Lead Dyno Technician

Ford Motor • Long Beach, CA

2d • Hybrid

About The Position

As a Lead Dynamometer Technician, you will play a critical role in shaping the future of sustainable transportation by operating and managing our advanced electric vehicle propulsion and climatic test facility. You will oversee daily lab operations, executing complex tests on state-of-the-art chassis and hub-coupled dynamometers, climatic chambers, and high-voltage charging systems. By collaborating across engineering teams, you will ensure the highest standard of data quality and laboratory safety, ultimately contributing to the development of world-class electric vehicles.

Requirements

• Associate degree, technical diploma, or equivalent military/industrial experience in Automotive Technology, Electronics, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field.
• 5+ years of experience in automotive testing within a dynamometer lab environment.
• 2+ years of experience in a senior or lead technician role.
• Proven experience operating chassis dynamometers and utilizing test automation software
• Hands-on experience configuring and operating hub-coupled (hub) dynamometers.
• Strong foundational understanding of electric vehicle architecture, including HV battery systems, inverters, drive units, thermal management systems, and communication networks.
• Understanding of vehicle data acquisition (DAQ) systems and network communication tools (e.g., Intrepid, Vector, DEWESoft, or similar CAN-based tools).
• Proficiency in soldering, wire harness fabrication, connector crimping, and electrical troubleshooting for custom test instrumentation and sensor integration.
• Basic fabrication skills (light welding, machining, custom bracket building) for custom test setups.

Nice To Haves

• Direct experience working with AVL Puma/VECON + iGEM, Rototest DynoVision, and integrating vehicle-in-the-loop (VIL) environments (dSPACE, IPG CarMaker)
• Experience operating environmental/climatic chambers and managing thermal dynamics/condensation control.
• Experience writing or modifying test automation sequences or scripts.
• Familiarity and experience with ISO17025 accreditation
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to document clear standard operating procedures (SOPs) and present technical findings to engineering teams.
• Certified in High Voltage (HV) Safety (e.g., OSHA, NFPA 70E, or equivalent Level 2/Level 3 EV safety certification) with experience working safely around high-voltage vehicle architectures.
• A systematic approach to troubleshooting complex mechanical, electrical, and software issues in a test cell environment.
• An eagerness to work cross-functionally in a dynamic environment where you are part of a high-performing team.

Responsibilities

• Configure, calibrate, and operate a chassis dynamometer test cell and associated automation software for road load simulation for range, thermal, and performance testing.
• Install, align, and operate hub-coupled dynamometer systems, including hub adapter installation, system alignment, and torque/speed measurement.
• Program and monitor environmental profiles (from extreme cold to extreme heat) inside the climatic chamber, ensuring proper vehicle soaking and thermal stabilization.
• Coordinate daily lab workflow, vehicle preparation, and test execution to optimize facility utilization and meet critical program milestones.
• Perform preventative maintenance, troubleshooting, and calibration on chassis dynos, hub dynos, climatic chamber systems, and data acquisition hardware.
• Provide technical guidance, training, and mentorship to junior technicians on dynamometer operations, instrumentation techniques, and safety standards.
• Safely connect, operate, and monitor high-voltage AC and DC fast-charging infrastructure, coordinating with power analyzers during vehicle tests.
• Precisely instrument test vehicles and subsystems with thermocouples, torque transducers, strain gauges, pressure transducers, and CAN/LIN data acquisition modules.
• Lead laboratory safety protocols, serving as the primary advocate for High Voltage (HV) safety boundaries, Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) procedures, and climatic chamber safety compliance.
• Collaborate closely with test engineers to review test logs, identify data anomalies, and document standard operating procedures (SOPs).

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.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: Associate degree