R&D - Senior Modeling & Simulation Engineer

We are building a state-of-the-art facility and a world-class team of technologists for R&D into next-generation battery cells, and now we are looking for a Senior Modeling & Simulation Engineer to make it happen. Are you experienced and passionate about modeling the physical world in a highly applied setting, then this opportunity is for you. At NOVO Energy we enable Volvo Cars to go fully electric by 2030. We are a start-up, with the benefit of funding from two strong mother companies Northvolt & Volvo Cars.

The Cell Design team is a highly diverse and international team, we bring new teammates on-board with clear communication, shared goals, and mutual trust, everyone’s ideas are valued. You will see the results of your work on roads around the globe and you’ll help bring a new generation of mobility to life.

Key responsibilities

- Based on strong first-principles knowledge of physical systems, come up with quantitative (whiteboard-level) models of complex battery systems, ranging from 1-D diffusion gradients to non-steady-state heat transfer.
- Communicate, refine, and get buy-in on those models.
- Working from those models, expand them to 3 dimensions using FEM/CFD software. The goal is not to generate cool images; it's to predict actual physical and chemical behavior of cells.
- In tight collaboration with materials scientists and battery engineers, figure out how to check the accuracy of your simulations with physical experiments.
- Use your simulations to help accelerate battery development by accurately predicting the behavior of cells and packs without actually needing to build them. Help our battery design move faster and more deterministically.
- Communicate your results clearly both to your peers and your successors. Focus on clarity and being well-understood throughout the organization.
- Function as a reality-checker in vetting new technologies.
- Personally invest in building a world-class working environment.

Education and experience

- A relevant university degree in engineering or pure sciences is required.
- 5+ years' experience modeling real physical systems using multiphysics software.
- Experience using
- Familiarity with modern software engineering methods, including version control tools. Specific skills - commercial Multiphysics software (e.g. COMSOL, Star-CCM, Ansys, or similar).
- Exceptionally strong grasp of engineering fundamentals, including heat transfer, stress-strain relationships, DC electrical power, and the basics of fields and flows. Strong understanding of standard quantitative modelling approaches (diffusion, non-steady-state flow, plasticity).
- Physical intuition: knowing what numbers are sane and reasonable for a model output. Instincts for always reality-checking models to improve the models
- Ability to clearly reduce complex physical phenomena to whiteboard-level models that are widely understandable.
- Has a “can do” attitude and an entrepreneurial spirit. Flexibility, integrity, grit and passion to to take on new challenges - we enable the future of energy.

Our Offer
We offer you an R&D environment, with a clear goal to ship product. Our facility is placed in the central parts of Gothenburg, a small but international city with a lot to offer and the nature around the corner. We will support you in a potential relocation and our comp package cover benefits to encourage a good work life balance while being part of an exhilarating global venture!


Volvo Cars is one of the most well-known and respected car brands in the world. Northvolt is a leading supplier of sustainable, high-quality battery cells and systems, dedicated to delivering the world’s greenest lithium-ion battery. Together, we have formed a joint venture, NOVO Energy, to power the next generation of pure electric Volvo and Polestar cars.

Our Gigafactory in Gothenburg will be one of the largest cell production facilities in Europe, with a potential annual cell production capacity of up to 50 gigawatt hours (GWh) - thereby enabling a supply of batteries for approximately half a million Volvo and Polestar cars per year. Our state-of-the-art R&D facility will gather leading expertise from all over the world, to create the next generation battery cells.

You can read more about this joint venture in these press releases, here and here.