Lead Motor Engineer

Colonial Group; Lincolnshire (IL); On-site; USD 150,000 - 175,000; Full time

Job summary

Klein Tools seeks a Lead Motor Systems Engineer to act as the technical authority for high-current BLDC and DC motor-drive systems for lithium-ion battery-powered products. Based in Ningbo with global programs, you will lead motor hardware, power electronics, embedded control, validation, supplier development, and production readiness, shaping a permanent China engineering team.

You will collaborate with cross-functional teams across hardware and firmware, define targets, and ensure safe,

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Mechanical, Electromechanical, Mechatronics, or related field.
• 8+ years of relevant experience; at least 5 years in BLDC or motor-drive development for Li-ion systems (5 A–150 A).
• System-level expertise across motor hardware, power electronics, control algorithms, and embedded firmware.
• Knowledge of motor construction and windings, magnetic design, six-step commutation, FOC, SVPWM, and three-phase inverters.
• Ability to develop/review embedded C/C++ firmware using STM32/Arm Cortex/DSP.
• Hands-on with oscilloscopes, probes, power/logic analyzers, electronic loads, and dynamometers.
• Experience with simulation, HIL testing, supplier development, and production launch in China preferred.
• Fluency in Mandarin Chinese and English preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead architecture and technical direction for high-current BLDC and DC motor-drive systems.
• Define torque, speed, position, power, efficiency, thermal, acoustic, duty cycle, and life targets.
• Integrate motors with lithium-ion batteries, embedded controls, gearing, and mechanical loads.
• Select and optimize BLDC, brushed DC, and PM synchronous motor architectures.
• Evaluate winding topology, turns, wire gauge, resistance, inductance, pole count, back-EMF, Kt, and Kv.
• Develop and tune six-step commutation, FOC, SVPWM, and current/torque/speed/position loops.
• Develop/direct embedded C/C++ firmware on STM32, Arm Cortex, DSP, or similar.
• Design/validate three-phase inverters, MOSFET stages, gate drivers, sensing, PWM, and PCB layouts.
• Define protection for overcurrent, short circuit, shoot-through, voltage faults, heat, stall, rotor.
• Build prototype controller boards, inverter stages, sensing circuits, and test fixtures.
• Lead controller and inverter bring-up, debugging, characterization, and design validation.

Skills

BLDC motor-drive

Power electronics

Control algorithms

Embedded firmware

Motor hardware

Three-phase inverters

Gate drivers

Current sensing

PWM

HIL testing

Simulation

Supplier development

Production launch

Mandarin Chinese

English

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Mechanical, Electromechanical, Mechatronics, or related engineering

Tools

STM32

Arm Cortex

DSP

Oscilloscopes

Probes

Dynamometers

Job description

The Lead Motor Systems Engineer is Klein Tools' primary technical authority for high-current brushless DC (BLDC) and related DC motor-drive systems used in lithium-ion battery-powered products. Based in Ningbo, China, this individual leads motor hardware, power electronics, embedded control, system integration, validation, supplier development, and production readiness for global programs. The role works independently through cross-functional teams and has no direct reports. This position joins a long-standing American brand during rapid growth in China and will help establish a permanent engineering team in China that delivers safe, efficient, production-ready solutions globally.

1. Lead architecture and technical direction for high-current BLDC and DC motor-drive systems.

2. Define torque, speed, position, power, efficiency, thermal, acoustic, duty cycle, and life targets.

3. Integrate motors with lithium-ion batteries, embedded controls, gearing, and mechanical loads.

4. Select and optimize BLDC, brushed DC, and permanent-magnet synchronous motor architectures.

5. Evaluate winding topology, turns, wire gauge, resistance, inductance, pole count, back-EMF, Kt, and Kv.

6. Develop and tune six-step commutation, FOC, SVPWM, and current, torque, speed or position loops.

7. Develop or direct embedded C/C++ firmware using STM32, Arm, DSP, or similar motor-control platforms.

8. Design and validate three-phase inverters, MOSFET stages, gate drivers, sensing, PWM, and PCB layouts.

9. Define protection for overcurrent, short circuit, shoot-through, voltage faults, heat, stall, and locked rotor.

10. Build prototype controller boards, inverter stages, sensing circuits, and test fixtures.

11. Lead controller and inverter bring-up, debugging, characterization, and design validation.

Job Qualification Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Mechanical, Electromechanical, Mechatronics, or a related engineering field, with eight (8) or more years of relevant experience.
• At least five (5) years must be in BLDC or related motor-drive development, including lithium-ion battery-powered systems operating from 5 A to 150 A.
• Must demonstrate system-level expertise across motor hardware, power electronics, control algorithms, and embedded firmware.
• Required knowledge includes motor construction and windings, magnetic design, six-step commutation, FOC, SVPWM, sensorless or position feedback, three-phase inverters, gate drivers, current sensing, PWM, dead time, grounding, thermal management, protection, and high-current PCB layout.
• Must be able to develop, review, or direct embedded C/C++ firmware using STM32, Arm Cortex, DSP, or comparable platforms.
• Hands-on proficiency with oscilloscopes, differential and current probes, power and logic analyzers, electronic loads, and dynamometers is required.
• Must interpret waveforms and test data to resolve hardware, firmware, EMI/EMC, thermal, communication, and reliability issues.
• Experience with simulation, HIL testing, supplier development, and production launch in China is preferred.
• Fluency in Mandarin Chinese and English is preferred.

Salary

This role has an annual salary range of $150,000 - $175,000. In addition to salary, you’re eligible for competitive benefits that support you and your family as part of your total rewards package at Klein Tools Inc. Actual compensation is influenced by a wide array of factors, including, but not limited to, skills, experience, and location. In addition, Klein Tools offers a discretionary bonus program which is based on a number of factors, including individual and company performance.

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