Power Electronics Engineer

University of Sheffield; Hebden Bridge; On-site; GBP 37,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Sheffield and Zikodrive invite applications for a Power Electronics Engineer in a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) to work across academia and industry. The role is based mainly at Zikodrive headquarters in Hebden Bridge with regular interaction with the University.

You will model, design, develop, control, test and qualify novel power electronic converters for high‑performance motor drives, leading the design while collaborating with academic and company supervisors.

Responsibilities

• Modelling, design, development, control, testing and qualification of novel power electronic converters.
• Lead the design and development of new power electronics solutions for high‑performance motor drives.
• Assist with commercialisation of these capabilities with academic and industry supervision.

Skills

Power electronics

Modelling

Testing

Motor control

Job description

Job description

There is an exciting opportunity for an innovative Power Electronics Engineer to work at the interface of academia and industry in a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) between the University of Sheffield and Round Bank Engineering Ltd/Zikodrive.

Zikodrive is a fast-growing company with headquarters in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, specialising in precision motor control electronics for brushless DC, asynchronous and stepper motor applications.

Ambitious plans mean they are looking for new talent to join their business and you will become part of a team working on a unique and growing technical area of high-performance power converters for low-inductance high-speed motor drives, with the aim of maximizing system efficiency and refining torque control, while reducing audible noise, ensuring high operational reliability and strict compliance with industry standards.

You will take on a key role in the company and be responsible for a wide range of tasks including the modelling, design, development, control, testing and qualification of novel power electronic converters. You will be working closely with industry professionals at the Company and academic experts at the University of Sheffield, leading the design and development of new power electronics solutions and assisting with commercialisation of these new capabilities.

This position is offering you an excellent opportunity to take a leading role in the expansion of the company’s power electronics design capabilities. The position has arisen in line with expansion of the company into this unique and growing technical area and will be an exciting and varied role, which is mainly based at Zikodrive headquarters although regular interaction and attendance at the University will also be required.

As part of the KTP role a structured training and development programme with a dedicated personal training budget will be provided to allow you to develop the technical knowledge required to perform your role as power electronics design engineer. As a successful candidate, you will work with academics at the University of Sheffield and team members at Zikodrive receiving mentoring from both academic and company supervisors, having the opportunity to take ownership of a strategically important innovation project translating technical innovation in power electronics from conceptual design up to commercialisation.

The School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE) belongs to the prestigious Faculty of Engineering. We are one of the largest academic communities of engineers in the UK, ranked joint 1st for Research Environment in the last Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021)! Our specific field (EEE) is also ranked very highly, which is a marker of our excellence and ambition (QS 2024: 11th in UK, The Guardian 2024: 3rd, The Times Higher 2024: 7th in the UK).

We are home to several national institutes and centres, for example:

• The National Epitaxy Facility,
• The National 6G Radio Systems Facility,
• Rolls-Royce Control, Monitoring and Systems Engineering University Technology Centre.

The University of Sheffield is a remarkable and inclusive place to work. Our people are at the heart of everything we do. Their diverse backgrounds, abilities and beliefs make Sheffield a world-class university.

We offer a fantastic range of benefits including a generous annual leave entitlement (with the ability to purchase more), a generous pension scheme, flexible working opportunities, a commitment to your development and wellbeing, a wide range of retail discounts, and much more.

Find out more at www.sheffield.ac.uk/jobs/benefits.

£37,000 to £42,000 per annum depending on skills and experience, with an additional budget of £4000 for the duration of the project for professional and personal development