Job Description

Senior Test and Reliability Manager

Team – R&D Engineering

Location – Cambridge

Contract – Permanent (Full time or part time)

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

This is an amazing opportunity to join CGD at an early stage and lead the test and reliability engineering team as they grow in both size and capability. The test and reliability engineering team are responsible for the test, characterization and reliability of CGD’s leading edge GaN products. The Senior Test and Reliability Manager will be responsible for the day-to-day line management of the team, providing both technical and personal leadership and support to the rest of the team.

The Senior Test and Reliability Manager will, initially, be working as both line manager for the team, as well as a senior engineer. As such, you need to be able to work as a hands-on member of the team, whilst also leading the other engineers within the group. You will work closely with other groups within CGD to ensure timely delivery of projects.

Test and reliability approaches in power GaN semiconductors are still a developing area of the industry with evolving international standards. This role is an opportunity to shape the industry direction in these fields as GaN technology continues to transition towards high volume production. CGD are involved with the JEDEC group for GaN and this role can directly impact the future test standards in GaN power semiconductors.

Reporting directly to the VP R&D, you will work closely with the senior management team daily.

This role is based at the company’s office and lab in Cambridge, UK, although it is expected that some travel will be required from time to time.

Main Responsibilities

• Design and execute device reliability characterisation experiments of GaN power ICs
• Development of characterisation strategies and test planning (DOE)
• Development of GaN device reliability models
• Develop new test methods for GaN-IC reliability
• Write reliability-specific application notes and white papers
• Lead reliability aspects of Technology R&D and Product R&D projects
• Design and run customer-specific tests
• Lead TCAD and multi-physics simulation projects for reliability insight
• Liaise with electrical engineers for the development of reliability characterisation systems
• Lead the team of test and reliability engineers focussed on characterisation, lifetime and reliability and test hardware infrastructure.
• Manage resource allocation for test and reliability activity across current CGD projects

Requirements

Skills and Experience

Essential

• A degree in Electrical Engineering or a similar technical subject

• Demonstrable experience in the field of test engineering, ideally including both device reliability and characterization
• Strong experience of managing an engineering team, ideally within a power semiconductor or power electronics environment
• Basic knowledge of wide bandgap semiconductors
• Experience working with customers
• A high self-motivation in your job with a results-oriented approach
• Excellent communication skills and motivation to collaborate with multiple stakeholders
• Experience in managing and leading technical teams
• Expert knowledge of power semiconductor device reliability, preferably GaN
• Strategic thinker with practical skills and experience
• Inspires confidence in colleagues, partners and customers
• Comfortable in a fast-paced start-up environment
• Pro-active by nature, responsive to changing needs of the projects and business
• Good communication and presentation skills. In particular, writing white papers and application notes as well as presenting technical topics to an audience
• A mindset for precise and high-quality results
• An eye for detail

Desirable

• Experience in measuring/charactering devices and AC/DC or DC/DC converters
• Comprehensive knowledge and understanding of wide bandgap semiconductor device physics, preferably GaN power devices
• Skilled in power electronics, in particular power electronic circuits for reliability testing
• Experience with finite element modelling (TCAD and multi-physics)
• Experience with semiconductor failure analysis
• Knowledge of power device packaging technologies and their reliability aspects
• Project management qualifications
• Six Sigma black belt

Benefits

• Excellent salary
• Share options scheme available (so you own a piece of the company!)
• Pension scheme (6% Company contribution)
• Life Assurance (3x Salary)
• Medicash cash plan
• Flexible working options (both location and times)
• Annual leave allowance of 33 days (including bank holidays)
• Training and career development
• Family friendly policies
• Cycle to work scheme
• EV leasing scheme
• Volunteer leave policy
• 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, annual summer party, 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.