Staff Battery Cell Engineer

Ford Motor • Long Beach, CA

2d • Hybrid

About The Position

Ford’s Electric Vehicles, Digital and Design (EVDD) team is responsible for delivering the company’s vision of a fully electric transportation future. EVDD is customer-obsessed, entrepreneurial, and data-driven and is dedicated to delivering an industry-leading customer experience for electric vehicle buyers and owners. The Battery Cell Engineer will be responsible for driving the development, evaluation, and supplier-partnered introduction of next generation battery cell technology for innovative and affordable electric vehicles. This role works hand-in-hand with the global cell supply base to identify, mature, and industrialize breakthrough cell chemistries and formats.

Requirements

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, or equivalent combination of relevant education and experience.
• Minimum of 7 years experience in battery cell technology, with hands-on experience evaluating or launching automotive-grade cells.
• Experience directly engaging with cell suppliers or startups on technology evaluation, development, or sourcing.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with a deep understanding of electrochemistry and battery cell performance characteristics.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills to work effectively with cross-functional teams and external suppliers.
• Knowledge of relevant industry standards, regulations, and safety requirements for electric vehicle batteries.

Nice To Haves

• Proficiency in relevant software tools for battery modeling, simulation, and data analysis (e.g., MATLAB, Python, LabVIEW).
• Experience with Microsoft Office, Confluence, and Jira applications.
• Experience with instrumentation and measurement in a lab environment.
• Prior experience supporting supplier sourcing, contract negotiation, or supplier agreements.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• An eagerness to work cross-functionally in a dynamic environment where you are part of a high performing team.
• A systems approach to design and development with the desire and curiosity to strive for exceptional delivery execution and continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

• Research and evaluate emerging battery cell chemistries and form factors.
• Analyze and compare battery cell characteristics, including energy density, power density, cycle life, fast-charge capability, and safety factors.
• Generate and maintain the next generation cell technology roadmap and strategy, tracking technology readiness level (TRL) and manufacturing readiness level (MRL) of candidate cells.
• Select the most suitable next-gen cell format and chemistry based on performance, cost, and safety requirements.
• Create cell-level requirements in Jama that support vehicle-level attributes and next-gen program targets.
• Build and maintain strong technical relationships with leading cell manufacturers, material suppliers, and emerging startups developing next-gen cell technology.
• Evaluate supplier technology roadmaps, R&D capability, and production maturity levels to inform sourcing and partnership decisions.
• Lead joint development activities with suppliers, including technical reviews, capability audits, and co-development agreements for next-gen cells.
• Partner with Purchasing and Supply Chain teams to support supplier selection, contract negotiations, and sourcing strategy for next-gen cell programs.
• Serve as the primary technical point of contact for supplier engagement on next-gen cell development, ensuring alignment with Ford's performance, cost, and quality targets.
• Support BMS team with test plans and analysis of test data to support SOx algorithm development (SOC, SOH, SOT, SOP).
• Develop and execute comprehensive testing plans with suppliers to validate performance, safety, and reliability of next-gen cell samples.
• Lead supplier design reviews, engineering sample builds, and engineering change management throughout the NPI process.
• Collaborate with suppliers on DFMEA development and PFMEA document analysis for new cell designs and manufacturing processes.
• Conduct root cause analysis of cell failures such as early life capacity loss, high DCIR growth, and internal short circuits, working jointly with supplier engineering teams.
• Evaluate test fixture design and lab requirements needed to characterize next-gen cell samples.
• Continuously explore cost-reduction opportunities for next-gen battery cells and associated materials in partnership with the supply base.
• Track program milestones, supplier deliverables, and technical risk for next-gen cell development programs.
• Collaborate with the procurement team to ensure a stable, scalable, and cost-effective supply chain for next-gen cell components as programs move toward production.

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