Bridge Building, Cloud Computing, Communication Skills, Computer Systems, Customer Relations, Electrical Engineering, Electronics, Major Accounts, Network Operations Center, Power Generation, Pre-Sales, Product Management, Sales/Support Engineering (SE), Software Engineering, Strategic Accounts, System Architecture, Systems Engineering, Technical Presentation, Technical Sales, Technical Support, Technical/Engineering Design, Trade-Off Analysis
LOCATION
San Jose, CA
POSTED
30+ days ago
Title: Principal Systems Engineer
Compensation: $180,000–$205,000 base salary + 15% annual bonus
Reports to: Director of Global Applications Engineering
Overview
We are seeking a Principal Systems Engineer to join our Power Electronics Division. This is a senior, customer-facing, pre-sales focused role for a highly experienced power electronics technologist. The position serves as a trusted technical advisor to some of the world’s most advanced technology companies, partnering closely with customers and internal engineering teams to shape next-generation power system solutions.
This role is highly conceptual and systems-oriented. There is no lab or hands-on testing component. Success in this position requires deep expertise in DC-DC converters and power systems, strong customer communication skills, and the ability to translate complex technical requirements into innovative, scalable architectures.
Key Responsibilities
Act as a senior technical authority supporting pre-sales and customer engagements across major West Coast accounts
Partner closely with leading customers to understand system-level requirements and propose advanced power solutions
Serve as a technical bridge between customers, applications engineering, product management, and design engineering teams
Lead system-level architecture discussions involving DC-DC converters and custom power solutions
Support strategic accounts, including hyperscale and advanced technology customers
Influence product direction by providing customer-driven technical insights to internal stakeholders
Deliver high-impact technical presentations, solution reviews, and executive-level discussions
Travel regularly to customer sites along the West Coast, primarily in San Jose/Milpitas and Seattle
Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or related discipline (Master’s degree preferred)
In-depth knowledge of DC-DC converters and power electronics systems (Subject Matter Expert)
Background in applications engineering, field applications engineering, or systems engineering
Proven experience in customer-facing, pre-sales, or technical advisory roles
Strong system-level thinking with the ability to evaluate tradeoffs and design custom solutions
Excellent communication skills with the ability to engage both deeply technical teams and senior customer stakeholders
Experience supporting large, sophisticated customers in data center, cloud, or advanced computing environments
About the Company
S
Sterling Engineering, Inc.
Sterling Engineering has been a trusted partner for engineering, project management, and staffing solutions for over five decades. We provide exceptional engineering/technical recruitment and engineering project services to clients nationwide:
Engineering & Technical Recruitment - With our focus on engineering, technical, and IT, Sterling has the in-depth knowledge, industry expertise, and robust employee pipeline it takes to rapidly find talent for even the most difficult to fill positions. Sterling’s extensive recruitment methodology allows us to engage the most talented employees in the marketplace. We offer exciting work and career-building opportunities for our candidates, along with expert support at every step of the process.
Engineering Project Services – Our experienced, multi-disciplined team of project managers, engineers, and designers, led by licensed Professional Engineers (PE), provide project management, engineering, design, and Commissioning, Qualification, and Validation (CQV) to manufacturing, OEM, and R&D customers. We work on complex, highly technical projects across a number of industry sectors, and our ability to scale and seamlessly integrate at multiple levels of your organization is what differentiates us.
Sterling offers a unique combination of engineering solutions and Best of Staffing level service to help our clients and talent achieve their goals.