Manager, Battery Management Systems, Ford Energy

Ford Motor Company • Dearborn, MI

8d • $141,700 - $268,300 • Hybrid

About The Position

Ford Energy is a newly formed, wholly-owned subsidiary of Ford Motor Company dedicated to accelerating U.S. energy independence. Leveraging Ford’s century of manufacturing excellence and world-class battery energy storage systems (BESS) technology, Ford Energy designs, manufactures, and services grid-scale and commercial DC battery energy storage systems (BESS). Ford Energy is uniquely positioned to capture the growing demand for reliable, US-built energy storage systems. We are not just building batteries; we are building the infrastructure for the next generation of the American grid.

At Ford Energy, you have the backing of an industrial manufacturing powerhouse with the agility of a dedicated energy startup offering industry leading technology. We offer a competitive compensation package including performance-based bonuses, Ford vehicle discounts, and the opportunity to shape the energy strategy of one of the world's most iconic brands. Learn more at https://fordenergy.com.

The Manager, BMS leads all aspects of BMS technology development and program delivery for Ford Energy's BESS products — from architecture and roadmap through validation, industrialization, launch, and field support — ensuring the BMS is delivered on time, with quality, and at or below cost. This role leads the BMS department through subordinate engineering leads/supervisors across key sub-disciplines (e.g., BMS Hardware, Embedded Software & Platform, and Controls/Diagnostics), and is accountable for the department's operational business plan, headcount, and resource/budget allocation across these multi-disciplinary teams. This is a highly cross-functional role that draws heavily on Ford's deep bench of automotive BMS technology, engineering talent, and lessons learned, adapting proven automotive practices (functional safety, cell balancing, state estimation, diagnostics/prognostics, controller hardware/software, and cybersecurity) to stationary energy storage. Success requires strong partnership across Ford Energy Engineering, Ford Auto Engineering, manufacturing, quality, purchasing, supply chain, and external suppliers.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field.
• 10+ years of relevant experience with a Bachelor's degree (or 8+ years with a Master's degree) in Electrical, Computer, or Systems Engineering.
• Demonstrated people leadership / direct management experience (leading engineering teams/leads).
• Demonstrated experience leading complex cross-functional programs with internal teams and external suppliers.
• Experience delivering BMS hardware and/or software through the full product development process, including embedded hardware, firmware, and software.
• Strong first-principles knowledge of electrical engineering, control theory, signal processing, and electrochemistry.
• Proven ability to manage multiple programs/projects simultaneously, balancing timing, risk, and stakeholder communication.
• Strong ability to work across departments, organizations, suppliers, and global teams.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with automotive BMS/BECM programs, translatable to stationary energy storage.
• Familiarity with LFP cell architectures and prismatic/pouch module/pack designs.
• Experience with APQP, PPAP, DV/PV, launch readiness, or similar industrialization processes.
• Experience with ISO 26262 functional safety and cybersecurity standards (e.g., NERC CIP, IEC 62443).
• Background with BMS controller/ASIC suppliers, module/pack suppliers, or battery line integrators.
• Master's or PhD in Engineering or related field.
• Execution-focused leader with urgency and accountability for on-time, on-cost, on-quality delivery.
• Skilled at driving alignment across engineering, manufacturing, supplier, and cross-functional organizations.
• Technically credible across battery management, controls, cybersecurity, and manufacturing issues.
• Clear communicator across working-level and executive discussions with the Chief Engineer and leadership.
• Collaborative and resilient; effective at bridging Ford Energy and Ford Auto to leverage automotive BMS knowledge.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end delivery of BMS hardware, software, and system architecture for Ford Energy — from concept through design release, validation, launch, and production stabilization — on time, with quality, at or below cost.
• Lead BMS hardware design: voltage/current/temperature sensing, isolation monitoring, contactor control, cell balancing, and communication interfaces; own BMS interfaces to plant-level EMS/PCS/SCADA systems.
• Own integrated program timing, scope, risk, issue resolution, and action tracking across internal teams and suppliers; drive program reviews and escalation with the Chief Engineer and leadership.
• Develop and maintain BMS technology roadmaps and cost models; lead design optimization to reduce cost while improving performance and life.
• Lead development of advanced diagnostic and prognostic capability (SOC/SOH estimation, fault detection, degradation and remaining-useful-life prediction) as a core differentiator for customer-facing reliability, uptime, and total cost of ownership.
• Leverage field data analytics, edge/cloud algorithms, and digital-twin approaches to enable predictive maintenance and proactive fleet health management.
• Drive adherence to Ford Energy's cybersecurity strategy: secure architecture, secure communications, secure OTA update processes, and support threat modeling across the BMS hardware/software/network stack.
• Align BMS cybersecurity practices with applicable grid and industrial standards (e.g., NERC CIP, IEC 62443) and Ford Energy cybersecurity requirements; partner with cybersecurity and IT/OT teams on assessments and remediation.
• Serve as primary technical/program interface for BMS across Ford Energy Engineering, manufacturing, quality, purchasing, planning, and supply chain.
• Actively draw upon Ford's automotive BMS resources, talent, tools, and processes, adapting battery control, safety, and diagnostic strategies to stationary storage; build strong ties with Ford Auto Engineering to share learnings across programs.
• Build strong technical relationships with suppliers (BMS controllers, ASICs, software tools) and align with external module/pack/line suppliers on interface requirements and manufacturing readiness.
• Lead competitor benchmarking/teardowns for BMS hardware, software, and control strategies.
• Lead BMS functional safety process (e.g., ISO 26262 and applicable grid-storage safety standards): HARA, safety goals, technical safety requirements, and safety case documentation.
• Lead advanced BMS technology development with suppliers, evaluating emerging sensing, balancing, and controller technologies.
• Lead key engineering documentation: boundary diagrams, interface matrices, DFMEA/Software FMEA, robustness checklists, system/software requirements.
• Support manufacturability assessments; review quality history and apply lessons learned; support root-cause investigations for safety, thermal, diagnostic, and field concerns.
• Initiate robustness activities (Design for Six Sigma, coding-standard compliance, static/dynamic software analysis); support requirements flow-down/validation with module, cell, and pack teams.
• Lead applicable regulatory requirements process for BMS; maintain visibility into timing, cost, risk, and open actions; prepare executive-level updates for the Chief Engineer and leadership.
• Lead the BMS department through subordinate engineering leads/supervisors across key sub-disciplines (e.g., BMS Hardware, Embedded Software & Platform, and Controls/Diagnostics), ensuring clear accountability and coordinated execution across teams.
• Own the department's operational business plan, including headcount planning and resource/budget allocation (materials, testing, tools, licenses, travel) across the multi-disciplinary BMS organization.
• Set department/employee objectives aligned to Ford Energy's goals and roadmap; hold regular 1:1s and recognize performance; lead team meetings and development planning.
• Build team capability in BMS hardware/software, state estimation, functional safety, balancing/thermal strategy, diagnostics/prognostics, cybersecurity, and design optimization.

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: Manager