The posting
Senior Test Development Engineer
Team – Engineering
Location – Cambridge, UK (with some international travel)
Contract – Full-time, Permanent
About CGD
Making Sustainable Power Electronics Possible
A spin-out of the Cambridge University, Cambridge GaN Devices (CGD) is a fabless semiconductor company that develops a range of energy-efficient GaN-based power devices to make greener electronics possible.
The global power semiconductor market is expected to exceed $50BN. In addition to the multi-million seed fund and Series A and now B private investments, CGD has so far successfully secured four projects funded by iUK, BEIS and EU (Penta). The technical and commercial expertise of the CGD team combined with an extensive track record in the power electronics market has been fundamental in early market traction of our proprietary technology.
Bringing Innovation into Everyday Life
The environmental need for solutions to resolve the world’s most significant challenges (energy consumption and CO2 emissions) inspires us to contribute to society by preserving nature with energy-efficient power solutions.
With a mindset on pushing the limits of semiconductor (GaN) properties and an outstanding team of worldwide experts leveraging knowledge, IP, and decades of research, we demonstrate technological advancement by developing green solutions for everyday electronics, respecting our planet’s natural resources, and creating a more sustainable future for the generations to come.
Why Work for CGD
We Champion Commitment, Celebrate Empowerment, and Reward the Brave.
We are interested in change-makers with a passion for power semiconductors who are willing to explore unconventional ways to meet the company’s green agenda.
At CGD, we pride ourselves on putting empowerment and commitment at the core of our company culture. We offer a relaxed yet productive working environment where everybody is valued and respected and becomes part of commercial success while experiencing professional growth.
If your heart beats for innovation, challenge, and growth, and if the prospect of joining a friendly and game-changing company is for you, we want to hear from you.
The Opportunity
CGD are looking for an experienced Test and Applications Engineer to join the team. As part of the growing engineering team, you will principally be responsible for defining how CGD tests its GaN power devices and power ICs.
This will involve architecting characterisation, verification and stress-test hardware, including automated and multi-device setups, and leading the delivery alongside hardware, characterisation and reliability colleagues.
Main Responsibilities
Test hardware architecture
- Define how the device under test connects to test equipment: fixtures, sockets, probing, interconnect and switching, for static, dynamic and mixed-signal measurements.
- Specify the test system: select commercial instruments and equipment, or design custom hardware where nothing suitable exists.
- Architect multi-site hardware that tests several devices in parallel.
- Implement reliability and stress tests in hardware (e.g. HTRB, HTOL, burn-in boards), to requirements set by the Principal Reliability Engineer.
- Write test hardware specifications for hardware engineers to implement, then review designs and lead bring-up and debug.
- Ensure measurement integrity of characterisation test setups. Implement in-house test system calibration, verification/maintenance and self-test procedures if not covered by standard annual calibration.
- Write and maintain test system documentation including standard operating procedures with inputs from hardware engineers.
Test methodology and automation
- Develop characterisation and verification test methods for new devices with the design and characterisation teams.
- Design automation for repetitive and long-duration tests so they run safely unattended.
- Support Operations and external partners with hardware for external and production test.
- Work together with test lead and tech lead defining test campaigns.
Leadership and external collaboration
- Lead test hardware workstreams from concept to release, planning scope, schedule and budget, and managing technical risk.
- Act as the technical authority for test hardware: set design practices, review other engineers' work and sign off test setups.
- Mentor and develop engineers, sharing test hardware know-how across the team.
- Build relationships with equipment suppliers, test houses and external partners to find, evaluate and benchmark test equipment and capabilities, and make buy-or-build recommendations.
- Shape the test hardware and equipment roadmap, anticipating the needs of upcoming products.
Requirements
Skills and Experience
Essential
- Degree in Electrical/Electronic Engineering, with industry experience in semiconductor test or characterisation.
- Strong communication skills, with experience working with suppliers and external partners to source, evaluate and compare test equipment and capabilities.
- Experience leading technical workstreams and mentoring engineers.
- Proven experience architecting test hardware and test systems for semiconductor devices, preferably power devices.
- Broad knowledge of test equipment (SMUs, curve tracers, oscilloscopes, high-voltage and current probes, switch matrices) and how to select it.
- Mixed-signal circuit knowledge, enough to design test hardware or specify it clearly for hardware engineers.
- Understanding of power conversion circuits and switching measurements.
- Experience using analog circuit simulation tools (e.g. LTSpice)
- Experience with test automation and instrument control (e.g. Python).
Desirable
- Wide bandgap (GaN or SiC) experience, including double-pulse testing.
- Production test, ATE or wafer probing experience.
- PCB design tool experience (e.g. Altium).
- Mechanical CAD tool experience (e.g. Autodesk Fusion360)
Personal attributes
- Clear communicator who inspires confidence in colleagues, partners and customers.
- Strategic thinker with strong practical skills and an eye for detail.
- Pro-active and comfortable in a fast-paced, scale-up environment.
- Willing to travel to partners in Europe, the Americas and Asia.
Benefits
- Excellent salary
- Share options scheme available (so you own a piece of the company!)
- Pension scheme (6% Company contribution)
- Life Assurance (4x Salary)
- BUPA Private Medical Insurance
- Medicash cash plan
- Annual leave allowance of 33 days (including bank holidays)
- Holiday Purchase Scheme
- Training and career development
- Family friendly policies
- Cycle to work scheme
- EV leasing scheme
- Volunteer leave
- IP bonus scheme
- Involvement in collaborative projects and grants with University of Cambridge and other partners
- Recruitment referral bonus
- Regular social events including frequent company lunches, Christmas party, team building and wellbeing activities
We believe in equal opportunities
It takes a diverse and inclusive community of passionate, talented and committed people to build a system to shape the future of power electronics.
We are committed to providing equal opportunities to all current and prospective employees regardless of age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, gender identity, or marriage and civil partnership.
We believe that a more inclusive workplace, where people of different backgrounds work together, ensures better outcomes for all employees. We aspire to have a diverse workforce because, in our view, diversity enables better business outcomes. From application to interview, we place inclusion at the heart of all we do.
Studies have shown that women tend to apply to jobs if they meet all, or almost all, of the requirements whereas men apply even if they meet only some of the requirements. If that sounds like you then please apply and we’ll provide feedback.
We are well set up for collaborative hybrid working, with some members of the team working in the UK office and some from home in the UK and other cities in Europe and Asia.
