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

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.

• 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., Mag Net, 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.

• 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…