Powertrain Simulation Engineer (all genders)

About the Position

Powertrain Simulation Engineer (all genders)

Location: Munich, DE

Employment Type: Full-time

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About Us

STARK is a European defence technology company building the next generation of unmanned systems. We design, develop, and manufacture software-defined, mass-scalable, and cost-effective platforms that give NATO operators a decisive edge in highly contested environments. We are focused on delivering deployable, high-performance capability - not future promises. In a time of rising threats, our work strengthens the technological edge of NATO Allies and their partners.

SECURITY CLEARANCE

Due to the nature of our work in the defence sector, candidates must be eligible to obtain and maintain the appropriate security clearance required for this position. Details will be provided during the recruitment process.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

We are an equal-opportunity employer committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

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Your Mission

As a Powertrain Simulation Engineer, you will be the driving force behind predicting, optimizing, and validating the performance of our electric Powertrain Systems (propulsion, inverter, battery, and cells). You will manage the development and execution of complex 1D multi-physics models to simulate aggressive flight profiles and powertrain behaviors. You will build simulation pipelines, automate data analysis, and conduct virtual testing to guide architectural decisions and validate system capabilities before physical hardware is built.

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Responsibilities

• 1D Model Development & Simulation: Design, build, and maintain high-fidelity 1D models of the complete electric powertrain (including batteries, inverters, electric motors, and thermal management systems) using industry-standard tools.
• Performance & Mission Analysis: Execute standard and custom simulation profiles-including high-power continuous discharge (simulating hover/climb), dynamic pulse loading, and extreme temperature conditions-to evaluate system-level performance and efficiency.
• Architecture & Optimization: Conduct trade studies and sensitivity analyses to optimize powertrain component sizing, gear ratios, voltage levels, and thermal cooling strategies to maximize range and payload.
• Data Validation & Correlation: Work closely with the hardware test engineering team (e.g., Dyno and Battery Lab) to correlate 1D simulation results with empirical test data, continuously improving model accuracy and reliability.
• Controls & HIL Support: Provide high-fidelity plant models to the firmware and systems teams to support the development of control algorithms and Software/Hardware-in-the-Loop (SIL/HIL) testing.
• Toolchain & Pipeline Automation: Develop scripts to automate the execution of complex simulation matrices, post-processing of results, and generation of performance reports.

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Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field.
• Experience: 2+ years of hands-on experience in a simulation, modeling, or systems engineering role, specifically focused on electric powertrains, thermal systems, or battery performance.

Technical Skills:

• Extensive experience with 1D multi-physics simulation software (e.g., GT-SUITE, Siemens Amesim, MATLAB/Simulink/Simscape, or Dymola/Modelica).
• Strong understanding of electric powertrain fundamentals, including thermodynamics, heat transfer, electrochemistry, and electric motor dynamics.
• Proficiency in scripting languages (e.g., Python, MATLAB) for data analysis and simulation automation.
• Proven ability to interpret physical test data and translate physical hardware behaviors into accurate mathematical models.

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Nice to Have

• Experience modeling hardware for aerospace, drones, or eVTOL applications, with knowledge of flight physics and high-power mission profiles.
• Familiarity with 3D CFD/FEA tools (e.g., ANSYS, Star-CCM+) and how to extract data from them to inform 1D system models.
• Experience taking a powertrain architecture from a clean-sheet conceptual phase through to hardware validation and hardware validation.

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For more details, please contact Sally Grütte-Pad, Interim Lead TA Partner via [email protected]