Container Subsystem Design & Release/TVM Engineer, Ford Energy

Ford • Dearborn, MI

3d • $86,600 - $144,900 • Hybrid

About The Position

Ford Energy, a subsidiary of Ford Motor Company, is seeking a BESS Container Subsystem Design & Release (DR) Engineer to lead the technical design and release of their Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) container subsystems. This role focuses on ensuring that container-level subsystems, including thermal management, fire detection/suppression, venting, structural, and electrical integration, meet performance, safety, quality, and reliability targets throughout the product lifecycle. The engineer will also support Total Value Management (TVM) activities and collaborate with Purchasing on component sourcing and procurement strategies. This position offers the opportunity to work with supply partners and internal teams, with potential for expanded scope as the product line matures.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Electrical, or Systems Engineering, or a related technical field.
• 3+ years of experience in design & release engineering or product engineering, ideally within BESS, automotive, or other complex electro-mechanical systems.
• Working knowledge of battery energy storage safety and performance standards (e.g., UL 9540/9540A, NFPA 855/68, IEC 62619) and/or Ford Energy internal design and test specifications.
• Experience developing or supporting DFMEA, DVPR, BOM/BOD, and design release documentation.
• Experience partnering with Purchasing or supply chain teams on sourcing, supplier evaluation, or procurement of engineered components.
• Strong cross-functional collaboration skills, with experience working directly with external suppliers or battery partners.
• Proficiency with CAD and PLM tools (e.g., NX, Teamcenter, CATIA, or similar).

Nice To Haves

• Experience with container-level or enclosure-level subsystems: thermal management, fire suppression/detection, deflagration venting, or structural design.
• Exposure to should-cost modeling or formal Value Engineering/Value Analysis (VE/VA) training.
• Familiarity with UL 9540A unit/container-level thermal runaway fire propagation testing and how to translate results into design action.
• Experience with Design for Six Sigma (DFSS), design of experiments (DOE), or other robust design methodologies.
• Prior experience supporting BESS or energy storage programs from concept through production launch.
• Advanced degree in engineering or related technical field.

Responsibilities

• Own design and release (DR) responsibilities for BESS container subsystems, including thermal management, fire detection/suppression, deflagration venting, structural enclosure, and electrical integration components.
• Develop and maintain system design specifications (SDS), component design specifications (CDS), bills of material (BOMs), and bills of design (BODs) for container-level hardware.
• Lead or support DFMEA, DVPR, and design reviews to ensure subsystem designs meet safety, performance, durability, and manufacturability requirements before release.
• Drive root cause analysis and corrective action for design issues identified during testing, build events, or field operation, closing the loop with battery/container supply partners and internal design teams.
• Ensure container subsystem designs comply with applicable standards, including UL 9540, UL 9540A, NFPA 855/68, ISO/CSC transport certification requirements, and Ford Energy internal design specifications.
• Consume and act on DV/PV test results and reports delivered by the DV/PV Testing team, incorporating findings into design updates, engineering changes, and release decisions.
• Support Total Value Management activities for container subsystems, balancing function, cost, quality, and timing to identify value engineering / value analysis (VE/VA) opportunities.
• Provide engineering input into should-cost models and design benchmarking to help identify cost-down opportunities without compromising safety or performance.
• Support development and presentation of cost-benefit trade studies to program leadership as needed, tracking value-added design actions through implementation.
• Support Purchasing in the procurement and sourcing of container subsystem hardware, providing technical requirements, specifications, and evaluation criteria for supplier and component selection.
• Partner with Purchasing on supplier technical assessments, quoting activities, and sourcing decisions, ensuring selected components and suppliers meet design, quality, and program timing requirements.
• Support supplier onboarding and technical qualification activities in coordination with Purchasing and Quality.
• Serve as the primary technical interface between Ford's internal design team and container/battery supply partners for subsystem design and release.
• Collaborate with Systems Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Purchasing, and the DV/PV Testing team to ensure container subsystem designs are release-ready and aligned with program timing.
• Coordinate engineering changes, manage documentation through Ford's PLM systems, and support supplier technical reviews and design maturity milestones (e.g., DVPR sign-off, PPAP).

Benefits

• 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 and more
• Family building benefits including adoption and surrogacy expense reimbursement, fertility treatments, and more
• 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.
• Performance-based bonuses
• Ford vehicle discounts

What This Job Offers

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