Principal Applications Engineer

Company Description

Vertical Semiconductor, a venture-backed MIT spin‑out, is leading the development of vertical gallium nitride (GaN) power semiconductors to build the foundational power layer for the next generation of compute and AI.

We’re hiring a Principal Applications Engineer to help commercialize next‑generation Vertical GaN power devices (100 V - 2300 V) by translating device performance into system‑level wins for customers. This role blends customer‑facing technical leadership, hands‑on power converter evaluation
, simulation/model development, and bench characterization of fast‑switching wide bandgap devices. The role offers significant ownership of customer technical engagement, and the development of evaluation hardware, reference designs, and technical content (application notes, trainings, demos). As the company scales, this position has the strong potential to evolve into a team leadership role.

• Serve as senior technical interface for strategic accounts: translate customer specs into power device requirements; support design in activity including simulations, testing, troubleshooting, and performance optimization.
• Present Vertical Semiconductor technology, products, and roadmap to customers and partners; act as a subject‑matter expert for target applications.

• Develop and own SPICE and/or PLECS simulation workflows for Vertical GaN in realistic converter environments (switching behavior, parasitics, loss/thermal estimation, gate‑drive tradeoffs).
• Build reusable solution templates (topology starting points, loop inductance/parasitic models, measurement‑informed parameters) to rapidly evaluate customer use cases.
• Create system collateral:
  application block diagrams, design guidelines, technical notes, and simulation models as part of an enablement roadmap.

• Lead development of evaluation boards, demo boards, and reference designs (schematic/layout, BOM, bring‑up plan, test plan, characterization report).
• Perform system‑level bench testing and debug; drive design optimizations based on measured performance.

• Where needed, perform hands‑on characterization of fast‑switching WBG devices
  , including switching waveform integrity, parasitic‑sensitive measurements, and robustness characterization.
• Develop and publish practical “design rules” for customers: gate drive, layout/loop inductance, protection strategies, and measurement techniques.

• Develop application notes, design guides, trainings/webinars, and other media that make Vertical GaN easy to adopt.

• Provide structured customer feedback to Device Engineering and Product teams: performance requirements, feature requests, failure‑mode learnings, and competitive insights.

• 5+ years in applications engineering supporting power semiconductor customers OR 5+ years developing power systems/converters.
• 5+ years experience developing or working with power converters (e.g., inverters, PFC, isolated DC‑DC). Experience delivering reference designs or complete converter hardware is a strong plus.
• Proven bench characterization experience with high voltage and high current wide bandgap devices
  .
• Strong understanding of high‑frequency power converter design (switching loss mechanisms, magnetics implications, layout/parasitics, gate drive).
• Deep familiarity applying SiC and GaN devices in real converters (including design‑in pitfalls and best practices).
• Proficiency with SPICE and/or PLECS
  ; ability to develop models and quickly evaluate power circuits.
• Strong technical communication skills: clear written application guidance and confident in customer‑facing engagement.
• Experience with parasitic‑aware layouts and EMI‑aware design practices for fast‑switching power stages.
• M.S. or Ph.D. in EE (Power Electronics) or equivalent practical experience.

• Preference for candidates who can work in‑office in Somerville, MA
  .
• Travel to customer sites and…