Battery Modeling Engineer

Zipline•South San Francisco, CA

7d•$130,000 - $165,000

About The Position

The Battery Modeling Engineer will be part of Zipline’s Systems Modeling Team, which develops physics-based models used to architect, optimize, and validate Zipline’s aircraft hardware and operational systems. The team works across battery systems, thermal systems, controls, aerodynamics, electrical engineering, and fleet operations to guide key engineering and product decisions. In this role, you will own end-to-end battery modeling capabilities spanning cell-level electrochemical models (SPM/SPMe/P2D) and equivalent circuit models, pack-level battery models across multiple fidelities, and battery state estimation algorithms. You will also be responsible for Zipline’s cell electrochemistry roadmap and cell selection, working internally and with cell vendors to benchmark and identify emerging opportunities and drive forward new cell candidates. Your role doesn’t just stop at battery modeling. You will also work to integrate battery and energy models into fleet-level and real-time operational software, supporting large-scale optimizations and highly efficient runtime algorithms. Autonomous decisions made by the fleet, such as what rate to charge at to optimize turnaround time versus battery health, will be guided by your models.

Requirements

5+ years of professional experience (or PhD + 2 years) in battery modeling, with a focus on electrochemical modeling.
A strong understanding of fundamental physics: Cell electrochemistry, Heat transfer and thermodynamics, Electrical circuits
Strong background in electrochemical battery modeling including SPM/SPMe/P2D models, equivalent circuit models, and cell degradation mechanisms.
Experience designing and analyzing battery characterization and validation test campaigns including EIS, HPPC, OCV, and cycle/calendar aging studies.
Experience using at least one of the following: MATLAB, Python, Julia, C++, or Rust.
Strong understanding of numerical methods and optimization fundamentals.
Excellent communication skills, including the ability to explain complex systems and datasets in simple terms and synthesize information from disparate sources into clear, concise insights.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree (MS or PhD preferred) in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Physics, Computational Science, or related field.
Familiarity with PyBaMM or similar electrochemical battery modeling frameworks.
Experience with battery degradation and lifetime modeling.
Experience developing battery state estimation algorithms.

Responsibilities

Develop, validate, and own cell-level battery models across multiple fidelities, including electrochemical models (SPM/SPMe/P2D) and equivalent circuit models, to support cell selection and optimize performance, fast charging capability, and battery lifetime.
Design and analyze battery characterization and validation test campaigns including EIS, HPPC, OCV, and cycle/calendar aging studies.
Develop and validate pack-level electro-thermal battery models across multiple fidelities to predict electrical and thermal non-uniformities and guide hardware reliability and operational limits during high-power operation and charging.
Implement and integrate electrochemical battery models within Zipline’s existing simulation frameworks, while improving existing battery modeling capabilities across multiple fidelities.
Develop and improve battery state estimation and controls-oriented algorithms including SOC/SOH/SOE/SOP estimation and aging-aware charging current limit estimation.
Collaborate closely with mechanical, electrical, systems modeling, and test engineers to develop, validate, and deploy battery models.