Battery Cell Integration and Testing Engineer

Ford Ford · Auto · Dearborn, MI +1 · Research and Advance Engineering

This role focuses on research and testing of battery cells for integration into vehicle packs, aiming to improve quality, reduce cost, and validate performance against vehicle attribute targets. It involves planning and executing tests, analyzing cell-level data to understand performance and failure modes, and collaborating with R&A and Product Development teams on modeling and solutions. The role also requires defining requirements for testing fixtures and instrumentation, and reviewing fleet data for warranty issue root cause analysis and goal setting. Finally, it involves transferring developed technologies to product teams through verification testing.

What you'd actually do

  1. Define and own the execution of research projects tied to production needs to improve quality, decrease cost, and deliver vehicle level attributes.
  2. Plan testing of battery cells that are new to Ford with a focus on understanding the affected vehicle level performance attributes.
  3. Relate battery cell electrode level or material level data and characteristics to cell level performance attributes and failure modes.
  4. Post-process battery cell, pack, and vehicle test data. Use data to define problems and demonstrate performance to objectives / requirements.
  5. Work with the R&A and Product Development teams on modeling needs, BMS simulations, or hardware solutions as they relate to solving complex problems.

Skills

Required

  • BS in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science Engineering or related degree
  • 3+ years of experience with battery cells, battery module, and battery pack requirements as well as methods of testing to validate performance to those requirements.
  • Demonstrated experience performing verification testing on Battery Monitoring System control strategies.
  • Demonstrated experience collecting both calibration and verification data for battery performance and battery lifetime durability models.
  • Ability to develop state-flow or other step by step test planning documents for cell, module, pack or vehicle level testing.
  • Competency in the use of at least one of the following tools for battery simulation and/or data analysis: Matlab/ Simulink/ Stateflow, Python, C++
  • Experience with post-processing battery cell, pack and vehicle data using AVL Concerto, ATI Vision, CANAlyzer or similar programs

Nice to have

  • Masters in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science Engineering or related degree.
  • 5+ years of experience with Battery Cells, Battery Modules, and Battery Pack requirements and testing.
  • 1+ years of experience working with battery cell suppliers to validate quoted performance and assess design changes to meet requirements cascaded from pack/vehicle level.
  • Experience using EIS and dV/dQ analysis to assess performance and lifetime characteristics of battery cells
  • Ability to anticipate research needs and initiate research projects
  • Knowledge of battery physics based model development processes
  • Excellent data analysis and interpretation capabilities
  • Excellent teamwork and communication skills
  • Self-motivated with the ability to manage and prioritize multiple tasks

What the JD emphasized

  • 3+ years of experience with battery cells, battery module, and battery pack requirements as well as methods of testing to validate performance to those requirements.
  • Demonstrated experience performing verification testing on Battery Monitoring System control strategies.
  • Demonstrated experience collecting both calibration and verification data for battery performance and battery lifetime durability models.