Thermal Test Engineer

Ford Motor • Long Beach, CA

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

Ford’s Electric Vehicles, Digital and Design (EVDD) team is charged with delivering the company’s vision of a fully electric transportation future. EVDD is customer-obsessed, entrepreneurial, and data-driven and is dedicated to delivering industry-leading customer experience for electric vehicle buyers and owners. You’ll join an agile team of doers pioneering our EV future by working collaboratively, staying focused on only what matters, and delivering excellence day in and day out. Join us to make positive change by helping build a better world where every person is free to move and pursue their dreams. In this position, we are seeking a hands-on Thermal Test Engineer to manage our state-of-the-art thermal lab, design specialized test fixtures, and lead all physical testing activities from component characterization to full vehicle validation for our EV thermal management systems. This role generates the empirical data that underpins all design and control decisions.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering or related engineering discipline or equivalent combination of relevant education and experience.
• 3+ years of experience in thermal testing, lab management, and/or test fixture design, preferably in the automotive industry.
• Strong practical knowledge of thermal measurement techniques, instrumentation, and data acquisition systems.
• Experience with environmental testing (e.g., climatic chambers, wind tunnels).
• Proficiency in data analysis tools using Python.
• Ability to read and interpret mechanical drawings and schematics.

Nice To Haves

• Master's degree in a relevant engineering discipline.
• Experience with EV thermal management component and system testing.
• Familiarity with test automation software (e.g., LabVIEW, Python, etc.).
• Familiarity with CAN/LIN/Ethernet communication protocols and working with smart devices.

Responsibilities

• Manage and maintain the thermal test lab facilities, including equipment calibration, scheduling, and ensuring a safe and efficient testing environment.
• Collaborate with Design Engineers to design, procure, and validate specialized test fixtures for component, subsystem, and system-level thermal testing.
• Plan and execute characterization tests for individual thermal components (pumps, valves, heat exchangers, compressors, etc.) and integrated subsystems (coolant loops, refrigeration circuits, HVAC modules). Provide empirical data to System Engineers for plant model validation.
• Lead and execute comprehensive full vehicle thermal validation tests in environmental chambers, climatic wind tunnels, and on test tracks, simulating various real-world and extreme operating conditions.
• Select, install, and calibrate appropriate instrumentation (thermocouples, pressure transducers, flow meters) and manage high-volume data acquisition systems. Analyze test data to assess performance, identify anomalies, and support root cause analysis.
• Develop and implement automated testing protocols for long-term durability and reliability cycles. Partner with systems and controls engineers to integrate robust safety loops and external monitoring, ensuring autonomous tests operate safely and fail gracefully under anomalous conditions.
• Prepare detailed test plans, procedures, and reports summarizing test results, findings, and recommendations for various engineering teams.
• Provide critical empirical data and test expertise to support troubleshooting efforts across all thermal engineering disciplines.

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: Mid Level