Research Engineer – Fuel Cell Stack Modeling

Jobtailor; Dearborn (MO); On-site; USD 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Ford Motor Company in Dearborn, MO seeks a skilled engineer to develop and validate models for fuel cell stacks, focusing on performance, degradation, and control integration. The role emphasizes collaboration with hardware test teams and cross-disciplinary design decisions.

Applicants should have an MS in engineering, hands-on MATLAB/Simulink, and experience with PEM fuel cells; PhD is a plus. The position offers challenging projects across simulation, tests, and multi-physics tools.

Qualifications

• B.S. or M.S. in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Physics, or a related field.
• Two or more years of experience with open-loop and closed-loop fuel cell stack simulation.
• Foundational knowledge of fuel cell technology, electrochemistry principles, and fuel cell system operations.
• Experience working with data from fuel cell testing (e.g. impedance spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry).
• Three or more years of experience using MATLAB and Simulink for component and system modeling.
• One or more years of experience formulating transfer functions and developing complex simulations.
• Proven experience in troubleshooting and solving complex simulation model errors.
• Demonstrated systems engineering mindset.
• Strong oral, visual, and written communication skills.
• Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Physics, or a related field.

Responsibilities

• Model Development & Optimization: Develop and improve physical and electrochemical models to predict fuel cell stack performance, degradation, and internal operational states.
• Engineering Analysis: Conduct model-based engineering analysis to mitigate stack stress factors and improve lifetime durability, supporting key design decisions for fuel cell stacks, systems, and controls.
• Advanced Simulation: Create advanced simulations incorporating the physics of automotive fuel cell stack operation to develop and verify current and future system designs.
• Tool & Software Creation: Develop software toolsets for simulated fuel cell stacks to test against physical constraints and safe operational requirements.
• Automation: Implement automation processes for the analysis and testing of modeled fuel cell stacks.
• Scalability: Develop standardized processes, methods, and tools to make simulation models sharable and scalable across departments.
• Data Validation: Analyze and review simulation test data using real-time and post-processing tools to ensure tight correlation between virtual models and physical testing.
• Model Integration: Integrate fuel cell stack simulation models with other Ford models, including controls, larger powertrain systems, and full-vehicle simulations.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with hardware test engineers to design physical experiments, parameterize physics-based models, and troubleshoot complex system-level issues.
• Documentation & Reporting: Create and maintain comprehensive simulation documentation (including requirements, procedures, plans, and reports), document simulation code, and publish technical papers or reports.

Skills

MATLAB/Simulink

Fuel cell stack simulation

Data from fuel cell testing

Transfer function modeling

Programming (Python/C/LabVIEW)

Git / GitHub

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in EE/ME/Chemical Eng/Physics

Tools

Fluent CFD tools: Fluent, COMSOL, AVL Fire M

AVL Cruise M

Job description

Responsibilities

• Model Development & Optimization: Develop and improve physical and electrochemical models to predict fuel cell stack performance, degradation, and internal operational states.
• Engineering Analysis: Conduct model-based engineering analysis to mitigate stack stress factors and improve lifetime durability, supporting key design decisions for fuel cell stacks, systems, and controls.
• Advanced Simulation: Create advanced simulations incorporating the physics of automotive fuel cell stack operation to develop and verify current and future system designs.
• Tool & Software Creation: Develop software toolsets for simulated fuel cell stacks to test against physical constraints and safe operational requirements.
• Automation: Implement automation processes for the analysis and testing of modeled fuel cell stacks.
• Scalability: Develop standardized processes, methods, and tools to make simulation models sharable and scalable across departments.
• Data Validation: Analyze and review simulation test data using real-time and post-processing tools to ensure tight correlation between virtual models and physical testing.
• Model Integration: Integrate fuel cell stack simulation models with other Ford models, including controls, larger powertrain systems, and full-vehicle simulations.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with hardware test engineers to design physical experiments, parameterize physics-based models, and troubleshoot complex system-level issues.
• Documentation & Reporting: Create and maintain comprehensive simulation documentation (including requirements, procedures, plans, and reports), document simulation code, and publish technical papers or reports.

Requirements

• B.S. or M.S. in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Physics, or a related field.
• Two or more years of experience with open-loop and closed-loop fuel cell stack simulation.
• Demonstrated foundational knowledge of fuel cell technology, electrochemistry principles, and fuel cell system operations (academic or industry-based).
• Experience working with data from fuel cell testing (e.g. electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, etc.).
• Three or more years of experience using MATLAB and Simulink for component and system modeling.
• One or more years of experience formulating transfer functions and developing complex simulations.
• Proven experience in troubleshooting and solving complex simulation model errors.
• Demonstrated systems engineering mindset.
• Strong oral, visual, and written communication skills with a proven ability to document processes and simulation designs clearly.
• Even better, you may have…
• Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Physics, or a related field.
• Specialized experience in modeling and methods for evaluating Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cell degradation.
• Experience with high-fidelity simulation software such as Fluent, COMSOL, AVL Fire M, or other multiphysics CFD programs.
• Familiarity interfacing models with system simulation software such as AVL Cruise M, Simulink, or similar platforms.
• High level of expertise in programming and software development for model creation (e.g., MATLAB, C, Python, LabVIEW).
• Experience using distributed version control software such as Git / GitHub.