Battery Safety Engineer (multiple levels)

Location: San Carlos, CA, US

Employment Type: FULL_TIME

Company Overview

Imagine a piloted air taxi that takes off vertically, then quietly carries you and your fellow passengers over the congested city streets below, enabling you to spend more time with the people and places that matter most. At Joby, we've been working to make that dream a reality since 2009 and we're now in the final stages of certifying our aircraft with the FAA. With plans to launch our aircraft in the US and Dubai, we're now scaling manufacturing and preparing for the launch of our commercial service.

Overview

Joby Aviation is seeking an engineer to help make our batteries the safest in the industry. This person will be a key member of our battery safety engineering effort and drive aspects of our battery pack and vehicle designs. This person will also develop tests that will push our technology and help define the standards for eVTOL. The testing will encompass the full range of abuse—thermal, electrical, and mechanical—of individual cells and full scale battery packs, including propagation and short circuiting.

We encourage you to apply if you meet the degree requirements and have relevant industry experience - including internships, co-ops, academic research, or project experience.

Responsibilities

• Perform thermal analysis and simulations (using lumped sum models, CFD, and multi-physics tools) to evaluate cell, module, and pack-level behavior under abuse scenarios
• Own test planning and execution for battery performance and safety, with a focus on high-voltage and thermal management
• Design, set up, and maintain complex test equipment, including electrical, mechanical, fluid systems, and data acquisition/instrumentation
• Correlate simulation results with experimental test data, refining thermal models for accuracy and utility
• Drive decisions by analyzing and presenting data-driven insights and leading cross-functional efforts across mechanical, cell, and systems engineering
• Support certification efforts across all programs by conducting tests, maintaining meticulous documentation of test plans, results, and observations

Required

• BS + 3 years of experience or MS + 1 year of experience in mechanical engineering, thermals, physics, or related field
• Solid understanding of battery hazards and failure modes (e.g., thermal runaway, electrical shorts, mechanical abuse)
• Strong problem-solving mindset and foundation in thermodynamics, heat transfer, fluid dynamics, and electrical engineering fundamentals
• Willingness to get hands dirty and work with team-members on all levels of test execution, from planning to final cleanup
• Fundamental understanding of sensing and data acquisition principles
• Great written, verbal, and presentation skills

Desired

• Advanced degree in a relevant engineering or science field and 5+ years of experience
• Knowledge of li-ion cell technology and experience with battery testing/design
• Experience working with abuse testing at cell/module/pack levels and familiarity with safety testing standards such as UN 38.3, SAE 2464, RTCA DO-311
• CAD experience, CATIA preferred
• Python or other language for data processing and visualization
• LabVIEW or other language for interfacing with data acquisition hardware
• Hands-on experience with thermal modeling and simulation tools such as ANSYS Fluent, COMSOL, STAR-CCM+, MATLAB/Simulink, or similar CFD/FEA software

Additional Information

Compensation at Joby is a combination of base pay and Restricted Stock Units (RSUs). The target base pay for this position is $107,100 - $184,600/yr. The compensation package will be determined by job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.Joby also offers a comprehensive benefits package, including paid time off, healthcare benefits, a 401(k) plan with a company match, an employee stock purchase plan (ESPP), short-term and long-term disability coverage, life insurance, and more.

Joby is an Equal Opportunity Employer.