Postdoctoral Fellow, Next-Generation Smart Battery Management System Priority may be given to the following designated employment equity groups: women, Indigenous Peoples
* (First Nations, Inuit and Métis), persons with disabilities and racialized persons*.
* The Employment Equity Act, which is under review, uses the terminology Aboriginal peoples and visible minorities. Candidates are asked to self-declare when applying to this hiring process. OrganizationalUnit:Automotive and Surface Transportation Classification:RO Duration: 2 years Work arrangements: Due to the nature of the work and operational requirements, this position will require full time physical presence at the at the NRC work location identified. The program Next-Generation Battery Management System for Electrified Transportation and Energy Storage The role Battery systems are central to electrified transportation, including electric vehicles, trains, and aircraft. Every battery pack requires a battery management system (BMS), an electronic controller that monitors, protects, and optimizes battery operation. Current BMS technology has critical gaps: existing platforms are closed and restrict research use; temperature sensing is sparse, forcing engineers to rely on unreliable simulation models; and the standard cell-balancing method wastes energy as heat. This project will develop a next-generation, NRC-built BMS platform integrating three novel capabilities: a flexible, cloud-connected architecture for research use; fiber Bragg grating (FBG) optical sensors embedded in battery packs, providing hundreds of real‑time temperature sensing points to support thermal management and fast charging; and an active cell-balancing prototype that redistributes energy between cells rather than dissipating it.



The project will produce peer-reviewed publications and patent opportunities, and directly supports Canada's net-zero transportation goals. As the postdoctoral fellow, you will be the primary researcher on this project, taking each of its three components from early-stage work to working hardware. In your first year, you will be a part of the development of the NRC BMS platform, expanding its hardware and software capability. Across both years, you will build on a completed proof of concept to embed FBG sensor arrays into battery modules and connect them to the platform for real‑time thermal mapping. In your second year, you will develop a physical active cell-balancing prototype and benchmark it against conventional passive balancing. You will work with a high degree of autonomy, supported by a project lead and other team members. You will have hands‑on access to NRC’s state‑of‑the‑art battery testing facility and will collaborate with researchers across NRC, including the Aerospace and Construction research centres, as well as external partners. In this role, you will build expertise in embedded sensing, power electronics, and software development, and you will be encouraged to publish in peer‑reviewed journals, present at conferences, and pursue patents arising from the work. Education PhD in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or in a field related to the position.
- Experience conducting research in a field related to energy storage,



power electronics, or embedded systems.
- Experience using programming and data analysis software such as Python, MATLAB, or C/C++. The following experience criteria would be considered assets:
- Experience designing, building, or testing electronic hardware or battery systems in a laboratory setting.
- Experience working with battery management systems and related functions such as state estimation, cell balancing, or thermal management.
- Experience developing embedded firmware for microcontrollers.
- Experience using cloud connectivity, IoT systems, and connected devices. For a Reliability Status, verification of background information over a period of 5 years is required. Who is eligible?
- Fellowships will be for two years contingent on satisfactory progress achieved during the first year.
- Candidates should have obtained a PhD (or equivalent) within the past three years (PhD received on or after July 1, 2024*) or expect to complete their PhD within 6 months of appointment.
- Fellows will work in a lab under the direct supervision of an NRC researcher. *Exceptions may be considered to recognize personal or family related leave. Please connect with us using the contact information below to discuss in more detail. Compensation The intent of this hiring action is to staff the position at the AsRO level, which is an early-career level position with a salary range of $83,985 to $116,641. This wide range accounts for varying degrees of expertise and impact, and growth within the role. Salary determination will be based on a thorough evaluation of the successful candidate's prior experience. This evaluation will consider specific achievements, skills, and contributions that demo

📌 Postdoctoral Fellow, Next-Generation Smart Battery Management System (Ottawa)
🏢 National Research Council of Canada
📍 Ottawa