HV Battery Design & Release Engineer- Busbar-to Cell Welding​/Array & Thermal

Join the HV Battery Array team as a Design & Release Engineer. You will design, validate, and release high voltage (HV) battery array modules and work closely with cross-functional and global partners to bring them to production. You will also help establish Ford's new in-house laser welding capability for HV battery cells. In that work, you will own the specification and validation of the busbar-to-cell weld and support early plant trials.

As the team's needs evolve, you will take on additional array and thermal design and release assignments.

• Work with CAD designers, CAE engineers, HV battery package engineers, suppliers, welding process engineers, and HV battery component engineers to design and release HV battery welded array modules. Where applicable, include teams in the UK, Brazil, and China.
• Develop and ensure compatibility of the electrical, mechanical, and thermal interfaces of the module within the HV Battery System.
• Design or evaluate supplier designs of specific module components. Use engineering techniques and knowledge of manufacturing processes to ensure the most efficient and cost-effective design.
• Work closely with other functions and global teams to meet package, performance, and attribute requirements for the HV Battery Array/Cell Block System.
• Ensure Design and Release activities are followed and completed. This includes release of HV battery array components in WERS, validation, issues management, quality document development, and delivery.
• Interface with adjacent teams, including the HV Battery unit team, HV Battery manufacturing team, HV Battery cell team, HV Battery Testing team, Supplier Technical Assistance, and Purchasing.
• Identify process and design improvements for efficiency and cost savings.
• Report design, testing, timing, and quality issues to leadership on a timely basis and lead technical resolution.

• Own and develop the engineering specification for busbar-to-cell laser welding. Take it through Battery Manufacturing Engineering (BME) review and release.
• Define the functional requirements of the welded joint for structural integrity, electrical conductivity, and thermal management.
• Develop and execute Design Validation (DV) and Process Verification (PV) test plans to support PPAP of the process assembly line.
• Work with BME to develop capability studies that prove the specification is met. Assess tradeoffs to minimize scrap, improve First Time Through (FTT), and improve cycle time.
• Support early plant trials and pre-production builds, including on-site work at the plant. Interpret real-world trial conditions and drive technical resolution.
• Review weld quality data, including cross-section analysis, and use it to refine process parameters and requirements.

• B.S. in Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Materials, or Welding Engineering) with 5+ years of relevant experience, OR M.S. in Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Materials, or Welding Engineering) with 2+ years of relevant experience
• Relevant experience is in electrified powertrain or HV battery engineering systems, HV battery array design and release, or welding/joining process engineering.
• Experience in Design and Release roles, supplier management, and multi-discipline engineering in electrification
• Experience writing requirements and engineering specifications, and evaluating supplier designs against them
• Experience developing and evaluating DVP&R, DV and PV test plans
• Experience with the Failure Mode Avoidance (FMA) process and quality documents (DFMEA, PFMEA, control plans, etc.)
• Knowledge of GD&T standards, 2D prints, and tolerance stack-up analysis methods
• Strong presentation and communication skills to report to Managers, Chief Engineers, Directors, and New Model Launch Leaders
• Ability to work effectively across the functions of a vehicle program and to interact with multiple internal and external stakeholders, including negotiating tradeoffs
• Proactive, self-motivated, and detail-oriented
• Strong teamwork, organizational, oral, and written communication skills
• Willingness to travel as needed for plant support and design reviews

• Experience with laser welding processes and parameters, and knowledge of the requirements of welded electrical joints
• Experience with weld quality analysis, such as cross-section review
• Experience with capability studies, scrap reduction, FTT, and cycle-time optimization
• Experience with PPAP and with manufacturing launch or…