Power Electronics Engineer - Senior

Senior Power Electronics Engineer at Harmattan AI in Lausanne to lead analog power chain design for autonomous defense systems, owning hardware from simulation through lab validation.

Harmattan AI is a rapidly scaling defense technology company that recently secured $200 million in Series B funding and is building autonomous, scalable systems for allied forces. In this senior individual contributor position, you will serve as the Lausanne hub's primary power electronics expert, guiding propulsion, airframe, and embedded groups. This is a hands-on hardware development role focused on shipping production-grade motor controllers and power systems rather than conducting pure research.

Responsibilities

• Translate mission requirements into power-chain specifications across fixed-wing, multicopter, and hybrid unmanned platforms.
• Manage analog switching design parameters, balancing dead-time tuning, gate shaping, and the trade-offs between switching losses, electromagnetic interference, and thermal performance.
• Apply analytical loss budgeting, transient SPICE modeling (LTspice), and system-level simulation in PLECS or Simulink.
• Develop three-phase inverters featuring integrated current sensing, protection logic, and hardware interfaces for Trapezoidal and Field-Oriented Control strategies.
• Lead schematic capture and PCB layout in Altium or KiCad, ensuring thermal management, parasitic minimization, and EMC compliance are addressed from the initial design revision.
• Oversee pre-compliance testing, filter development, and root-cause debugging under flight-representative load conditions.
• Guide motor-controller PCBAs through revision control, design-for-manufacturing protocols, and qualification phases, including analysis of field return data.
• Conduct bench characterization using power analyzers, oscilloscopes, thermal imaging, and double-pulse testing, aligning empirical results with simulation predictions.
• Collaborate with embedded and propulsion groups to refine FOC tuning, calibrate current sensors, and define hardware/firmware compensation boundaries.
• Establish design-decision records and reference architectures, while mentoring one to two junior engineers.

Requirements

• MSc or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Power Electronics, or equivalent experience.
• At least 5 years of hands-on R&D experience with motor drives, BLDC/PMSM controllers, or high-power-density power electronics.
• Expert-level knowledge of MOSFET commutation design, including gate-driver selection, dead-time tuning, switching transitions, and loss budgeting.
• Demonstrated ownership of at least one motor-controller PCBA that moved from prototype to production (or pre-production qualification), ideally within drone, robotics, eVTOL, or automotive sectors.
• Proficiency in simulation tools (LTspice, PLECS, or Simulink) and PCB design software (Altium).
• Strong intuition for EMI/EMC design and debugging.
• Proven lab-bench discipline with experience troubleshooting discrepancies between simulation and real-world results.
• Ability to manage scale-up iteration speeds and maintain end-to-end project ownership.
• Fluent English (working language); French is a nice-to-have.

Nice to have

• Experience with GaN or SiC devices.
• Background in safety-critical design.
• Practical implementation of control theory in hardware.
• Exposure to defense, aerospace, or unmanned aircraft systems programs.
• French language proficiency.

What the company offers

• Competitive compensation and equity package aligned with a top-tier defense tech scale-up.
• Opportunity to work on mission-critical systems for allied forces.
• Dynamic, high-ownership environment driven by rigorous execution and ambitious goals.
• Collaborative culture focused on building technologies with real-world impact.
• Clear values emphasizing excellence and tackling the hardest technical challenges.
• State-of-the-art lab facilities and simulation tools for hardware development.

About the company

Harmattan AI is a next-generation defense prime that recently closed a $200M Series B round, valuing the company at $1.4 billion. The firm is dedicated to building autonomous and scalable defense systems, expanding its teams to deliver mission-critical solutions to allied forces. The company's work is guided by clear values: building technologies with real-world impact, pursuing excellence, setting ambitious goals, and taking on the hardest technical challenges. The company operates in a demanding environment where rigor, ownership, and execution are expected.

• Building technologies with real-world impact.
• Pursuing excellence and setting ambitious goals.
• Taking on the hardest technical challenges.
• Operating in a demanding environment where rigor, ownership, and execution are expected.