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Staff Patent Engineer- Medium Voltage SST Products

Reno, Nevada, United States; San Francisco, California, United States

Company Overview   

Amperesand is reinventing how the world powers its most critical systems.

We are facing a once-in-a-generation opportunity for infrastructure disruption. Electricity demand is skyrocketing, driven by AI factories, electric vehicles, and modern industrial growth. Energy supply is shifting to incorporate a more diverse mix of resources – including solar, gas, and batteries – at a massive scale.

And yet the power infrastructure behind our latest mega-projects hasn’t meaningfully changed in nearly 100 years. Supply chains for today’s infrastructure equipment can’t match the pace and sophistication of critical energy projects. Amperesand is building hardware and software that rewrites this broken power infrastructure playbook to support a new era of energy abundance.

We’ve built a new class of intelligent, software-defined power infrastructure products leveraging a decade of advanced medium voltage Solid State Transformer research that’s now ready for commercial deployment.

Our products and solutions go far beyond the capabilities of traditional electrical equipment. We make power systems that are faster to deploy, dramatically smaller and more efficient, and capable of supporting modern, dynamic energy needs for tomorrow’s most demanding energy consumers.

Scalable in-house advanced manufacturing capability is our foundation for meeting timeline and quality expectation to serve infrastructure customers around the world.

Amperesand is led by breakthrough energy hardware development veterans and funded by top tier investors who share our vision of building a category-defining energy technology company.

With hubs in San Francisco, Reno, and Singapore, our global team is laser focused on building foundational technology to solve the most pressing problems in power infrastructure at scale.

Join us in building the power foundation of the future!

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. 

 

Pay Disclosure & Benefits

Compensation will be determined based on experience, location, and other factors permitted by law.  

The benefits outlined below apply exclusively to employees located in the United States.

  • Competitive Salary + Incentive Stock Options  
  • Medical, vision, and dental benefits for employees and their dependents, effective from the start of hire 
  • Company paid Basic Life, AD&D, short-term and long-term disability insurance 
  • 401k retirement savings plan through Empower 
  • Employees receive paid time off (PTO), paid sick days, and paid company holidays  
  • Commuter Benefits  
  • 100% paid maternal leave (12 weeks) and paternal leave (6 weeks) 

Singapore-based employees receive benefits in accordance with local government provisions.

Equal Employment Opportunity 

Amperesand is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local fair employment practices laws. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information or characteristics, physical or mental disability, marital/domestic partner status, age, military/veteran status, medical condition, or any other characteristic protected by law. 

Amperesand is also committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. Please let your recruiter know if you need an accommodation at any point during the interview process. 

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