Category: Powertrain

Analtyics, Analytics, Culture and Values, Diversity & Inclusion, Electrical Engineering, Engineering, Featured, Home Page, People, Powertrain, Research, Software, Technology, Top Story, United Kingdom, Who We Are

We live and breathe Diversity and Inclusion everyday

Jaguar Land Rover Careers

Lead Commodity Engineer Dr Nancy Liu loves science. Since the age of 3, her family knew that she was good at maths and loved experimenting with things.

Over the years, Nancy has earned her professional credentials from various different organisations and universities. She has a PhD in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the University of Nottingham, after achieving a Master’s degree in Aircraft Control Engineering in Northwestern Polytechnical University in China – a Chinese national Class A Double first Class University.

Nancy was also featured in dSPACE magazine, providing user feedback on dSPACE simulators on behalf of Jaguar Land Rover Powertrain.

Nancy has worked in Jaguar Land Rover for almost 15 years. We asked her to share her experiences here as a lead engineer in Science.

Q: What position did you start in and what is your position now? Please describe your current responsibilities. 

‘As a lead engineer, I am responsible for planning and building the test rigs. Essentially, I write scripts to test the BECM (Battery Energy Control Module) software to ensure they all meet the JLR standards.

On a daily basis I carry out rigorous manual and automation testing in our laboratory. I work in collaboration with our commodity owners and managers to ensure we deliver the battery management system with the highest quality, on time.’

Q: Are you involved in any other projects / networks? If so, please describe what they are and what your contributions are. 

‘I previously supported our Electrical Integration team to update software for over 200 vehicles in China. We worked closely with the British manufacturing technicians and the Chinese retailers / warehouse employees.

In addition to the engineering aspect of my job, I also helped building relationships. I removed certain ambiguity when discussing complex projects; I knocked down language barriers by providing face-to-face professional interpretations, offering a greater context with my Chinese language skills and cultural background.

I previously led the powertrain HIL (hardware-in-the-loop) lab, assembling the team of 7 engineers from scratch. We did a thorough upgrade of all the hardware and software in the lab. The HIL facilities are still in use by many of our Jaguar Land Rover colleagues today and I am very proud of this achievement.’

Q: What do you like about working in Jaguar Land Rover?

‘I love science and engineering. Jaguar Land Rover provided me with this fantastic opportunity which allows me to combine the knowledge I have gained from years of studying and researching, with the practical aspect – I play with the latest software and cutting edge equipment daily. I work with a bunch of knowledgeable and enthusiastic people. What’s not to like?’

Q: What are your career aspirations? Do you feel that you get the necessary support from your management / department to help achieve your learning & development goal? 

‘I love my job, hardware-in-the-loop in particular. My manager is also very supportive, we often have open discussions about the technical issues as well as my personal development opportunities. I feel encouraged, empowered and supported to achieve more.’

Q: Describe your team / department, and what makes it stand out from our competition? 

‘The Battery Management Control System team consists of employees from 8 different countries. We live and breathe Diversity and Inclusion everyday. I am the only female in my team, and we are all being treated equally. Everyone’s voice and opinions matter.’

Q: Tell us 3 interesting facts about yourself.

‘I am not all science and numbers, I also like art – I often paint in my spare time to relax and clear my mind; I am a keen traveller, my dream is to travel around the world one day.’

Q: What hints and tips can you share with the potential candidates who are going through the application / interview process? 

‘Have the relevant background knowledge and be confident in your answers.’

Graduate, People, Powertrain

‘Powertrain has evolved from being all about engines – today there is an emphasis on Batteries and Electric Drive Units (EDUs).’

treid5

PE Propulsion Graduate Jaime Fowler tells us more about how the supportive culture in her team enables her to grow as an engineer.

‘I started my career journey on the Engineering Education Scheme, and after doing a year’s placement at a competitor, I joined the Women in Engineering programme at Jaguar Land Rover. After completing this programme, I returned to the graduate scheme – and now I’m in my second year.


Throughout my time with the company, I have been in Powertrain – with the same very supportive team and manager – specialising in fluids. As part of the graduate scheme, I do two six-month placements away from my team. I’m currently working in Engineering Sustainability – looking at the impact of a vehicle through its lifecycle. It brings a very different perspective to my role and I’m learning a lot from the experts in the team. When I return to Powertrain, I’ll be able to bring my learnings back to the team.


Powertrain has evolved from being all about engines – today there is an emphasis on Batteries and Electric Drive Units (EDUs). The team I work in is hugely flexible – moving forward with new components and the software required for them. I have learned different Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software, to ensure we are using the best software for the task at hand.


My role in Powertrain allows me to be creative and I’m given time to model solutions, test them, and write out instructions on how to deploy them. I enjoy this as I can think creatively. I am constantly learning and improving the process as I go along.


I enjoy the problem-solving element of what I do. I am not massively into cars but enjoy working towards improvements in the virtual side of the development process. My advice to anyone looking to join Powertrain is to be open to opportunities. I wasn’t a huge fan of software at uni – but Jaguar Land Rover has given me space and time to learn on the job – and, because of this, I’ve found a job that I enjoy.’

To find out more about current opportunities in the Powertrain team click here.

Diversity & Inclusion, Powertrain, PRIDE

‘The work that the PRIDE network is doing allows colleagues to be honest about who they are.’

treid5

Powertrain Software Engineer, Elena talks about her career journey at Jaguar Land Rover and her invaluable work as the Communications Co-Lead for our PRIDE network.


‘I was studying for a degree in Computer Science when I first got an undergraduate placement with Jaguar Land Rover. I then joined the graduate scheme which allowed me to get experience in many areas of the business and now I’m working in Powertrain In-house Software. I’ve been involved in numerous projects including verification and testing of software, and calibration of EV Software, which involved looking at how we deliver software packages, and how we deploy the tooling of software and our cloud-based infrastructure. This project has been a favourite of mine.


I’ve received a lot of support in my time in the business – both from my manager and from the company networks I’m involved in. I recently spoke at the internal Women in Engineering conference as part of a Diversity & Inclusion panel.


Also, our PRIDE network is phenomenal. Through this network, I hosted a lunch and learn about gender identity and the contacts and support I received after this was amazing. The work that the PRIDE network is doing allows colleagues to be honest about who they are. Through lunch & learns, events such as Birmingham Pride and working with external agencies – we are constantly giving visibility to the LGBTQ+ community.


Something I am proud of is seeing ‘Driving Pride’ be born of the efforts of a member of our Jaguar Land Rover PRIDE committee. This is a new network that aims to provide a safe and supportive space for all LGBTQ+ people within the whole automotive sector. Through this network colleagues from different companies can share our approach and strategy to making people feel comfortable at work and help them to be themselves.’

To find out more about exiting opportunities in our Powertrain team, click here.

People, Powertrain

I strongly believe that I am playing a key role in the technology revolution and that my everyday objectives are leaving a positive impact on society.

treid5

‘Being a woman in science has never been intimidating for me, but I felt that my full professional potential was reached when I joined Jaguar Land Rover as a Lead Cell Engineer. I strongly believe that I am playing a key role in the technology revolution and that my everyday objectives are leaving a positive impact on society. In addition to that, my team is currently led by a woman, a Senior Technical Specialist, giving me confidence about the accessibility of impact roles and highlighting the strong inclusion culture within Jaguar Land Rover.  

During my PhD I had the opportunity of submitting a patent and therefore developing an “applied solution approach”, however, before joining Jaguar Land Rover, I did not believe that my skills could apply to “real world” topics. My background is focused on analytical electrochemistry and materials characterisation and my previous working experiences are academic. Today, all the knowledge that I gathered on the process’s optimization is invested in the development of electrochemical cells for current and next-generation batteries. In addition to that, I also look after the partnerships between JLR, the Catapult network or the Faraday Institution as durable and strong collaborations with Academia are seen as a key component of the future JLR strategy.

I joined the business at the time when the Reimagine strategy was being rolled outputting sustainability at the centre of every activity. It feels like playing a role in a technology revolution, contributing to the acceleration of the de-carbonisation of our fleet and promoting the circular economy. Purchasing “greener” products is a very important pillar for our current customers as the business is capable of associating the comfort of luxury with a positive environmental impact shaping the automotive landscape of future generations. 

There are several aspects which make me think that Jaguar Land Rover is “the place to be”. Being a lead engineer means that my everyday life is focused on delivering technical content on a variety of topics. My days are very diverse and the technical questions that I need to answer are stimulating. Secondly, every technical challenge is faced with the support and the collaboration of the whole team who is the perfect reflection of the diversity and inclusion culture here. My colleagues have an international background, and the working environment is extremely dynamic. Finally, delivering a product, while learning every day new skills and abilities is a unique opportunity for professional and personal growth.’

Business Area, Home Page, Powertrain

The automotive industry is ever evolving, and agile working is playing a big part here

mandalc

‘I joined Powertrain on the graduate scheme four years ago specialising in engine modelling and simulation. After a few three-month placements around the business, gaining some great experience, it was always my intention to return to the team here.

Powertrain had changed and moved forward in what we are working on. We are now more focussed on systems engineering. As a full powertrain system simulation team, we collaborate with a wide range of teams, both as a customer and a supplier, which gives a great overall perspective of the department and technologies.

Agile working is key to our success as a department – and as a Scrum Master – is also key to my role. I ensure that everyone in my squad can provide value on a project. I clear any obstacles and find solutions that enable us to work as efficiently as possible – enabling our team to deliver the best product on time. I get to see a lot of the business and really enjoy working on electric vehicle technology.

My squad work remotely in the UK and India. The squad was formed during the pandemic, so we have adapted to the find the best working methods for everyone. The time difference is probably the biggest challenge and, as Scrum Master, I need to ensure we use our time where we can all interact effectively.

The automotive industry is ever evolving, and agile working is playing a big part in Jaguar Land Rover. As a company we are using more software inhouse which gives us the flexibility to innovate and change. Agile is all about inspecting and adapting to what going on within the business. In Powertrain we work in 2-week sprints. In each 2-week period we inspect, adapt, and improve. A sprint isn’t about going faster – its about looking at what we are doing, making processes better and more efficient. It’s an exciting time to be a part of this industry.’

We have some amazing opportunities to join our team in Powertrain. Visit http://ow.ly/S29t50IuPHf to find out more.

#LifeatJLR #ReimagineYourFuture #Powertrain