Senior Staff Engineer, Product Applications and Systems

pSemi Corporation is a Murata company driving semiconductor integration. pSemi builds on Peregrine Semiconductor’s 30-year legacy of technology advancements and strong IP portfolio but with a new mission—to enhance Murata’s world-class capabilities with high-performance semiconductors. With a strong foundation in RF integration, pSemi’s product portfolio now spans power management, connected sensors, optical transceivers, antenna tuning and RF frontends. These intelligent and efficient semiconductors enable advanced modules for smartphones, base stations, personal computers, electric vehicles, data centers, IoT devices and healthcare. From headquarters in San Diego and offices around the world, pSemi’s team explores new ways to make electronics for the connected world smaller, thinner, faster and better.

Job Description:

This position is for a Product Applications and Systems Engineer specializing in Power Semiconductor Products including charge-pump, capacitor divider and point-of-load DCDC power conversion ICs for a range of applications including: Datacenter, Networking and High-end Consumer applications.

The applicant should have broad experience and/or unique knowledge of power management systems in a semiconductor environment. The position is expected to be practical and hands-on with an emphasis on validation of silicon hardware. The candidate is expected to have excellent problem-solving skills, lab management, circuit simulation expertise and capable of interfacing with key customers on a regular basis.  

The position includes aspects of customer engagement, including new product introduction, technical support and general inquiries from customers while providing customer and market feedback to the product line.

The preferred location is based in San Jose, California and presents a unique opportunity for the candidate to work on leading-edge technology within an extremely innovative and dynamic team with excellent opportunities for career and personal growth. 

Reports to the Director of Marketing and Applications for Power Products.

Roles & Responsibilities

This position has responsibility for:

• Engaging with Marketing and lead customers to understand their systems and contribute to next generation power semiconductor product definition.
• Creation of detailed specification requirements documentation to ensure that definitions are understood and implemented in silicon.
• Creation of simulation and parametric models to replicate product and system behavior.
• Working closely with IC designers and applications engineering to evaluate trade-offs and decide on best method of implementation.
• Testing and validating silicon and verifying that it meets required customer and market specifications.
• Creating test/validation plans and implement product road-testing.  
• Ownership of product datasheets – ensuring that final product matches original definition.
• Ownership of product application collateral including product evaluation kits (EVK), demonstration boards and application notes.  
• Providing technical customer support.  This includes but it is not limited to:
  • Interfacing with customers to support all design activity
  • Reviewing and recommending improvements to existing customer designs
  • Collaborating with the Sales team on technical issues and new product applications
• Providing detailed competitive analysis and insights. 
• Writing application notes and/or developing reference designs to support customer engagements
• Providing feedback to Marketing and Design Engineering on product improvements and new product definitions.
• Staying abreast of current trends within the Power Management industry and related customer implementation plans.

Knowledge, Skills Requirements and Minimum qualifications

• Typically requires 8 - 12 years in power management system applications depending on education level
• Strong technical background in Power Management semiconductor products
• Ability to work on significant and unique issues based on thorough understanding of latest power management architectures and technologies relevant to the focus markets and applications,
• In depth knowledge of the Power Management competitive environment.
• Simulation knowledge/experience in PSPICE and/or Simplis
• Labview programming and equipment interface is preferred.
• Presentation and interpersonal skills. Able to work productively within a team of innovative engineers and quickly demonstrate technical competence and deep understanding of power technology.

• Interpersonal and verbal and written communications skills to interact with customers and internal teams.
• Responsive, self-driven and directed, with a strong sense of ownership.
• Ability to independently solve complex customer problems.
• Willingness to travel locally to customer site and work with customers directly with occasional overseas travel.

 Education Requirements

• BSEE or local equivalent
• MSEE preferred

Competency Requirements

In order to perform the job successfully, an individual should demonstrate the following competencies:

• Critical Thinking: Able to find logical flaws in arguments and plans; identifies problems and solutions that others might miss; provides detailed insight and constructive criticism into problems and complex situations
• Working with Ambiguity: Achieves forward progress in the face of poorly defined situations and/or unclear goals; able to work effectively with limited or partial information
• Championing Customer Needs: Calls attention to issues that impact customer satisfaction; views thing from the perspective of customers; encourages people to think about customers when making decisions
• Displaying Technical Expertise: Keeps his/her technical skills current; effectively applies specialized knowledge and skills to perform work tasks; understands and masters the technical skills, knowledge, and tasks associated with his/her job; shares technical expertise with others
• Demonstrating Initiative: Takes action on his/her own without being prompted; handles problems independently; able to resolve issues without relying on extensive help from others; does more than is expected or asked

Work Environment

This job operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle or feel; and reach with hands and arms. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus. This position requires the ability to occasionally lift office products and supplies, up to 20 pounds.

USD 156,528.52 - 203,498.34 per year

pSemi Corporation supports a diverse workforce and is committed to a policy of equal employment opportunity for applicants and employees. pSemi does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion (including religious dress and grooming practices), sex/gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions or breastfeeding), gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, national origin (including language use restrictions and possession of a driver’s license issued under Vehicle Code section 12801.9), ancestry, physical or mental disability, legally-protected medical condition, military or veteran status (including “protected veterans” under applicable affirmative action laws), marital status, sexual orientation, or any other basis protected by local, state or federal laws applicable to the Company. pSemi also prohibits discrimination based on the perception that an employee or applicant has any of those characteristics, or is associated with a person who has or is perceived as having any of those characteristics.

Note: The Peregrine Semiconductor name, Peregrine Semiconductor logo and UltraCMOS are registered trademarks and the pSemi name, pSemi logo, HaRP and DuNE are trademarks of pSemi Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective companies. pSemi products are protected under one or more of the following U.S. Patents: http://patents.psemi.com