Thermal Engineer

Ford; Long Beach, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 100,000 - 233,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision and Rx drug覆盖

Flexible family care days & parental

Tuition assistance

Vehicle discount program for employees

Paid holidays and PTO

Job summary

Ford Motor Company in Long Beach, CA is seeking an experienced thermal engineer to support battery, drive unit, and powertrain thermal-system development. You will build reduced-order models, assist feasibility studies, and help validate designs through prototype testing and data analysis.

The role requires fundamentals in heat transfer and thermodynamics, plus MATLAB/Python proficiency. You will work with controls, electrical, software, manufacturing, validation, and supplier teams in a hybrid

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical or Chemical Engineering or related field.
• Strong fundamentals in heat transfer, thermodynamics, and fluid mechanics.
• Coursework or project experience with thermal systems.
• MATLAB and/or Python for data analysis, modeling, or automation.

Responsibilities

• Support thermal-system modeling and development for battery, drive unit, and powertrain products.
• Build and use reduced-order thermal/fluid models to support system and component decisions.
• Assist with thermal component and subsystem feasibility studies.
• Support prototype builds, test setup, instrumentation, and data acquisition.
• Analyze test data and compare measured performance against model predictions.
• Develop and support validation plans, test methods, and technical summaries.
• Document model assumptions, specifications, design updates, test results, and validation findings.
• Work with test engineers and SMEs to understand correlation between predicted and measured results.
• Collaborate with controls, electrical, software, manufacturing, validation, and supplier teams to resolve technical issues.
• Support continuous improvement of thermal models, tools, workflows, and development methodologies.
• Help identify opportunities to improve thermal performance, system efficiency, manufacturability, cost, and reliability.

Skills

Heat transfer

Thermodynamics

Fluid mechanics

MATLAB

Python

Education

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical or Chemical Engineering

Tools

STAR-CCM+

ANSYS

CATIA/SolidWorks

Job description

Product Creation and Industrialization (PC&I) brings together Ford’s vehicle, electric, digital and design teams with our global manufacturing system. Working as one end-to-end organization, we turn ideas into high-quality vehicles, software and experiences across gas, hybrid and electric, designed around what customers need.

What you’ll do

• Support thermal-system modeling and development for battery, drive unit, and powertrain products.
• Build and use reduced-order thermal/fluid models to support system and component decisions.
• Assist with thermal component and subsystem feasibility studies.
• Support prototype builds, test setup, instrumentation, and data acquisition.
• Analyze test data and compare measured performance against model predictions.
• Develop and support validation plans, test methods, and technical summaries.
• Document model assumptions, specifications, design updates, test results, and validation findings.
• Work with test engineers and subject matter experts to understand correlation between predicted and measured results.
• Collaborate with controls, electrical, software, manufacturing, validation, and supplier teams to resolve technical issues.
• Support continuous improvement of thermal models, tools, workflows, and development methodologies.
• Help identify opportunities to improve thermal performance, system efficiency, manufacturability, cost, and reliability.

You’ll have

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or a related technical field or equivalent combination of relevant education and experience.
• Strong fundamentals in heat transfer, thermodynamics, and fluid mechanics.
• Coursework, internship, research, or project experience with thermal systems.
• MATLAB and/or Python experience for data analysis, modeling, or automation.
• Familiarity with thermal components such as heat exchangers, compressors, pumps, fans, cold plates, coolant loops, or refrigerant systems.
• Ability to analyze data, document results, and communicate findings clearly.
• Strong teamwork, communication, self-motivation, and ability to manage multiple tasks.
• A first-principles approach to engineering problem solving.
• Curiosity and eagerness to work collaboratively in a fast-paced, cross-functional EV development environment.

Even better, you may have

• Experience with physics-based 1D modeling or reduced-order thermal/fluid models.
• Exposure to CFD/FEA tools such as STAR-CCM+, ANSYS, COMSOL, or similar.
• CAD experience; CATIA or SolidWorks preferred.
• Experience with prototype builds, instrumentation, data acquisition, and validation testing.
• Familiarity with battery thermal systems, energy storage, EVs, HVAC, or powertrain thermal management.
• Familiarity with design validation plans, DFMEA, design-for-manufacturing, or technical design documentation.
• Experience analyzing experimental data from lab, supplier, vehicle, or field-representative testing.
• Hands-on experience in a lab, test cell, prototype shop, Formula SAE, Baja SAE, solar car, robotics, battery research, or similar engineering environment.

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!

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 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 a salary grade 6 and ranges from $100,400-$168,000., This position is a salary grade 7 and ranges from $118,700-$198,500., This position is a salary grade 8 and ranges from $138,800-$232,700. 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 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.