Fall 2026 PhD Battery & Sustainability Intern

About the Role

This is a hybrid role, requiring reporting to the Research Administration Building at the Global Technical Center in Warren, MI, three times per week.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and validate physics-based methods to battery models across a range of chemistries, cell designs, and formats.
• Develop and implement finite-element method to complex battery electrode microstructures and process x-ray tomographic understanding of electrode materials.
• Build coupled electrochemical and mechanical models to capture electrochemical and mechanical responses, mass transport, and heat generation in battery electrodes.
• Investigate degradation mechanisms (e.g., volume expansion, particle fracture) through Multiphysics mechanistic modeling.
• Apply modeling to understand and predict performance, lifetime, and safety behavior under real-world operating conditions.
• Translate model outputs into actionable guidance for cell design, materials selection, and system-level decisions.
• Integrate models into multi-scale and system-level simulation frameworks and develop simulation toolkits.
• Lead and contribute to deep technical problem solving, grounded in physical intuition and rigorous analysis.
• Influence technical direction through scientifically grounded arguments and modeling insight.
• Publish and present your work through peer-reviewed journals, conferences, and internal reviews.
• Contribute to intellectual property and patents in battery modeling and design.

Requirements & Tech Stack

• Ph.D. student (expected graduation by 2028) in Physics, Mathematics, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computational Materials Science or a closely related field with a focus on electrochemistry or battery modeling.
• Experience developing physics-based finite-element battery modeling and electrode microstructure simulation for battery applications.
• Strong foundation in electrochemistry, solid mechanics, thermodynamics, and transport phenomena.
• Experience developing coupled Multiphysics models (electrochemical, thermal, mechanical) across scales.
• Strong C++ and Python proficiency (both required) for scientific computing, modeling, and data analysis.
• Strong analytical and quantitative problem-solving skills grounded in physical principles.
• Demonstrated research track record including peer-reviewed publications and technical presentations.
• Ability to clearly communicate complex technical findings to both specialized and cross-functional audiences.
• Proven ability to influence technical direction through expertise and analysis.
• Commitment to advancing the state of the art in battery science and modeling.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience battery electrode microstructure modeling using finite-element methods.
• Experience with development of open-source tools for Multiphysics battery simulations.
• Familiarity with continuum-scale modeling frameworks (e.g., P2D/DFN models or similar, solid mechanics).
• Experience integrating physics-based models into larger simulation environments or design workflows.
• Background leveraging high-performance computing for large-scale simulations.
• Contributions to externally recognized research collaborations.
• Good understanding of battery material/electrochemical properties.
• Knowledge of battery electrode tomography measurement techniques such as FIB-SEM and x-ray CT scan and process related microstructure data.
• Experience in AI and Data-driven predictive modeling for battery research.