Senior Electrical Engineer

Gravitricity Ltd is an energy storage company based in Edinburgh, UK. We are developing a grid-scale mechanical energy storage technology which shares many of the best attributes of lithium batteries and pumped storage – offering fast, versatile electricity storage which can be located exactly where it is required.

It will appeal to network-constrained users and operators, distribution networks and major power users and has potential to provide significant network benefits including reduced overall costs.
Over the next 12 months we will be undertaking sub-system design and testing at an existing mine site, and aim to trial our first full-scale prototype in 2022. Our demonstrator testing concluded in summer 2021.

We are looking for an experienced Electrical Engineer to lead our electrical engineering. This person
will own the roadmap for the development of Gravitricity's electrical systems and will play a key role
in our small team so passion and enthusiasm is essential.
The right person will be highly self-driven to work proactively across a number of areas of the
technology at the same time as supporting areas of commercial and strategic development. This will
require a very strong engineering understanding and clear organisational view to take responsibility
from early stage conceptual design through to detailed analysis of systems and components. To be
successful in this role you will have to learn fast and be comfortable working outside of your core
expertise. You will also have to be very pro-active and great at driving your own work. As a small
company developing a complex technology, we are building strong partnerships with a number of
other organisations and you will need to be expert at managing and developing these partnerships in
order to maximise the speed of progress.

Responsibilities
• Responsibility for defining Gravitricity electrical systems requirements (motors, variable speed
drives, grid compliance, grid connections)
• In depth analysis of component options to satisfy requirements and analysis of system level
impact (e.g. effect of motor type on cost, efficiency and speed of response)
• Innovative examination of short / long-term system alternatives to reduce cost / increase
performance
• Internal expert on user (e.g. grid, generator, consumer etc) requirements for a large energy
storage device
• Key role in interface with winch manufacturer’s electrical teams
• Responsibility for translating demonstrator test objectives into a set of test regimes, and an
instrumentation and data collection architecture (in partnership with PNDC)
• High resolution modelling of motor behaviour to predict and optimise system performance
and inform development of control strategy
• Key role in control system development (in partnership with external control expert)
• Work on the creation and protection of new IP
• Ownership of the costing of electrical systems and implementation of industry standard
costing standards to characterise cost uncertainty
• Contribute significantly to conceptual design of large scale system
• Develop new methods to optimise the system design; both for cost and for performance
• Depending on skillset and other experience within the team, the successful candidate may:
o Further develop the analysis of shaft sinking costs and constraints
o Work with a civil engineering sub-contract to explore future system civil engineering
issues
o Work directly with an external controls partner to develop and analyse system
simulations
o Contribute to future cost modelling
o Develop test protocols

Requirements
• Electrical engineering in industry (minimum 4 years). Ideally this will include experience
developing grid connected systems > 200 kW which include rotating machinery.
• Strong understanding of the factors affecting the development of modern power systems and
the role energy storage has to play
• Very good understanding of core electrical engineering concepts is essential including
rotating machine types and characteristics
• Experience with specifying and developing control systems would be very beneficial.
• MATLAB and Simulink experience beneficial
• MEng in Electrical Engineering or equivalent
Benefits
• Chance to make a significant impact within a small and dynamic company developing a
technology vital for the global energy transition.
• Competitive salary dependent on experience
• Modern, flexible company: all staff given option to work 4-day week (pro rata)
• 5% employer pension contribution
• E&M options scheme – 15% of equity
Application
We are a small company, actively building a diverse and passionate team, and encourage anybody
with enthusiasm and know-how to apply, irrespective of your background.
In order to apply please send a CV and a cover letter, explaining why you would be motivated to work
with us to [email protected]