Research Scientist - Energy Systems and Business Analysis

Employment Type: Full-time

Position Overview

At Toyota Research Institute (TRI), we are dedicated to improving the quality of human life by developing new tools, collaborations, and capabilities to amplify the human experience. We are at the forefront of a transformative shift in mobility, building a world-class team focused on Energy and Materials, Human-Centered AI, Human Interactive Driving, and Robotics.

The Challenge

Toyota has set a global goal of reaching carbon neutrality by 2050. Achieving net-zero carbon emissions is a critical global challenge. While vehicle electrification is a key pathway, the adoption rate of electric vehicles is influenced by numerous interconnected factors. These include understanding people's mobility needs, ensuring a carbon-free electrical grid, securing resilient supply chains for battery and fuel cell materials, developing cleaner structural materials, and deploying convenient charging and alternative fuel infrastructure.

This role addresses the fundamental questions: How can Toyota achieve net zero by 2050 and meet near-term decarbonization milestones? What comprehensive strategies are required? How should we collaborate with diverse stakeholders? What are the most impactful actions we can take today while planning for future technologies and mitigating uncertainties?

The Opportunity

We are seeking an individual to work across the critical and interdependent areas of technology, economics, policy, and society. Your work will be instrumental in evaluating and evolving Toyota's medium- and long-term carbon neutral strategy.

As a Research Scientist for Energy Systems and Business Analysis, you will:

• Provide timely and responsive analysis to Toyota leadership on key issues at the intersection of energy, climate, and transportation.
• Scope, build, conduct, and/or manage systems modeling for decarbonization pathways, incorporating techno-economic and policy factors, and coordinating with other researchers within the Toyota group.
• Represent Toyota at industry and academic consortia to guide research priorities and foster strategic partnerships.
• Develop in-house case analyses for carbon neutral technology adoption and collaborate with Toyota partners (e.g., Toyota Ventures, Toyota Financial Services).
• Compile and maintain benchmark data, including competitor decarbonization efforts, technical developments, public announcements, and government mandates/incentives.
• Communicate effectively with internal and external collaborators.

The Team

Join a creative team of scientists and engineers committed to enabling a sustainable future. You will be part of the Carbon Neutral Strategy (CNS) team within the Energy and Materials (E&M) division, contributing to the transition towards more sustainable mobility. The E&M division also focuses on applying AI, data-driven methods, and automation to materials science and manufacturing across various scales. The CNS team operates at the nexus of technology, business, policy, and society, utilizing energy systems modeling and machine learning to inform decarbonization strategies across the Toyota ecosystem. While based in the United States, our scope is global. We collaborate with TRI colleagues in robotics, behavioral science, and computer science, as well as with Toyota colleagues in business development and policy analysis, and researchers at leading universities and national labs. We foster a collaborative environment for professional growth and skill development.

Qualifications

• PhD degree focused on energy technology and policy, systems engineering, energy economics, energy business analysis, or a related field.
• 3+ years of relevant experience.
• Strong research background.