Container Subsystem Design & Release​/TVM Engineer, Ford Energy

Job Description

Be the first to apply. 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.

Why Ford Energy? 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.

In this position... Ford Energy is growing our Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) portfolio, and we're looking for a BESS Container Subsystem Design & Release (DR) Engineer to own the technical design and release of our BESS container subsystems. This role's primary focus is design and release: ensuring container-level subsystems (thermal management, fire detection/suppression, venting, structural, and electrical integration) meet performance, safety, quality, and reliability targets from concept through production release.

In addition to core DR responsibilities, this engineer will support Total Value Management (TVM) activities and partner closely with Purchasing on component sourcing and procurement strategy for container subsystem hardware. You'll work hand-in-hand with our battery/container supply partners and internal design, test, quality, and manufacturing teams, with the opportunity for scope to expand across unit, rack, and full-system BESS levels as our product line matures.

What you'll do...

• Container Subsystem Design & Release (Primary Focus)
  • Own design and release (DR) responsibilities for BESS container subsystems, including thermal management, fire detection/suppression, deflagration venting, structural enclosure, and electrical integration components.
  • Develop and maintain system design specifications (SDS), component design specifications (CDS), bills of material (BOMs), and bills of design (BODs) for container-level hardware.
  • Lead or support DFMEA, DVPR, and design reviews to ensure subsystem designs meet safety, performance, durability, and manufacturability requirements before release.
  • Drive root cause analysis and corrective action for design issues identified during testing, build events, or field operation, closing the loop with battery/container supply partners and internal design teams.
  • Ensure container subsystem designs comply with applicable standards, including UL 9540, UL 9540A, NFPA 855/68, ISO/CSC transport certification requirements, and Ford Energy internal design specifications.
  • Consume and act on DV/PV test results and reports delivered by the DV/PV Testing team, incorporating findings into design updates, engineering changes, and release decisions.
• Total Value Management (TVM) Support
  • Support Total Value Management activities for container subsystems, balancing function, cost, quality, and timing to identify value engineering / value analysis (VE/VA) opportunities.
  • Provide engineering input into should-cost models and design benchmarking to help identify cost-down opportunities without compromising safety or performance.
  • Support development and presentation of cost-benefit trade studies to program leadership as needed, tracking value-added design actions through implementation.
• Procurement & Sourcing Support
  • Support Purchasing in the procurement and sourcing of container subsystem hardware, providing technical requirements, specifications, and evaluation criteria for supplier and component selection.
  • Partner with Purchasing on supplier technical assessments, quoting activities, and sourcing decisions, ensuring selected components and suppliers meet design, quality, and program timing requirements.
  • Support supplier onboarding and technical qualification activities in coordination with Purchasing and Quality.
• Cross-Functional & Supplier Collaboration
  • Serve as the primary technical interface between Ford's internal design team and container/battery supply partners for subsystem design and release.
  • Collaborate with Systems Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Purchasing, and the DV/PV Testing team to ensure container subsystem designs are release-ready and aligned with program timing.
  • Coordinate engineering changes, manage documentation through Ford's PLM systems, and support supplier technical reviews and design maturity milestones (e.g., DVPR sign-off, PPAP).

You'll have...

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Electrical, or Systems Engineering, or a related technical field.
• 3+…