Staff Patent Engineer- Medium Voltage SST Products

Amperesand • Reno, Nevada, United States; San Francisco, California, United States • 1d ago

Role Summary

We are seeking a technically sharp and strategically minded Staff Patent Engineer to join our team, focused on protecting and advancing our intellectual property portfolio in medium voltage solid-state transformer (SST) technology. In this role, you will serve as a senior IP leader at the intersection of cutting-edge power electronics engineering and patent strategy, driving innovation identification, portfolio development, and IP governance in close collaboration with R&D leaders, product teams, and legal counsel.

Responsibilites

Lead patentability strategy for our medium voltage Solid State Transformer product portfolio, working directly with R&D and product teams to identify and protect breakthrough innovations.

Own end-to-end invention disclosure development — from engineering conversations to submission-ready disclosures — and manage prosecution activities in close coordination with outside patent counsel.

Conduct prior art searches and provide expert patentability assessments for new inventions spanning power conversion topologies, control algorithms, magnetics, thermal management, and grid integration.

Define and execute a long-range IP portfolio strategy aligned to our SST product roadmap and business objectives.

Monitor the competitive patent landscape across medium voltage power electronics and SST-adjacent technologies to inform R&D and product strategy.

Mentor engineers across the organization on invention identification, disclosure best practices, and IP awareness to build a strong innovation culture.

Serve as the primary IP interface between engineering teams, business development, and legal counsel throughout the product lifecycle.

Support international patent filing strategies (PCT, EPO) in coordination with outside counsel.

Qualifications

Technical degree in Electrical Engineering, Power Electronics, or a closely related field; Master's or Ph.D. strongly preferred.

5–8 years of experience in power electronics engineering, with solid expertise in medium voltage systems, solid-state transformers, or advanced converter technologies.

Proven track record of building and managing IP portfolios in a complex, fast-moving technology domain.

Strong working knowledge of power semiconductor devices (IGBTs, SiC MOSFETs), converter topologies (DAB, resonant converters, multilevel), and grid-connected applications.

Demonstrated ability to read, interpret, and strategically evaluate patent claims and technical literature.

USPTO registration as a Patent Agent or Patent Attorney strongly preferred.

Experience using patent search and analytics platforms (Derwent, PatSnap, Espacenet, or similar).

Entrepreneurial mindset with a bias toward action and the ability to drive IP initiatives with a high degree of ownership.

Excellent written and verbal communication skills — able to translate complex engineering concepts into clear, strategically sound patent language.

Willingness and ability to travel up to 10%, including internationally.

Please note: This role requires working on-site 5 days a week. We do not offer hybrid or remote options.