Laser Welding Engineer

Ford Motor • Dearborn, MI

9d • Hybrid

About The Position

Ford is seeking a Laser Welding Engineer to develop, industrialize, and optimize laser joining processes between battery cell cans and busbar/current collector assemblies for next-generation battery manufacturing and future electric vehicles. The engineer will own processes used to join cylindrical and prismatic battery cells to module- and pack-level current collectors, guiding development from concept through pilot line, launch, and high-volume production while balancing weld quality, throughput, cost, and design constraints. The role works closely with cell engineering, pack design, manufacturing, controls and automation, quality, and supplier partners to deliver scalable laser welding solutions for global EV programs.

The position involves developing welding parameters and process windows; evaluating weld performance; specifying and validating laser systems, tooling, monitoring, and automation; and supporting integration, commissioning, and production ramp-up. The engineer also establishes quality and safety controls, works across design and manufacturing teams to ensure manufacturability, supports launch and continuous improvement, and provides technical expertise to Ford programs and plant teams.

This is a hybrid position requiring onsite work four or more days per week. The role is salary grade 7 or 8, with listed salary ranges of $86,600–$144,900 and $99,100–$166,200, respectively; final grade and salary depend on skills, experience, job scope, responsibility, and market value. Visa sponsorship is available. Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Welding Engineering, Materials Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
• At least 4 years of hands-on experience in laser welding process development, manufacturing engineering, or equipment engineering in an industrial setting.
• Demonstrated experience developing and optimizing welding or joining processes, such as laser, resistance, TIG/MIG, or ultrasonic welding.
• Experience with metallurgical evaluation of welds, including microstructure, defects, and joint design considerations.
• Experience running structured experiments and analyzing data, including DoE, regression, and statistical analysis.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree in a relevant engineering discipline, or 4+ years of relevant industrial experience.
• Experience in battery manufacturing (cells, modules, or packs) or high-reliability electrical interconnects.
• Direct laser welding experience with dissimilar metals such as Cu–Al, Al–Ni, or Cu–Ni-plated steel.
• Direct laser welding experience with thin foils, tabs, or can terminals where spatter, porosity, and heat-affected-zone control are important.
• Familiarity with fiber laser systems, scanner-based welding, wobble welding, and remote welding.
• Familiarity with weld-monitoring technologies and closed-loop process control.
• Familiarity with vision-guided robotic welding or precision-positioning systems.
• Proficiency with CAD tools such as CATIA, NX, or 3DX for joint and fixture reviews.
• Proficiency with data analysis tools such as Minitab, JMP, Python, MATLAB, or Excel.
• Proficiency with quality tools such as PFMEA, control plans, SPC, 8D, and 5-Why.
• Experience working with equipment OEMs and system integrators, including defining URS/FRS, reviewing designs, and overseeing build and commissioning.
• Knowledge of relevant standards and guidelines, including ISO/ANSI laser safety, automotive quality systems, and battery safety standards.

Responsibilities

• Develop and own laser welding processes for joining battery cell terminals to copper or aluminum busbars/current collectors, including tab-less and cell-to-pack architectures.
• Define and optimize welding parameters to meet mechanical, electrical, and thermal performance requirements.
• Plan and execute structured Design of Experiments to establish process windows, main effects, and sensitivities across cell, busbar, and fixture variants.
• Lead process characterization, including pull/shear testing, microsection analysis, porosity and crack evaluation, electrical resistance measurements, and thermal performance evaluation.
• Specify and validate laser systems and subsystems, including lasers, beam delivery optics, scanners, galvos, clamping and fixturing, and motion or robot systems.
• Specify and validate vision systems for seam tracking, part localization, and weld-path alignment, as well as inline weld-monitoring technologies.
• Define and implement tooling and fixturing concepts that enable repeatable cell positioning, pressure/contact, alignment, and thermal management.
• Collaborate with controls and automation engineers to integrate laser welding equipment into automated lines and connect it with PLCs, robots, MES, and quality systems.
• Support equipment factory and site acceptance testing, commissioning, and ramp-up at Ford plants and pilot lines.
• Develop and maintain PFMEAs, control plans, and standardized work for laser welding operations.
• Define critical-to-quality characteristics, inspection methods, acceptance criteria, and inline and offline inspection strategies.
• Work with quality and product teams to correlate weld parameters and defects with pack performance, durability, and abuse-test outcomes, and ensure adherence to safety standards and best practices for high-power laser systems.
• Partner with battery cell and pack design teams to influence joint design, materials, and stack-ups for manufacturability and weldability.
• Work with cell and materials engineers to understand coating stacks and current collector materials and their effects on weld behavior.
• Collaborate with manufacturing and industrial engineering on line layouts, takt times, and scaling strategies; work with suppliers and integrators to qualify equipment, tooling, and consumables.
• Provide laser welding expertise for design reviews, technical trade studies, and cost and feasibility assessments.
• Support problem-solving activities, including 8D, 5-Why, and Ishikawa, for build issues, field returns, and validation failures related to weld integrity.
• Support pilot builds, pre-production, and launch events at global manufacturing sites.
• Develop process instructions, troubleshooting guides, maintenance best practices, and safety procedures for plant teams.
• Drive continuous improvement in OEE, cycle time, yield, scrap, and consumable usage.
• Benchmark industry practices and emerging battery laser welding, monitoring, and automation technologies and recommend adoption paths.

Benefits

• Immediate medical, dental, vision, and prescription drug coverage
• Paid parental leave and new-parent ramp-up programs
• Subsidized backup child care
• Family-building benefits, including adoption and surrogacy expense reimbursement and fertility treatments
• Vehicle discount program for employees and family members
• Management leases
• Tuition assistance
• Employee resource groups
• Paid time off for individual and team community service
• Vacation time
• Sick/personal time
• Paid holidays, including between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day

What This Job Offers

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