Product Development Engineer- HV Battery Structural CAE Engineer

Ford Motor Company; Dearborn (MI); Hybrid; USD 65,000 - 166,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision coverage

Parental leave

Tuition assistance

Vehicle discount program

Job summary

Ford Motor Company is seeking an experienced Structures CAE engineer to lead High Voltage battery internals and related system structural design using CAE tools. You will collaborate across Electrified Powertrain Engineering and with battery teams to frame opportunities and guide the experience vision for global customers.

This hybrid role emphasizes human-centric design and cross-functional impact. Responsibilities include building CAE models, validating with physical tests, and coordinating

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical or Structural Engineering or equivalent.
• 4+ years of experience with structural components and designs.

Responsibilities

• Build 3D battery internal structural analysis CAE models from CAD designs.
• Debug complicated FE models independently.
• Perform 3D structural analysis simulations at system, subsystem and component levels using ABAQUS, Ansys or OptiStruct.
• Evaluate results and provide design feedback to battery pack teams.
• Interact with vehicle programs to obtain boundary conditions for simulations.
• Coordinate with battery lab and testing teams and process results for CAE validation.
• Coordinate CAE meshing and geometry clean-up with overseas teams.

Skills

CAE structural analysis

Python scripting

communication skills

mentoring

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical or Structural Engineering

Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

ABAQUS

Ansys

OptiStruct

Hypermesh

Hyperview

ABAQUS Viewer

Teamcenter

CATIA

Nastran

Femfat

fe-safe

Job description

In this position... We are looking for an experienced structures CAE engineer to lead High Voltage battery internals and related system structural design using CAE tools. You will work with battery design & release engineers on cutting-edge battery technologies for managing the battery functional environment to be within specified operating conditions. With your creative and analytical mind, you will use key insights to frame new opportunity spaces and guide the experience vision for our future global customers. You will relentlessly advocate a human centric perspective through all stages of the design process. As a team player, you will create impact by collaborating across the Electrified Powertrain Engineering organization and with key stakeholders of the battery business. The Ford Global Electrified Powertrain Engineering Team is a growing team committed to envisioning and creating simple, thoughtful, enjoyable and compelling product experiences that continually inspire our teams and customers to go further. Our diverse Global Electrified Powertrain Engineering Team collaborates closely together as well as with the global suppliers to bring efficiency and value into the battery architecture. Together our team works to understand our changing world, identify new opportunities, and take action to design and innovate for the future of mobility – Ford’s vehicles and surrounding experiences.

What You'll Do...

• Build 3D battery internal structural analysis CAE models from CAD designs.
• Capable of debugging complicated FE models independently.
• Perform 3D structural analysis simulations on system, subsystem and component level high voltage battery packs in support of battery internals design development using commercial CAE codes such as ABAQUS, Ansys, Optistruct Non-linear or similar non-linear structural FEA.
• Evaluate 3D structural analysis results and provide feedback and design direction to vehicle program and battery pack design teams.
• Interact with vehicle-level teams to obtain boundary conditions for battery pack structural level simulations.
• Interact with battery lab and vehicle-level testing teams; specify instrumentation for data collection; process physical structural test results and use the data to correlate CAE models.
• Interact with extended CAE teams overseas for CAE meshing and geometric clean up tasks.

You’ll have...

• Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical or Structural Engineering or equivalent degree.
• 4+ years of experience working with structural components and designs.

Even better, you may have...

• Master of Science, Mechanical Engineering or equivalent degree. Structural Mechanics, focus on finite element analysis (FEA)
• 5 years or more experience in CAE structural modeling and simulation analysis techniques using ABAQUS or equivalent, including experience selecting appropriate solution procedure for complex non-linear problems, proficiency in ABAQUS scripting (Python) for automation and advanced post-processing techniques.
• Working knowledge of ABAQUS, OptiStruct non-linear, Hypermesh, Hyperview, ABAQUS Viewer, Teamcenter, 3DX, CATIA or equivalent (Ansys, etc)
• Working knowledge of CAE tools for durability assessments such as Femfat, nCode, fe-safe or equivalent
• Strong experience in correlating complex non-linear CAE models with physical test data, including sensitivity analysis and model tuning for improved accuracy
• Extensive knowledge of various structural materials with high strength, energy flow theory and analysis methods, fracture mechanics, crack initiation/propagation.
• Working knowledge and experience using CAE preprocessing codes such as Hypermesh equivalent for geometry cleanup and meshing, ABAQUS, Nastran, or equivalent for CAE model solving and post-processing.
• Familiarity with sheet metal related design specs, sealing design, structural testing setup and data collection experience.
• Familiarity with thermal-mechanical coupled analysis that considers temperature dependent material properties, thermal expansion and effects on structural integrity.
• Proven record of innovative applications and capability of introducing new ideas for product development.
• Working knowledge of optimization CAE tools such as modeFRONTIER, iSight, HEEDS, Tosca and OptiStruct would be a plus.
• Proficiency in ABAQUS scripting for model automation and advanced post-processing.
• Not required, but preferred to have some experience in physical testing
• Able to mentor young engineers and a good team player
• Good verbal and written communication and interpersonal skills are essential
• Variability and Robustness, Six Sigma experience.

As an established global company, we offer the benefit of choice. You can choose what your Ford future will look like: will your story span the globe, or keep you close to home? Will your career be a deep dive into what you love, or a series of new teams and new skills? Will you be a leader, a changemaker, a technical expert, a culture builder or all of the above? No matter what you choose, we offer a work life that works for you, including:

• Immediate medical, dental, vision and prescription drug coverage
• Flexible family care days, paid parental leave, new parent ramp-up programs, subsidized back-up childcare 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 a salary grade 5 to salary grade 8 and ranges from $65,100-$166,200.

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.

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.

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