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Senior Applications Engineer

Kinetic Technologies
San Jose, CA Full Time
POSTED ON 5/22/2026
AVAILABLE BEFORE 6/18/2026
Senior Applications Engineer – Power Management (DC/DC Buck Converters)

Position Summary

We are seeking an experienced Senior Applications Engineer with deep, hands-on expertise in DC/DC buck converters and power management ICs. This role requires strong system-level design, validation, and device debug skills. The Senior Applications Engineer will act as a technical leader, supporting complex customer designs, driving root-cause analysis, and collaborating closely with R&D, validation, and marketing teams to ensure robust product adoption and successful customer deployments.

Key Responsibilities

  • Serve as a technical expert for DC/DC buck converter products, supporting customers from initial architecture through production release
  • Lead hands-on lab activities including schematic development, PCB bring-up, validation, and device debug of power management ICs
  • Design, build, and debug evaluation modules (EVMs) and customer reference designs
  • Perform detailed system-level validation including efficiency, transient response, stability, thermal, protection features, and reliability testing
  • Drive root-cause analysis of device, system, and layout-related issues using bench measurements and failure analysis techniques
  • Review and approve customer schematics and PCB layouts, providing expert guidance on power integrity, grounding, EMI/EMC, and thermal performance
  • Partner closely with IC design, validation, and test teams to debug silicon issues and influence product improvements
  • Support customer development schedules by providing timely, technically sound recommendations and solutions
  • Develop and own high-quality technical collateral, including:
    • EVM User’s Guides
    • Application Notes and Design Notes
    • White Papers and Reference Designs
  • Mentor junior applications engineers and contribute to best practices for lab methodology and documentation
  • Represent the applications team in technical reviews, customer meetings, and internal design discussions
Minimum Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, ECE, or related field
  • 6 years of experience in power electronics or semiconductor applications engineering
  • Strong hands-on experience with DC/DC buck converter design and analysis
  • Proven expertise in schematic capture and PCB design using industry-standard tools (e.g., Altium, Cadence, OrCAD, or equivalent)
  • Extensive lab experience with power measurement, debugging, and validation using oscilloscopes, electronic loads, network analyzers, and power analyzers
  • Demonstrated ability to debug complex hardware issues at the device and system level
  • Strong technical writing skills with experience producing customer-facing technical documentation
  • In-depth understanding of customer product development cycles and manufacturing requirements

Preferred Qualifications

  • Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering or related field
  • Experience with silicon validation and post-silicon debug of power management ICs
  • Strong background in control loop stability, compensation design, and small-signal analysis
  • Experience with EMI/EMC mitigation and compliance strategies
  • Prior customer-facing or Field Applications Engineering (FAE) experience
  • Experience mentoring or leading technical teams

Key Competencies

  • Deep lab-centric problem solving and analytical skills
  • Ability to independently drive complex debug and validation efforts
  • Strong communication skills bridging customers, applications, and IC design teams
  • Technical leadership and ownership mindset

Salary.com Estimation for Senior Applications Engineer in San Jose, CA
$130,690 to $162,893
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