Sr. Motor Design Engineer [EM] — Propulsion

About Odys

Our mission at Odys is simple - we build safe, sustainable aircraft to cut travel time in half on the world's busiest corridors. Our flagship aircraft Alta enables travelers to skip the big-airport hassle by using city helipads and local airports to connect cities less than 1,000 miles apart (approx 40% of flights). And on average cut CO2 by 76% on tens of billions of flight miles globally.

To get there, we start with our UAV called Laila for commercial logistics, medical transport, humanitarian aid, disaster relief, and defense missions. We’re deploying aircraft with launch partners (Fiji Airways, Honeywell, Aramex, US Navy) beginning in late 2025 and already have firm orders for aircraft under contract.

We’re a team of expert engineers from deep tech and aerospace that focus on fast iterations loops (completed transition flight faster than our peers) combined with mastery of the aircraft certification process. Previously, our team developed custom drones, brought multiple automotive platforms into production, and electrified transportation vehicles that magnetically levitate, that roll, that fly. Together, we’ve been learning, developing, building, testing, and preparing for this challenge our entire lives.

Responsibilities

• Lead electromagnetic design of propulsion motors and high-speed PM generators, from concept through prototype validation.

• Develop and refine EM models (FEA in JMAG, parametric studies in MATLAB) to predict torque, efficiency, losses, inductances, and operating limits.

• Translate propulsion system requirements into machine performance specifications, ensuring alignment with aircraft integration needs.

• Evaluate design trade-offs in topologies, winding schemes, materials, and manufacturability, capturing these effects in models.

• Provide validated machine models and parameter sets to inverter, controls, thermal, and mechanical teams for system-level integration.

• Support machine test planning and correlation of measured performance with simulations; update models to maintain accuracy.

• Deliver specifications, analyses, and verification evidence with clear documentation and traceability.

Requirements

• BS/MS in Electrical Engineering with 5–7 years of experience in motor/generator EM design.

• Demonstrated expertise in permanent-magnet machine design, including torque production, flux distribution, inductance modeling, and loss analysis.

• Proven ability to build high-fidelity FEA models in JMAG and automate studies/optimizations in MATLAB.

• Strong understanding of electromagnetic phenomena: saturation, harmonics, torque ripple, eddy-current and core losses, and demagnetization effects.

• Experience reconciling analytical/FEA predictions with test data, and refining models based on hardware correlation.

• Awareness of how manufacturing factors (slot fill, end turns, lamination quality, tolerances, magnetization variation) impact machine performance and how to account for them in design.

• Ability to communicate EM design requirements and trade-offs clearly to mechanical, thermal, and power-electronics engineers.

• Strong technical writing, analysis reporting, and documentation skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience designing high-speed machines and understanding their EM and mechanical coupling challenges.

• Familiarity with additional EM tools (Motor-CAD, ANSYS Maxwell, Flux, COMSOL).

• Understanding of insulation systems, partial-discharge considerations, and EMI/EMC impacts on machine design.

• Exposure to aerospace or automotive development practices, including requirements flowdown, verification, and environmental testing.

• Track record delivering production-ready EM designs and correlated models in fast-paced hardware programs.