Cell DV/PV Testing Engineer, Ford Energy

Ford Motor • Dearborn, MI

11d • Hybrid

About The Position

Ford Energy, a subsidiary of Ford Motor Company, is seeking a Battery Cell DV/PV Testing Engineer to execute design verification (DV) and process verification (PV) testing on battery cells for their Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS). This role focuses on cell performance and life characterization, involving hands-on testing, tracking external supplier testing, and root-cause analysis of cell failures. The ideal candidate will be proficient with cell-level test equipment, understand DVP&R/PVP&R test plans for lithium-ion or sodium-ion cells, and be capable of diagnosing cell failures through teardown analysis. This position will also contribute to evaluating future cell chemistries and collaborate with various engineering teams to ensure cells meet performance, life, and reliability requirements. The role offers the opportunity to work with cutting-edge battery technology and contribute to the energy infrastructure of the future, with the backing of Ford's manufacturing expertise and the agility of a startup.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Chemical, Mechanical, Materials, or a related engineering discipline.
• 3+ years of experience testing battery cells or battery systems in a lab or validation environment.
• Hands-on experience setting up and operating battery cyclers, environmental/thermal chambers, and data acquisition systems.
• Working knowledge of DV/PV testing methodology and DVP&R/PVP&R documentation.
• Strong grounding in cell performance and life test methods.
• Experience or working knowledge of failure analysis and teardown techniques for battery cells.
• Experience tracking or analyzing test results generated by external suppliers or test labs.
• Ability to read and interpret test specifications, engineering drawings, and cell datasheets.
• Strong data analysis skills (Excel and/or MATLAB/Python).
• Clear technical report writing skills.
• Ability and willingness to work in a lab environment with battery test articles, including required PPE and safety protocols.
• Ability and willingness to travel occasionally to supplier or external test lab sites.

Nice To Haves

• Master's degree in Electrical, Chemical, or Materials Engineering.
• Experience with LFP (lithium iron phosphate) or sodium-ion cell chemistries and their characteristic performance and life behavior.
• Experience performing cell teardown and failure analysis, including use of techniques such as SEM, XRD, CT scanning, or similar diagnostic tools.
• Experience supporting production teams during process validation (PV) builds, including real-time troubleshooting and non-conformance resolution.
• Exposure to evaluating or developing next-generation/alternative cell chemistries for energy storage applications.
• Experience supporting cell supplier qualification, including review of DFMEA/PFMEA, control plans, and PPAP documentation.
• Experience in the BESS, EV, or stationary storage industry.
• Six Sigma, IATF 16949, or ISO 17025 lab quality experience.
• Experience correlating cell-level performance and life data and failure analysis to module/pack-level performance outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Execute DV and PV test plans (DVP&R/PVP&R) on internally sourced battery cells, focusing on performance and life characterization (capacity, impedance/DCIR, rate and power performance, cycle life, calendar life, and coulombic efficiency testing).
• Set up and operate cell test equipment, including battery cyclers, environmental and thermal chambers, and data acquisition systems.
• Support supplementary environmental testing (e.g., thermal cycling, vibration, shock) as needed.
• Track the status and schedule of cell test programs executed by external suppliers, ensuring alignment with internal requirements and timelines.
• Collect and analyze supplier-generated performance and life test results, comparing them against internal requirements and identifying trends or discrepancies.
• Coordinate with supplier engineering contacts to clarify test methods, request missing data, and follow up on issues.
• Support the review of supplier quality documentation (e.g., DFMEA/PFMEA, control plans, PPAP) related to cell performance and life test data.
• Summarize supplier test outcomes and flag risks affecting supplier qualification or sourcing decisions.
• Diagnose cell-level failures and anomalies using structured root-cause analysis methods (e.g., 8D, fishbone/Ishikawa, 5-Why).
• Plan and perform teardown analysis of failed or suspect cells, including mechanical disassembly, inspection, electrical characterization, and coordination with materials science/failure-analysis labs.
• Document teardown findings, failure modes, and root causes, recommending and tracking corrective actions.
• Build and maintain a failure-mode knowledge base.
• Collect, reduce, and analyze test data from internal, supplier, and diagnostic sources; identify anomalies, degradation trends, and out-of-spec conditions.
• Maintain test traceability to requirements, test method documentation, and calibration records.
• Communicate test status, results, diagnostic findings, and risks to relevant engineering teams.
• Recommend improvements to test methods and data analysis processes.
• Support the evaluation, screening, and characterization of next-generation and alternative cell chemistries (e.g., LFP, sodium-ion) for future BESS product programs.
• Develop and execute test plans and diagnostic protocols for new chemistries.
• Collaborate with cell design and R&D teams to translate learnings into chemistry and cell design improvement recommendations.
• Stay current on emerging cell chemistry trends and failure mechanisms relevant to stationary storage applications.

Benefits

• Performance-based bonuses
• Ford vehicle discounts
• Immediate medical, dental, vision and prescription drug coverage
• Flexible family care days
• Paid parental leave
• New parent ramp-up programs
• Subsidized back-up child care
• Family building benefits including adoption and surrogacy expense reimbursement, fertility treatments
• Vehicle discount program for employees and family members and management leases
• Tuition assistance
• Established and active employee resource groups
• Paid time off for individual and team community service
• A generous schedule of paid holidays, including the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day
• Paid time off and the option to purchase additional vacation time.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level