Electrical Propulsion

The Electrical Power and Control Systems (EPCS) Department within the Undersea Systems Office (USO) of the Applied Research Laboratory (ARL) at Penn State University is seeking motivated and talented Electrical Propulsion and Power Systems (EPPS) engineers to join our teams.  You will take part with multidisciplinary engineering teams in the development of cutting edge electric and hybrid electric propulsion and power systems for undersea vehicles including design and control of energy storage systems, integration of electric motor and controllers, power management, and laboratory/field testing for Department of Defense and related applications.

ARL is an authorized DoD SkillBridge partner and welcomes all transitioning military members to apply.

You Will:

• Drive the full life cycle design and development process to identify competitive, efficient and elegant electric and hybrid electric propulsion systems and sub-systems

• Participate in system requirements identification, flow-down, and functional allocation

• Execute detailed design stages including early design and development processes (market surveys, analysis of alternatives, interface control documents, functional design documents, and test plans/reports) followed by design reviews, design acceptance and documentation packages

• Capture approved hardware designs using state of the art CAD tools and then demonstrate the design satisfies the identified requirements and expectations during large scale system integration exercises and requirement verification stages

• Test EPPS designs by applying advanced hardware-in-the-loop test methods to support integration with larger systems of systems

• Support laboratory and field testing of prototype EPPS to demonstrate final design

This position can be filled at multiple levels, depending upon your education and experience. Typically requires a Bachelor’s Degree; Master’s Degree preferred. Additional experience and/or education and competencies may be required for higher levels.

Additional Responsibilities:

• Serve as a technical leader on multiple projects

• Manage multiple and/or large projects

• Create opportunities to enhance technical methodology

• Mentor and train assigned employees in the development of technical, project and business development skills

Required Skills:

• Design experience in low and high voltage power conversion and battery systems including lithium-based battery chemistries

• Knowledge and use of CAD tools for design concept, layout, and generation of procurement documentation

• Demonstrated ability to work within or lead a technical team

• Be hands-on, exhibit a solid understanding of electronics concepts, and possess a proven ability to build, troubleshoot, and integrate hardware into larger, more complex systems

Preferred Skills:

• LabVIEW and Matlab, (Simulink, Stateflow, and RT-LAB) for simulation and control

• Mechanical CAD tools including Siemens NX and Solidworks

• Electrical CAD tools including Altium Design Suite

• Experience with design and operation of battery management systems (BMS)

• Prior high voltage training and working experience

• Experience operating battery test equipment (Aerovironment, Arbin)

• Experience with embedded C/C++ and VHDL/Verilog firmware languages

Your working location will be fully on-site, located in State College, PA. 

This position will require periodic travel to remote locations in support of field testing as part of a small team of researchers, engineers, and technologists.

ARL at Penn State is an integral part of one of the leading research universities in the nation and serves as a University center of excellence in defense science, systems, and technologies with a focus in naval missions and related areas.

You will be subject to a government security investigation, and you must be a U.S. citizen to apply. Employment with the ARL will require successful completion of a pre-employment drug screen. 

ARL is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion; we believe this is central to our success as a Department of Defense designated University Affiliated Research Center (UARC).  We are at our best when we draw on the talents of all parts of society, and our greatest accomplishments are achieved when diverse perspectives are part of our workforce.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION on ARL, visit our web site at www.arl.psu.edu.