFDs), and power supplies for factories, robotics, and automation. They focus on efficiency, durability, and reliability in harsh environments.
• Consumer Electronics Power Electronics Engineers work on power adapters, fast chargers, and battery-powered devices (laptops, smartphones, wearables). They specialize in miniaturization, energy storage, and thermal management.
• Aerospace and Defense Power Electronics Engineers design high-reliability power systems for aircraft, satellites, and military applications. They work with radiation-hardened components and extreme environmental conditions.
• Data Center and Telecom Power Electronics Engineers develop uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), high-efficiency power distribution, and voltage regulators. They focus on reducing energy losses and improving power density in data centers and communication networks.

What is the workplace of a Power Electronics Engineer like?

Power electronics engineers can work for a wide range of industries that require efficient power conversion and control. These are among their most common employers:

• Automotive and Electric Vehicle (EV) Companies – At companies like Tesla, Rivian, Ford, GM, Toyota, BMW, BYD, and Lucid Motors, power electronics engineers develop EV powertrains, battery management systems (BMS), inverters, and chargers.
• Renewable Energy and Power Grid Companies – Power electronics engineers at companies like Siemens, ABB, GE Renewable Energy, Schneider Electric, SMA Solar, and Enphase Energy work on solar inverters, wind turbine converters, energy storage systems, and smart grids.
• Semiconductor and Power Device Manufacturers – Infineon, Texas Instruments, STMicroelectronics, ON Semiconductor, Wolfspeed, and NXP are some of the companies in this sector. Here, power electronics engineers design MOSFETs, IGBTs, SiC/GaN transistors, and power ICs for various applications.
• Aerospace and Defense Companies – At companies such as Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Raytheon, Northrop Grumman, Airbus, and SpaceX, power electronics engineers develop high-reliability power systems for aircraft, satellites, and military applications.
• Industrial Automation and Robotics – Rockwell Automation, ABB, Mitsubishi Electric, Fanuc, and Siemens are examples of employers in this sector, where power electronics engineers design motor drives, variable frequency drives (VFDs), and power supplies for automation.
• Consumer Electronics and Data Centers – At companies like Apple, Samsung, Intel, Microsoft, Google, and Amazon Web Services (AWS), engineers work on fast chargers, power adapters, gaming consoles, and data center power systems.
• Research Institutions and Universities – At national labs, universities, and tech company R&D centers, power electronics engineers conduct research in next-gen power electronics, energy efficiency, and new materials like SiC/GaN. Equipment used in these settings includes oscilloscopes, power analyzers, electronic loads, and thermal cameras.
• Telecommunications and Networking – Companies like Cisco, Huawei, Ericsson, and Nokia hire power electronics engineers to design high-efficiency power systems for 5G networks, data centers, and communication equipment.
• Medical Equipment Manufacturers – Medtronic, Philips Healthcare, GE Healthcare, Siemens, and Healthineers are among the companies in this sector that need power electronic engineers to work on high-reliability power supplies for medical imaging, surgical tools, and life-support systems.

The workplace of a power electronics engineer varies depending on the industry, role, and project requirements. Environments range from offices, labs, and design workspaces to fieldwork at solar farms, EV charging stations, power plants, and industrial sites.

While prototyping and hardware testing require on-site work, engineers whose focus is circuit simulation, firmware development, and system modeling may work remotely or move between working in-office and off-site.

The work schedule is typically fulltime (40+ hours per week), but deadlines and project demands can require overtime, especially in R&D or startup environments.