Electrical Propulsion & Power Systems Engineer

Electrical Propulsion & Power Systems Engineer

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 multidisciplinary teams. We develop cutting‑edge electric and hybrid electric propulsion and power systems for undersea vehicles, including design and control of energy storage systems, integration of electric motors and controllers, power management, and laboratory/field testing for Department of Defense and related applications.

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

• 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 that 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.

• 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.

• 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.
• Hands‑on, solid understanding of electronics concepts, and proven ability to build, troubleshoot, and integrate hardware into larger, more complex systems.

• LabVIEW, MATLAB (Simulink, Stateflow, and RT‑LAB) for simulation and control.
• Mechanical CAD tools, including Siemens NX and Solid Works.
• 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 (e.g., Aerovironment, Arbin).
• Experience with embedded C/C++ and VHDL/Verilog firmware languages.

State College, PA – fully on‑site. This position requires periodic travel to remote locations in support of field testing as part of a small team of researchers, engineers, and technologists.

Must be a U.S. citizen. Candidates will be subject to a government security investigation, background checks in accordance with University policies, and a pre‑employment drug screen. The ARL requires successful completion of these steps as part of employment.

The salary range for this position, including all possible grades, is $ – $.

Penn State is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status. If you are unable to use our online application process due to an impairment or disability, please contact .