Senior R&D Electrical Engineer

Functie R&D & Engineering Beschrijving no Dutch version available As a Flemish, internationally recognized research center, VITO aims to accelerate the transition to a sustainable world. VITO performs innovative activities for, among others, the Battery Energy Storage and Electrical Systems sector. The activities of our experienced and driven team cover cutting-edge technologies evolutions, such as battery energy storage systems, renewable systems, electrification of heating, transport & industrial equipment, and further improvement of the energy efficiency of technical applications. Specifically, projects such as mapping the energy flows in a moving train and transforming them into a solar-powered train or developing an off-grid compressor with net-zero carbon emissions will be part of your job responsibilities. In a nutshell, everything we do is contained under one overall theme: making energy greener. Do you like the sound of this? Read on As a senior R&D engineer you are the technical expert of the team. With your hands-on experience in the field of BMS (Battery Management Systems) and BESS (Battery Energy Storage Systems), you will provide technical direction to the team. You make sure the right sparring partners come together so that expertise can be shared. Some of your responsibilities: You develop innovative concepts around the optimization of electrical storage systems. You are responsible for the system architecture and work closely with the design team. Together with the team, you constantly search for new, creative project proposals. You think out-of-the-box and explore new areas of development, in doing so you strive to match the reality with the degree of innovation by testing the concepts and solutions in real time. You interact with your customer. In doing so, you listen carefully which result the customer wants. Your added value is that you have a large technical baggage that ensures that you can propose an innovative solution. Through your in-depth knowledge you consider every detail of the issue, but at the same time you keep the broader picture in mind. You take a step back when your colleagues are stuck with a problem, so you can look at the problem from different technical angles and come to a solution. You ensure the appropriate protection of your inventions by means of patents and licensable designs or other intellectual properties. After such protection is secured, you present the results at national and international forums. You support the embedded software team in validation of the high-level models, algorithms and codes, e.g. battery charge status, cell balancing and battery health. Meer info: Profiel You have a master’s degree in Electrical/Electronic Engineering from a renowned University, preferably specialized in Energy and/or Battery Systems. You combine this degree with a broad experience in designing, adapting, and applying [power] electronic systems and electrical components. You are the Embedded Hardware expert and are comfortable with prototype & PCB design, C-code programming and debugging, mechanical drawings and validation/verification of in-house algorithms. You have both a thorough knowledge of power converters (DC-DC, DC-AC) and of system engineering & architecture applied to battery energy storage systems. You are familiar with order of magnitudes (kW, energy & component prices) and are therefore able to quickly draw up price indications and effort estimations. You speak and write fluently Dutch and English. Are you convinced that sharing information between colleagues is the way to go to develop innovative concepts? Are you eager to work with complex, state-of-the-art electrical measurement equipment? Can you think out-of-the box without losing sight of reality? Then don't hesitate and take your chance Offer If you're tired of the frequent commute, you've come to the right place. We work 'activity based', our activities bring us to our location. Our EnergyVille office is in Genk. Part-time work from home, our headquarter in Mol, or working from a satellite office in Antwerp-Berchem, Ghent or Ostend is also possible. A competitive salary with a range of benefits including allowances, insurances, and a modular vacation package. Innovation is our asset, so it goes without saying that we offer our employees the opportunity to follow additional training courses and stay up to date in their field of expertise. You always get the opportunity to broaden your knowledge on BMS applications and their components towards innovative and robust designs and solutions. You will be part of an organization with an international reputation, known for its advanced technological research and scientific consultancy. With us, you will contribute directly to sustainable developments at local, national, and global level through your innovative applications. You provide an answer to today’s societal challenges. Moreover, at VITO we attach great importance to work-life balance We do this by being flexible, depending on your specific needs.