Head of Control Systems

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Job Title: Head of Control Systems

Salary: Competitive based on experience

Hours: Full time desirable - flexible days/hrs

 

The Revival of a Legend:

Start Date: immediately vacant Location: Hybrid
(Remote, Silverstone, race events) Role Type: Permanent preferred

Lola Cars is one of the world’s iconic motorsport brands, and the most successful manufacturer of customer racing cars of all time. Since 1958, we have been building cars destined to win on the track. Lola Cars has cultivated a brand synonymous with engineering excellence, iconic design, and racing success. Under new ownership, Lola is committed to pushing innovation in engineering.

 

The Opportunity:

An immediate and remarkably interesting opportunity for an experienced, dedicated Head of Control Systems. For candidates who thrive in a startup environment, joining the small, evolving, ambitious and talented team at Lola as we embark on the next phase of the adventure is a unique opportunity for personal fulfilment and career enhancement. The Head of Control Systems role is responsible for the development and maintenance of control software across the Lola projects and will lead our control software development as we expand our BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle) and HEV (Hybrid Electric Vehicle) projects in the motorsport racing environment. In the role the candidate will function as interface between the vehicle engineers and the software development group. A solid technical understanding in automotive technology, electric drive and HV (High Voltage) is necessary to provide the control software to fulfil the requirements. The successful applicant will have previously worked with control software for electric vehicles, ideally in a motor racing environment.

 

Role Responsibilities:

  • The prime responsibility as Head of Control Systems will be the development and maintenance of the control software for EVs in motor racing.

  • To manage and work with external partners to deliver the required software and hardware solutions.

  • The requirement for software functionality will come from interfacing with vehicle, powertrain, and track engineers and from analysing simulator and track data. In other words, we expect the Head of Control Systems to be able to recognise problems and potential for improvement and propose solutions on the control side.

  • Performing the role at the optimum level will require a certain degree of presence at simulators and the track. More so initially, less once a project goes from testing to racing.

  • As being typical for the motor racing environment the software development will have to respect extremely strict deadlines and peaks of workload.

  • The Head of Control Systems will be the point of reference for all electric and control features of the car.

  • The skills to communicate with and present to non-software engineers the electric and control status in the car development meetings.

  • To be open to feedback and receive development goals from meetings and progress successfully.

  • To achieve the midterm plan, to grow software knowhow inhouse by recruiting and developing a group of software development engineers who will write software under the supervision of the Head of Control Systems.

 

Skills required:

  • Expert level understanding of control software, in particular for electrical vehicles.

  • Detailed understanding of motorsport, racing car and EV electrical systems.

  • Skills to lead and develop a group of software engineers.

  • Debugging and tuning of the control software with simulators, at test benches and at the race/test track.

  • Analysis of logged bench or track data to check and optimise the control software performance.

  • Embedded real-time code generation with Simulink based development environment.

  • Experience in electric racing vehicles, ideally Formula E (desirable but not essential).

  • Support software for Driver-in-the-Loop simulators and hardware test beds (desirable but not essential).

 

Qualities:

  • Initiative-taking to drive and own the workstream.

  • Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.

  • Communicates and demonstrates progress towards the end-goal.

  • Strong attention to and enjoys the detail.

  • Methodical and measured in approach.

  • Interest and knowledge of motorsport

 

Qualifications & Experience required:

  • Degree level or commensurate work experience

  • Software or electronic engineering degree desirable but not essential

  • Project management experience

  • Experience with control software for electric vehicles

  • Work experience in motor racing

 

The Successful Candidate will have:

• proven quality work experience, working at a senior level with control software for electric vehicles, ideally in a motor racing environment.

 

Role Location & Hours:

The role will be hybrid – with a combination of remote workdays combined with future on site days at our facility in Silverstone as well as attending trackside, race events. A full-time commitment will be required (minimum 40hrs a week). If you are unable to commit to full time but possess the relevant skills and interest in the role, please do still contact us.

 

Interested in the role?

  • Please send your CV by 24th November 2023 accompanied by a short email explaining why you are suitable for the role, salary expectations and availability to start.

  • If you have any questions or would like to know any further details, please do make contact.

  • Please click apply and submit your details 

 

We look forward to hearing from you.