AVTC Technical Operations and Battery Systems Engineer

Argonne National Laboratory’s Strategic Transportation Education & Partnerships (STEP) Department seeks an AVTC Technical Operations and Battery Systems Engineer to support and expand STEP’s battery engineering and project delivery across its advanced energy and transportation workforce portfolio. This role combines technical project management, applied research, battery engineering leadership, and software/data systems development to advance workforce initiatives in batteries, energy storage, software-defined vehicles, electrified transportation, and AI-enabled engineering.

The selected candidate will serve in a key technical and program-delivery role across the EcoCAR Innovation Challenge, including direct responsibility as a technical project lead for EcoCAR battery engineering activities, specifically coordinating industry sponsors through the design and validation of custom modules for deployment within the program. The role is intended for a candidate who can bridge engineering depth with execution discipline: managing complex research and engineering efforts, along with coordinating diverse stakeholders, advancing new battery engineering programming, and building practical tools and workflows that improve how STEP programs operate.

• Provides technical project management and strategic coordination for large, multi-stakeholder workforce programs and R&D initiatives.
• Serves as the operations project lead for the EcoCAR Innovation Challenge, coordinating project activities, schedules, deliverables, risk management, and communication across internal staff, university teams, sponsors, and research partners.
• Coordinates industry sponsors through the process of designing and validating custom modules for deployment within the EcoCAR Innovation Challenge.
• Supports EcoCAR battery engineering activities, designing and executing overall program structure, deliverables, student/team engagement, and external partnerships.
• Coordinates activities related to evaluating module configurations, structural integration, and pack architectures to meet strict electrical, safety, and packaging requirements.
• Supports planning and execution of major technical milestones, events, deliverables, and cross-functional workstreams, ensuring alignment between engineering, programmatic, and sponsor-facing objectives.
• Contributes to curriculum, student mentorship, and training related to high-voltage battery systems integration, battery thermal management, and safety protocols to accelerate mobility innovation.
• Utilizes artificial intelligence and embedded systems to accelerate engineering methods, software platforms, and digital workflows that improve engineering productivity, evaluation, and program delivery.
• Contributes to the design of new programs and pilot efforts that align STEP’s workforce mission with emerging technology priorities.
• Represents and advances STEP through technical publications, presentations, workshops, conferences, and participation in professional societies, technical committees, and external working groups, disseminating methods, findings, and tools in batteries, transportation systems, and AI-enabled engineering while strengthening STEP’s visibility and collaborations.

• Experience leading battery engineering, systems integration, or technology translation activities in a research, industry, or academic environment.
• Knowledge of high-voltage battery architecture, safety compliance, and module-level pack integration.
• Knowledge of software engineering and applied AI/ML principles for research, engineering, or workforce-program platforms.
• Experience applying AI/ML to engineering workflows, technical decision support, program operations, or battery engineering processes
• Experience with technical project management, including planning, coordination, scheduling, tracking deliverables, and managing cross-functional stakeholders.
• Demonstrated initiative, sound judgment, organizational ability, and capacity to manage multiple concurrent activities
• Strong written and oral communication skills, including the ability to prepare technical reports, presentations, training materials, and publications.
• Ability to work effectively across technical, programmatic, and external partnership settings.
• Ability to model Argonne’s Core Values: Impact, Safety, Respect, Integrity, and Teamwork.

The selected candidate will be placed at the appropriate level (PT2 or PT3) depending upon depth and breadth of relevant knowledge, skills, and experience brought to the position. The requirements for the desired levels are as follows:

• PT2: Bachelors and 2+ years of experience, or equivalent in engineering, computer science, energy systems, transportation, or a related technical field.
• PT3: Bachelors and 4+ years of experience, Masters and 2+ years, or equivalent in engineering, computer science, energy systems, transportation, or a related technical field.

Argonne employees, and certain guest researchers and contractors, are subject to particular restrictions related to participation in Foreign Government Sponsored or Affiliated Activities, as defined and detailed in United States Department of Energy Order 486.1A. You will be asked to disclose any such participation in the application phase for review by Argonne’s Legal Department.

All Argonne offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes an assessment of criminal conviction history conducted on an individualized and case-by-case basis. Please be advised that Argonne positions require upon hire (or may require in the future) for the individual be to obtain a government access authorization that involves additional background check requirements. Failure to obtain or maintain such government access authorization could result in the withdrawal of a job offer or future termination of employment.