Lead Engineer Battery Safety at University of Warwick

About the Role  

For informal enquiries, please contact Simon Jones, Chief Engineer - EIC at [email protected]

The WMG Battery Safety Centre consists of seven chambers to undertake testing of cells and battery modules under various abuse conditions. These tests frequently involve high temperature and over-pressure events such as deflagrations. As such, a safety-first attitude is critical as is a high level of skill in preparing and following detailed Risk Assessments.

Your main function will be leading battery safety related project work with a key WMG partner company and ensuring a professional and successful relationship. This partner is a leading OEM in the automotive sector who is consistently investing in electrification at a high level and is committed to the highest standard of safety.  There will typically be several safety projects running in parallel and the work is frequently creative and innovative.  Most projects focus on the development of test programmes to demonstrate the safety of batteries under abuse condition such as overheating, overcharge, short circuit or mechanical damage.  Our emphasis is on data rich testing that will allow us to understand why test articles are undergoing thermal runaway and propagation so that we can improve designs to make them safe and robust.

The Centre is a complex laboratory with diverse management needs. These include a high level of audit preparedness, supervision of users and technicians to ensure good housekeeping, a robust maintenance schedule, engagement with a wide range of service and equipment suppliers to ensure equipment serviceability.  The Centre will undergo a major upgrade to facilities and capability over the next few years, starting in the summer of 2026. You will be heavily engaged in supporting this activity to ensure that the future test needs of your partner company are met.

Successful project work will depend upon frequent communication, meetings and working alongside colleagues and partner employees.  As such it will suit someone who enjoys collaborative working with a diverse range of people at all levels.

About You  

• The ideal candidate will have significant experience in industry in a product development or test environment.  They will enjoy both hands on testing and supervision of junior colleagues to ensure successful and high-quality data.
• This practical knowledge will be backed with formal engineering education or training within an industrial environment.
• Previous experience of working with automotive OEMs, or similar, will be an advantage. They will have experience working in a battery test lab and understand abuse testing and thermal runaway in detail. This will include initiation methods, test rig and experimental design. 
• Knowledge of data acquisition, data analysis and the preparation of written reports and presentations is a key skill. Excellent project planning and reporting skills, with the ability to initiate, plan organise, implement and deliver programmes of work to tight deadlines.
• Evidence of willingness and previous success in training such as health and safety, fire marshal and first aid qualifications. Experience in creating robust and complete risk assessments of complex and hazardous experiments.