Senior Battery Systems Simulation & Validation Engineer
Pivotal - Autonomy Engineer Ii - Robotics
Palo Alto
Pivotal is the leader in the emerging market of electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft. We design, develop, and manufacture light eVTOL aircraft and are renowned for the BlackFly aircraft the world's first light eVTOL to fly manned missions and enter the consumer market. Efficient, compact, and simple, Pivotal aircraft are designed for a wide range of consumer, public service, and defense applications. Our distinctive tilt-aircraft architecture and scalable platform have been flying for over 10 years. Last year we announced our next-generation aircraft, the Helix, which is rapidly progressing toward general release and scalable production in 2026. Mobility is one of the most highly-valued areas of modern technology investments. This is the right company, in the right space, the right strategy, at the right time. If you are ready for adventure, we invite you to join our amazing team and grow with us.
Applicants must be eligible for employment in the United States and willing to work onsite at our HQ office in Palo Alto, CA. Pivotal offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, and 401k plans. Pivotal is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Pivotal does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, national origin, veteran status or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit, and business need.
About the Job
The Battery Engineering team at Pivotal is seeking a Senior Battery Systems Simulation & Validation Engineer to develop predictive battery models, define verification strategies, and correlate analytical results with laboratory and flight-test data. This role will support cell and pack development for electric aircraft and will work across battery, aeromechanical, electrical, systems, manufacturing and flight-test teams.
About the Job
The Battery Engineering team at Pivotal is seeking a Senior Battery Systems Simulation & Validation Engineer to develop predictive battery models, define verification strategies, and correlate analytical results with laboratory and flight-test data. This role will support cell and pack development for electric aircraft and will work across battery, aeromechanical, electrical, systems, manufacturing and flight-test teams.
Responsibilities
- Develop and maintain cell and pack-level thermal, electrical, and performance models.
Simulate charging, discharging, heat generation, cooling, environmental exposure, aging, and off-nominal operating conditions.
Evaluate battery performance across ambient-temperature extremes, solar loading, rapid charging, ground turnaround, and representative flight missions.
Plan model-correlation activities and use bench, environmental, and flight-test data to improve model accuracy and engineering confidence.
Define verification methods, and evidence for battery-system requirements.
Define performance test objectives, test profiles, and acceptance criteria in partnership with the test team.
Author and review engineering analyses, verification plans, test plans, test reports, and technical decision records.
Support pack-architecture trades involving cell selection, packaging, cooling approaches, venting, sensing, and protection features.
Analyze battery degradation, state of charge, state of health, energy capability, power capability, and thermal margins.
Partner with the Battery Management System, electrical, and software teams on models, interfaces, diagnostics, and data quality.
Partner with mechanical engineers on thermal-management design, structural interfaces, installation constraints, and aircraft integration.
Identify technical risks early and recommend practical mitigation, validation, or redesign actions.
Improve reusable simulation, data-processing, requirements-traceability, and verification workflows.
Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, Electrical, Chemical Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
Five or more years of relevant experience in battery modeling, simulation, validation, testing, or system development.
Experience developing equivalent-circuit and thermal models of lithium-ion cells and packs.
Strong understanding of lithium-ion cell behavior, heat transfer, battery-pack operation, and test-data interpretation.
Experience developing and validating engineering models against measured data.
Proficiency with MATLAB, Python, Simulink, or comparable engineering analysis tools.
Experience with CFD, thermal-network modeling, electrothermal modeling, or multiphysics tools such as STAR-CCM+, ANSYS, Simcenter, or COMSOL.
Experience defining verification activities and producing clear technical documentation.
Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and cross-functional communication skills.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience with electric aircraft, electric vehicles, UAVs, aerospace systems, or other high-power battery applications.
Experience with battery-aging, degradation, state-estimation, or mission-performance models.
Exposure to battery abuse testing, thermal-runaway analysis, and propagation-mitigation concepts.
Familiarity with aerospace verification, environmental qualification, requirements management, and configuration control.
Experience with high-voltage battery systems and battery-management-system data.
Ideal Candidate
Uses first-principles reasoning while remaining pragmatic about schedule, hardware, and available evidence.
Is equally comfortable working independently on analysis and collaborating at the test article or aircraft.
Communicates assumptions, uncertainty, correlation quality, and technical risk clearly.
Thrives in rapid development cycles and converts incomplete information into focused learning plans.
Attributes aligned with Core Values
- Safety Above All: Demonstrates a proactive safety mindset by embedding safety into daily work, identifying and mitigating risks, encouraging open dialogue about safety concerns, and continuously improving practices and protocols.
- Customer Focus: Puts customers at the center of every action by understanding their challenges, delivering meaningful value, and supporting their success.
- Work Better Together: Seeks and values diverse perspectives, builds cross-functional relationships, and fosters trust through empathetic, fact-based communication and commitment to shared decisions.
- Be the Pilot: Drives results with clarity and purpose by focusing on what matters most, adapting to change, taking initiative, and owning outcomes.
- Embrace the Unknown: Navigates ambiguity with resilience and bold thinking, challenges the status quo, and combines innovative ideas with practical approaches to overcome obstacles and drive progress.
- Respect for People: Fosters a high-performance culture grounded in respect, professionalism, and support by balancing high expectations with a healthy, collaborative environment and being a trusted, dependable teammate.
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