Tempo

Electrical Engineer

About

About Tempo Based in San Diego, California, Tempo develops thermochemical energy storage (TCES) systems designed for energy-intensive industries. The platform enables industrial operators to shift energy use over time by sourcing power when it is most cost-effective and enables the electrification of high-temperature industrial heat at a cost advantage to using fossil fuels. By storing electricity thermochemically, the system delivers a continuous stream of combustion-free, high-temperature air at up to 1,200°C. Tempo is backed by leading climate and energy investors, including Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Khosla Ventures, and Prelude Ventures. For more information, visit www.tempoenergy.com. The Role Tempo is seeking a Power Electronics & Controls Engineer to take meaningful ownership of power conversion system development within our engineering team. In this role, you will drive hardware design, through bring-up and field integration, and control development work effectively across engineering disciplines with a high degree of independence, and serve as a dependable technical resource for the broader team. This position is well suited for an engineer with a demonstrated track record of delivering power electronics hardware and control systems, sound technical judgment, and the ability to lead project work without close direction in a fast-paced, early-stage company environment. What You'll Do Circuit & System Design • Design and optimize power conversion circuits — including DC/DC, AC/DC, and DC/AC topologies — supporting the charging and control of Thermal Battery Modules within the TCES system. • Evaluate design approaches for gate drivers, custom magnetics, and protection circuitry, and provide well-reasoned recommendations for high-voltage, high-temperature, and harsh-environment applications. • Identify and advance cost reduction opportunities across the Power and Rectifier cabinets, collaborating with mechanical, thermal, and manufacturing teams to translate design improvements into practice. Integration & Bring-Up • Own hardware bring-up and integration of power electronics circuits and modules, including test planning, execution, and resolution of issues through to completion. • Lead hardware/software integration of power conversion systems in close collaboration with firmware and controls engineers, resolving interface issues and escalating appropriately when warranted. • Coordinate across thermal, mechanical, and software engineering teams to integrate the Power Cabinet into the Thermal Array and broader TCES system architecture. Controls & Grid Interface • Validate designs across the expected operating envelope, including variable generation profiles and relevant edge cases, and recommend design responses when gaps are identified. • Utilize Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) simulation tools to support control system tuning and hardware/firmware co-validation. Reliability, Compliance & Testing • Take ownership of regulatory compliance for assigned designs, ensuring adherence to applicable UL, CE, and IEC standards and proactively surfacing cross-cutting compliance considerations. • Plan and execute EMC testing and reliability validation within project scope, interpreting results and driving appropriate design responses. • Identify and resolve power conversion system issues across all stages of development — from architecture through lab validation and field deployment — applying sound judgment in prioritizing and sequencing resolution efforts. R&D & Scalability • Contribute technical analysis and recommendations to power electronics scalability efforts, including modular pilot plant designs, commercial TCES system scale-up, and Thermal Array configurations. • Support definition of power electronics requirements for new product development programs, synthesizing cross-functional inputs into clear and well-grounded technical recommendations. • Provide technical guidance and design review support to junior engineers, contributing to a collaborative and growth-oriented team environment, as needed. What We're Looking For Required • B.S. in Electrical Engineering or related field; M.S. …

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