Cell Test Engineer

Ford Ford · Auto · Long Beach, CA +1 · PD Operations and Quality

The Cell Test Engineer at Ford will plan and execute battery-cell testing to improve battery and vehicle control systems, enhance customer charging and driving experiences, and advance safety. Responsibilities include defining test requirements, owning cell-level test plans, inspecting test setups, analyzing results, designing cell fixtures, collaborating with data engineers on data pipelines, and driving automation of the testing process. The role also involves coordinating software development for test hardware control and presenting results to stakeholders.

What you'd actually do

  1. Define and document test requirements for cell characterization, cycle life, abuse testing, and other validation procedures.
  2. Own cell-level test plans to characterize cell properties, essential for establishing cell specifications and control algorithms.
  3. Inspect test setups and analyze results to assess data quality, optimizing performance and reliability.
  4. Design cell fixtures to enhance testing capabilities, accuracy, and the extraction of representative, meaningful data.
  5. Collaborate with data engineers to create a seamless data pipeline for global requirement owners.

Skills

Required

  • Python
  • battery test equipment scripting
  • test planning
  • test management
  • JAMA
  • JIRA
  • lithium-ion cell chemistry
  • electrochemistry fundamentals
  • safety protocols
  • integrating off-the-shelf test equipment

Nice to have

  • AI coding
  • AI agents
  • dataset generation for cell selection
  • designing and assembling test assets
  • testing multiple chemistries and form factors
  • transforming vehicle-level requirements into cell-level specifications
  • cell teardown
  • CT scan
  • lithium-ion battery analysis methodologies and tools

What the JD emphasized

  • B.S. or M.S. in Electrical, Mechanical Engineering or equivalent combination of relevant education and experience.
  • 2+ years of relevant work experience
  • Knowledge of lithium-ion cell chemistry, electrochemistry fundamentals, and safety protocols.
  • Experience integrating off-the-shelf test equipment (power supplies, electronic loads, DAQs) in battery cell testing.
  • Proficiency in experience with battery test equipment scripting. (AVL LYNX, Arbin, Neware)
  • Proficiency in Python (Leetcode Python Problems Easy Level) or other programming languages.
  • Experience in test planning and management using tools like JAMA and JIRA.
  • Ability to learn new concepts, propose experimental designs, and execute independently.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
  • A systematic approach to design and testing, with a drive for exceptional execution and continuous improvement.