Product Development Engineer- Battery Cell/System Modeling Engineer

Ford-Motor-Company; Dearborn (MI); Hybrid; USD 68,000 - 193,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical coverage

Dental/Vision benefits

Tuition assistance

Employee discount

Job summary

Ford Motor Company invites a skilled battery modeler to join the Electrified Systems Engineering team. You will develop and validate semi-physical and electrochemical models for batteries across vehicle programs.

Your work will integrate thermal, electrical, and control models in simulation environments to support energy analyses and decision-making. Collaboration with battery, thermal, and controls teams is essential.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in engineering, applied mathematics, physics, chemistry, or related field.
• 5+ years in EVs, Li-ion batteries, or battery modeling (development, calibration, validation).
• Deep understanding of Li-ion battery principles (electrochemical, electrical, thermal, degradation).
• Strong modeling, data analysis, statistics, and interpretation of experiments.

Responsibilities

• Develop, implement, and maintain battery models for cell, pack, and vehicle simulations.
• Calibrate models using lab, supplier, vehicle, and field data.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to support decisions and program milestones.

Skills

Battery modeling

MATLAB

Python

C++

Teamwork & communication

Education

Master’s degree in engineering or related field

Tools

COMSOL

PyBaMM

MATLAB/Simulink

Modelica

Job description

What you'll do...

The Electrified Systems Engineering (ESE) organization is responsible for delivering hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and battery electric vehicles that provide outstanding fuel economy, refinement, customer value, profitability, performance, and smoothness of operation. Take advantage of this opportunity to work in one of Ford’s most dynamic and growing organizations. Your duties will include:

• Develop, implement, deploy, and maintain advanced battery cell performance and degradation models, including semi-physical, single-particle, and electrochemical models, for battery, system, and vehicle simulation initiatives across the company.
• Develop and integrate battery electrical, thermal, and control models within battery, system, and vehicle simulation environments to support vehicle attribute assessments, energy analysis, controls development, and program milestones.
• Calibrate and validate battery models using laboratory, supplier, vehicle, and field-representative data to ensure model accuracy, robustness, and suitability for program applications.
• Apply models and battery expertise to address internal customer questions and support engineering decision-making.
• Support battery and cell specification development through model-based analysis of usage, performance, reliability, and life requirements.
• Improve existing battery-modeling tools, methodologies, and processes with a focus on model quality, repeatability, computational efficiency, automation, and usability.
• Maintain model calibration updates, documentation, and appropriate model configuration practices within various simulation environments, aligned with unit and program cadence.
• Collaborate with battery cell engineering, battery systems, thermal, controls, test, software, vehicle attribute, and supplier teams to resolve technical issues and support program decisions.
• Collaborate with BMS and controls teams, as needed, on model-based controls development, model requirements, and control-algorithm evaluation.

You'll have...

• Master’s degree in engineering, applied mathematics, physics, chemistry, or a related technical field.
• 5+ years of academic or industry experience in electric vehicles, lithium-ion batteries, or battery modeling, including development, implementation, calibration, and validation of battery performance and degradation models.
• Deep understanding of lithium-ion battery principles, including electrochemical, electrical, thermal, performance, and degradation behavior.
• Strong technical background in mathematical modeling, numerical methods, data analysis, statistics, and interpretation of experimental data.
• Strong proficiency in at least one programming language or technical computing environment, including MATLAB, Python, or C++.
• Experience applying battery models to support engineering, research, product-development, or program decisions.
• Excellent teamwork and communication skills.
• Self-motivation and the ability to manage multiple tasks.

Even better, you may have...

• 5+ years of extensive experience in developing, validating, and applying battery cell, pack, system, or controls models for electrified-vehicle applications.
• 2+ years of experience integrating battery electrical, thermal, and control models within system or vehicle simulation environments.
• 3+ years of engineering experience developing or deploying semi-physical, single-particle, P2D, P4D, or other physics-based lithium-ion battery electrochemical models using computational tools such as COMSOL, PyBaMM, or comparable platforms.
• 3+ years of experience developing or applying coupled electrical, electrochemical, thermal, mechanical, or other multiphysics battery models, including integration with system CAE or co-simulation tools such as MATLAB/Simulink, Simscape, Modelica, Dymola, AMESIM, GT-SUITE, or similar platforms.
• Experience with battery thermal CAE, including 1D and/or 3D thermal modeling.
• Experience in battery or powertrain system design, usage, controls, or testing for electrified vehicles.
• Experience developing, calibrating, or applying battery durability and degradation/life models.
• Experience with software development practices that support model quality and efficiency, such as automated testing, code review, version control, data management, and workflow automation.
• Experience with laboratory-scale battery cell fabrication, electrochemical characterization methods, and interpretation of cell-test data.

You may not check every box, or your experience may look a little different from what we've outlined, but if you think you can bring value to Ford Motor Company, we encourage you to apply!

• 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.

This position is salary grade 5 to salary grade 8 and ranges from $68,300-$192,900.

Final determination of salary grade will be based on candidate's skills and experience, and base salary will be set within the applicable range according to job scope, responsibility and competitive market value.

For more information on salary and benefits, click here: https://fordcareers.co/GSR

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Candidates for positions with Ford Motor Company must be legally authorized to work in the United States. Verification of employment eligibility will be required at the time of hire.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, age, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status or protected veteran status. In the United States, if you need a reasonable accommodation for the online application process due to a disability, please call 1-888-336-0660.

This position is hybrid with a requirement to be onsite four or more days per week.