Lead Motor Engineer

Colonial Group; Mansfield (TX); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Klein Tools seeks a Lead Motor Systems Engineer to act as the primary technical authority for high-current BLDC and DC motor-drive systems used in lithium-ion battery-powered products. Based in Ningbo, China, this role leads motor hardware, power electronics, embedded control, and system integration for global programs, shaping a permanent engineering team overseas.

You will define performance targets, develop firmware, and drive production readiness while collaborating with cross-functional

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Mechanical, Electromechanical, Mechatronics, or related field.
• 8+ years of relevant experience in motor-drive development.
• 5+ years in BLDC or related motor-drive development for Li-ion systems.
• Expertise in motor hardware, power electronics, control algorithms, and firmware.
• Experience with 3-phase inverters, gate drivers, and high-current PCB layouts.
• Proficiency in embedded C/C++ firmware on STM32/Arm Cortex/DSP platforms.
• Hands-on use of oscilloscopes, probes, analyzers, dynamometers, and benches.
• Ability to resolve hardware, firmware, EMI/EMC, thermal, and reliability issues.
• Experience with supplier development and production launches in China preferred.
• Fluency in Mandarin and English preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead architecture and direction for high-current BLDC and DC motor-drive systems.
• Define torque, speed, position, power, efficiency, thermal, acoustic, duty cycle targets.
• Integrate motors with Li-ion batteries, embedded controls, gearing, and loads.
• Select and optimize BLDC, brushed DC, and PMSM architectures.
• Evaluate winding topology, turns, wire gauge, resistance, inductance, Kv/Kt.
• Develop six-step, FOC, SVPWM and speed/torque/position loops.
• Develop or direct embedded firmware using STM32/Arm/DSP platforms.
• Design and validate three-phase inverters, MOSFET stages, gate drivers, PWM.
• Define protection for overcurrent, faults, heat, stall and rotor lock.
• Build prototype controller boards, inverters, sensing circuits, test fixtures.
• Lead bring-up, debugging, characterization, and design validation.

Skills

BLDC motor drive

Embedded control systems

Power electronics

Control algorithms

System integration

Thermal management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical/Mechatronics

Tools

STM32

Arm Cortex

DSP

Oscilloscopes & test equipment

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.