UT-ORII R&D Associate - Electric Motor Design Researcher

Requisition Id 16530 

Overview:

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is seeking applicants for an Electric Motor Designer position to conduct projects, expand research, and lead research and development activities focused on advanced rare-earth-free motor topologies for transportation applications. The successful candidate will perform analysis, simulation, design, and evaluation of electric motor topologies with reduced critical mineral dependence, emphasizing sustainable, high-performance, and rare-earth-free motor technologies for next-generation hybrid-electric transportation systems.

The Electric Drives Research (EDR) Group supports the U.S. Department of Energy and other sponsors in the development of advanced electric motor technologies and next-generation motor systems for a broad range of transportation applications, including on- and off-road hybrid-electric vehicles, propulsion systems for more electric aircraft (MEA), and marine propulsion systems. The selected candidate will develop innovative motor concepts and provide technical leadership for research initiatives focused on high power density, efficiency, reliability, manufacturability, thermal performance, and reduced reliance on critical minerals.

The ideal candidate should have expertise in the electromagnetic, thermal, and mechanical design of advanced electric machines and understand the challenges associated with critical materials in electric motor design. Experience with electric traction drive technologies for hybrid transportation, including heavy-rare-earth-free high-speed motors, integrated electric drive systems, fault-tolerant topologies, and wide-operating-range designs, is highly desirable. Familiarity with approaches that support reduced critical material dependence, recovery, recycling, and reuse of critical materials at end of life is also important to support sustainable domestic manufacturing and supply chain resiliency.

The successful candidate will contribute to a UT-ORII Convergent Research Initiative (CRI) focused on advanced hybrid-transportation technologies, including rare-earth-free electric motors for hybrid propulsion applications. As an ORNL staff member aligned with UT-ORII, the selected candidate will also be appointed as a UT-ORII Fellow, working collaboratively with University of Tennessee faculty through joint research engagement and student mentorship.

Major Duties/Responsibilities: 

• Work independently and with senior technical staff to develop new motor concepts focused on achieving specified targets, both at a motor and system level.
• Be versant in various modeling and simulation programs as well as electromagnetic, structural and thermal FEA programs (i.e. MagNet, Motor CAD, ANSYS and COMSOL)
• Capable of carrying designs through to prototype build and test.
• Be cognizant and knowledgeable about motor drive circuitry and control algorithms.

• Collaborate with UT faculty, ORNL researchers, and industry partners through UT-ORII.
• Mentor graduate and undergraduate students engaged in the CRI.

• Lead and manage technical projects in the expansion of R&D in Electric motor Research while striving to work with and involve other areas of expertise within the laboratory.
• Have good oral and written skills to present research results to sponsors, peer reviewers, and others at national and international technical society meetings such as IEEE, SAE and others.
• Interact with industry and government sponsors in pursuit of new and additional research funding.
• Develop research proposals that solicit new and ongoing work in the electrical motor and traction drive research program.
• Publish original work in technical reports, peer reviewed journals, and professional society magazines.
• Deliver ORNL’s mission by aligning behaviors, priorities, and interactions with our core values of Impact, Integrity, Teamwork, Safety, and Service. Promote equal opportunity by fostering a respectful workplace – in how we treat one another, work together, and measure success.

Basic Qualifications:

• A Ph.D. in electrical engineering with a focus on electrical motor design for transportation application.
• Strong understanding of motor and power electronics needs for hybrid propulsion system for on and off-road vehicles.
• Experience in designing electric motors, including BLDC, PMSM, AC, DC, and induction motors.
• Strong understanding of electromagnetic theory, motor operating principles, and electrical motor design.
• Experience with optimization techniques for electric motor design, including efficiency, torque density, cost, and critical material reduction.
• Knowledge of critical material challenges in electric motors, and experience with motor design or design processes that support material recovery, refurbishment, or life-extension techniques for key components, is a plus.
• Familiarity with rare-earth-free or reduced rare-earth motor technologies and sustainable motor manufacturing approaches.
• Be versant in various modeling and simulation programs as well as electromagnetic, structural and thermal FEA programs (i.e. MagNet, Motor CAD, ANSYS and COMSOL)
• Hands-on laboratory experience performing testing and analysis of electric motors.
• Ability to work effectively in a multidisciplinary research environment involving materials, manufacturing, controls, and power electronics teams.
• Demonstrated publication record of scientific results in either peer reviewed journals or presentations at various meetings, are expected.
• A strong commitment to scientific integrity is an important requirement.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Knowledge of thermal management, structural considerations, and materials used in electric motors for hybrid transportation applications.
• Knowledge of advanced manufacturing methods for electric machines, including additive manufacturing and automated winding techniques.
• Experience with AI/ML-assisted motor design optimization or data-driven modeling approaches.
• Experience with reliability analysis, fault diagnostics, and lifetime prediction of electric machines suited for hybrid electric vehicle for ground transportation.
• Familiarity with grid, ground transportation, aerospace, or defense-related motor applications.
• Knowledge of power electronics and control of AC drives, for various motor topologies.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Strong people skills to support team building and leadership.

Special Requirements: 

Please submit two letters of reference when applying to this position. You may upload these directly to your application or have them sent to ORNLRecruiting@ornl.gov with the position title and number referenced in the subject line.

Instructions to upload documents to your candidate profile:

• Login to your account via jobs.ornl.gov
• View Profile
• Under the My Documents section, select Add a Document

For employment at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), a Real ID compliant form of identification will be required.  Additionally, ORNL is subject to Department of Energy (DOE) access restrictions. All employees must also be able to obtain and maintain a federal Personal Identity Verification (PIV) card as mandated by Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12) and Department of Energy (DOE) Order 473.1A, which requires a favorable post-employment background investigation.

To obtain this credential, new employees must successfully complete and pass a Federal Tier 1 background check investigation.  This investigation includes a declaration of illegal drug activities, including use, supply, possession, or manufacture within the last year.  This includes marijuana and cannabis derivatives, which are still considered illegal under federal law, regardless of state laws.

For foreign national candidates:

If you have not resided in the U.S. for three consecutive years, you are not eligible for the PIV credential and instead will need to obtain a favorable Local Site Specific Only (LSSO) risk determination to maintain employment.  Once you meet the three-year residency requirement, you will be required to obtain a PIV credential to maintain employment. 

About ORNL:

As a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science national laboratory, ORNL has an impressive 80-year legacy of addressing the nation’s most pressing challenges. Our team is made up of over 7,000 dedicated and innovative individuals! Our goal is to create an environment where a variety of perspectives and backgrounds are valued, ensuring ORNL is known as a top choice for employment. These principles are essential for supporting our broader mission to drive scientific breakthroughs and translate them into solutions for energy, environmental, and security challenges facing the nation.

ORNL offers competitive pay and benefits programs to attract and retain individuals who demonstrate exceptional work behaviors. The laboratory provides a range of employee benefits, including medical and retirement plans and flexible work hours, to support the well-being of you and your family. Employee amenities such as on-site fitness, banking, and cafeteria facilities are also available for added convenience.

Other benefits include the following: Prescription Drug Plan, Dental Plan, Vision Plan, 401(k) Retirement Plan, Contributory Pension Plan, Life Insurance, Disability Benefits, Generous Vacation and Holidays, Parental Leave, Legal Insurance with Identity Theft Protection, Employee Assistance Plan, Flexible Spending Accounts, Health Savings Accounts, Wellness Programs, Educational Assistance, Relocation Assistance, and Employee Discounts.

This position will remain open for a minimum of 5 days after which it will close when a qualified candidate is identified and/or hired.

We accept Word (.doc, .docx), Adobe (unsecured .pdf), Rich Text Format (.rtf), and HTML (.htm, .html) up to 5MB in size. Resumes from third party vendors will not be accepted; these resumes will be deleted and the candidates submitted will not be considered for employment.

If you have trouble applying for a position, please email ORNLRecruiting@ornl.gov.

ORNL is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants, including individuals with disabilities and protected veterans, are encouraged to apply.  UT-Battelle is an E-Verify employer.