HV Battery Design & Release Engineer- Busbar-to Cell Welding/Array & Thermal

Ford Motor Company • Dearborn, MI

3d • $68,300 - $192,900 • Hybrid

About The Position

Join Ford's HV Battery Array team as a Design & Release Engineer, designing, validating, and releasing high-voltage battery array modules in collaboration with cross-functional and global partners. The role also helps establish Ford's in-house laser welding capability for HV battery cells, with ownership of the busbar-to-cell weld specification and validation and support for early plant trials. As team needs evolve, the engineer will take on additional array and thermal design and release assignments.

The position works with CAD designers, CAE engineers, package and component engineers, suppliers, welding process engineers, manufacturing teams, and global partners to deliver array modules that meet package, performance, quality, cost, and attribute requirements. It includes component design and supplier design evaluation, interface compatibility, WERS release, validation, issue resolution, and quality documentation.

For the laser welding focus, the engineer owns and develops the busbar-to-cell laser-welding engineering specification, defines welded-joint functional requirements, develops and executes design validation and process verification plans, supports PPAP and capability studies, and supports plant trials and pre-production builds. The role reviews weld-quality data, including cross-sections, and drives technical resolution and process refinement.

This is a hybrid position requiring onsite work four or more days per week, with travel as needed for plant support and design reviews. Salary grade 5 to 8, with a stated salary range of $68,300–$192,900; final grade and salary depend on skills, experience, scope, responsibility, and market value. Visa sponsorship is unavailable.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Materials, or Welding Engineering and at least 5 years of relevant experience, or a master's degree in one of those engineering disciplines and at least 2 years of relevant experience.
• Relevant experience in electrified powertrain or HV battery engineering systems, HV battery array design and release, or welding/joining process engineering.
• Experience in Design and Release roles, supplier management, and multidisciplinary engineering in electrification.
• Experience writing requirements and engineering specifications and evaluating supplier designs against them.
• Experience developing and evaluating DVP&R, DV, and PV test plans.
• Experience with the Failure Mode Avoidance process and quality documents such as DFMEA, PFMEA, and control plans.
• Knowledge of GD&T standards, 2D prints, and tolerance stack-up analysis methods.
• Strong presentation and communication skills, including the ability to report to managers, chief engineers, directors, and new-model launch leaders.
• Ability to work across vehicle-program functions and interact with internal and external stakeholders, including negotiating tradeoffs.
• Proactive, self-motivated, and detail-oriented approach.
• Strong teamwork, organizational, oral, and written communication skills.
• Willingness to travel as needed for plant support and design reviews.
• Legally authorized to work in the United States; employment eligibility verification is required at hire.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with laser welding processes and parameters and knowledge of welded electrical-joint requirements.
• Experience with weld-quality analysis, such as cross-section review.
• Experience with capability studies, scrap reduction, First Time Through, and cycle-time optimization.
• Experience with PPAP, manufacturing launch, or plant trials.
• Knowledge of electronics manufacturing, soldering, wiring, SMT, connectors, and electrical systems.
• Knowledge of stampings, castings, and injection-molded plastics.
• Team leadership experience.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with CAD designers, CAE engineers, battery package engineers, suppliers, welding process engineers, component engineers, and global teams to design and release HV battery welded array modules.
• Develop and ensure compatibility of electrical, mechanical, and thermal module interfaces within the HV Battery System.
• Design module components or evaluate supplier designs, applying engineering and manufacturing knowledge to achieve efficient and cost-effective designs.
• Work with functions and global teams to meet package, performance, and attribute requirements for the HV Battery Array/Cell Block System.
• Complete Design and Release activities, including WERS component release, validation, issue management, quality document development, and delivery.
• Interface with adjacent teams, including HV Battery unit, manufacturing, cell, and testing teams, Supplier Technical Assistance, and Purchasing.
• Identify process and design improvements that increase efficiency and reduce costs.
• Report design, testing, timing, and quality issues to leadership promptly and lead technical resolution.
• Own and develop the engineering specification for busbar-to-cell laser welding and take it through Battery Manufacturing Engineering review and release.
• Define welded-joint functional requirements for structural integrity, electrical conductivity, and thermal management.
• Develop and execute Design Validation and Process Verification test plans to support PPAP of the process assembly line.
• Work with Battery Manufacturing Engineering to develop capability studies demonstrating that the specification is met; assess tradeoffs to reduce scrap, improve First Time Through, and improve cycle time.
• Support early plant trials and pre-production builds, including onsite plant work; interpret trial conditions and drive technical resolution.
• Review weld-quality data, including cross-section analysis, and use findings to refine process parameters and requirements.

Benefits

• Immediate medical, dental, vision, and prescription drug coverage.
• Flexible family care days, paid parental leave, new parent ramp-up programs, and subsidized backup child care.
• Family-building benefits, including adoption and surrogacy expense reimbursement and fertility treatments.
• Vehicle discount program for employees and family members and management leases.
• Tuition assistance.
• Employee resource groups.
• Paid time off for individual and team community service.
• 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