Senior Characterization & Reliability Engineer for Power Semiconductors - Somerville
$600 - $1,200 USD yearly
Originally posted 18 June 2026 by the employer.
Focus on on-wafer and packaged device testing for vertical gallium nitride (GaN) power transistors.
About the role
Vertical Semiconductor is seeking a Senior Characterization & Reliability Engineer to characterize vertical GaN devices for target applications using both on-wafer and packaged device test setups. The role supports commercialization of vertical gallium nitride (GaN) power transistors across data centers, energy systems, and electric vehicles.
What you'll do
- Perform electrical characterization of power devices (IV, CV, pulsed IV, gate charge) using high-voltage test instrumentation, curve tracers, and semiautomatic probe stations for on-wafer probing. - Design circuit boards for packaged device tests, including UIS and switching performance evaluations. - Evaluate reliability using JEDEC qualification standards such as HTRB, HTGB, TDDB, and thermal cycling. - Extract key power device parameters for data sheets. - Develop data analysis pipelines and measurement automation using Python or MATLAB. - Execute schematic entry, circuit simulation, and PCB layout for test hardware.
What you'll need
- Master’s degree or PhD in electrical engineering with a focus on power device design/characterization, or 5+ years of relevant industry experience. - Deep knowledge of electrical characterization of power devices using high-voltage test instrumentation and curve tracers for on-wafer probing with semiautomatic probe stations. - Experience with schematic entry, circuit simulation, and PCB layout tools. - Proficiency in Python, MATLAB, or similar tools for data analysis and measurement automation. - Familiarity with JEDEC qualification standards, including HTRB, HTGB, TDDB, and thermal cycling.
Nice to have
- Power circuit design experience with GaN or SiC. - Familiarity with power devices for medium voltage (600-1200 V) applications such as GaN HEMTs, SiC MOSFETs, or Si IGBTs.
This role has been open 0 days — well below the 34-day median for Silicon Test Engineering roles.
Silicon Test Engineering · DFT Test
|
Open roles in category
562
|
Median days open
34 d
|
Median salary
$173k
|
See the full market breakdown ▾Category comparison, and who else is hiring
| Metric | Vertical Semiconductor | All employers we track in this specialty (562 roles · 78 employers) |
|---|---|---|
| Open roles in this specialty | 1 | 562 |
| Open roles in the wider Silicon Validation & Test family | 1 | 2248 · 114 employers |
| Median days open | 0 d | 34 d (−34 d vs this employer) |
| Median salary (USD postings) | — | $173k |
Who's hiring in this category
- Teradyne · 81 open roles · median 26 d
- Infineon Technologies · 45 open roles · median 41 d
- Renesas Electronics · 45 open roles · median 27 d
- Micron Technology · 28 open roles · median 38 d
- Qualcomm · 28 open roles · median 34 d
- Texas Instruments · 25 open roles · median 29 d
How we counted: 562 open Silicon Test Engineering (DFT Test) roles from 78 employers tracked in the SemiconductorJobs index, counted 22 Oct 2026. Specialty figures count only roles carrying this exact specialty label, so an employer's related work in neighbouring specialties is not included there — it is counted in the wider Silicon Validation & Test family row. Figures refresh nightly.