Research Manager Powertrains and Powertrains Test Centre

About this position

Who are we? The Powertrains expert group consists of about thirty colleagues who work together on sustainable and efficient powertrains. We do this both on behalf of and in collaboration with industry, governments, and other stakeholders at in the Netherlands and abroad. The Powertrains Test Centre (PTC) is affiliated with PT. The PT research manager is also ultimately responsible for the PTC. The PTC has about twenty employees.

What will be your role?

The Powertrains (PT) department in Helmond contributes to the mobility transition through innovations in powertrains. The department’s expertise is mainly deployed within the MBE market segment Mobility, in the propositions Sustainable Mobility (cleaner fuel engines, alternative fuels, electrification) and Safe & Sustainable Maritime & Offshore (alternative fuels for shipping). The department is closely connected with the Powertrains Test Center (PTC), where much of the related experimental research takes place. Both departments share a single management team and are located in Helmond at the Automotive Campus, where the Integrated Vehicle Safety (IVS) department is also housed.

The transition to sustainable mobility is achieved through multiple technological solutions for powertrains based on electrification, hydrogen (including methanol and ammonia), biofuels, and e-fuels. Driven by this societal ambition, the department has developed a broad portfolio of technologies in recent years, particularly focused on “heavy duty” applications. Based on this, advice is given to policymakers and end users, and innovative solutions are developed and demonstrated for and with the industry. The goal is to arrive at a suitable mix of energy carriers for mobility and to maximise energy efficiency, improve the lifespan of drive systems, shorten development time, and reduce total ownership costs.

The expert groups are effective in their mission because they have a diverse and talented group of researchers and technicians with backgrounds and experience ranging from automotive engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and information technology.

As research manager, you are ultimately responsible for all aspects of the PT and PTC groups, from strategy to operations and from planning to execution. You are also responsible for all personnel matters. Your team consists of about 50 professionals who want to be challenged by you in their personal and professional development. Therefore, you are not only their manager, but also someone who can empathise with and build upon their expertise, discussing with them how they can grow both in their expertise and personal development. This requires knowledge of the relevant fields and insight into the network of stakeholders and their interests.

As research manager, you provide an inspiring vision, aligned with the strategy of the Unit MBE. You ensure alignment of knowledge and capacity with market demand and encourage collaboration with other expert groups, both within and outside our unit. Developing a high-quality technology portfolio and marketing it by connecting it to the aforementioned propositions are among your core tasks. You lead daily operations, monitor project progress, and maintain contact with relevant stakeholders. Due to the nature of the work and the energy carriers present, the PTC is an ARIE location to which legal requirements are attached to ensure safety. Combined with the requirements imposed by customers on the services, this means that additional measures regarding quality, safety, health and environment (QSHE) apply to the work. As research manager, you are ultimately responsible for policy and implementation in this area.

You will not do all of this alone. You will work together with the current Deputy Research Manager, and together you will divide all duties and responsibilities within the groups, for which you, a