Thermal Test Engineer - Early Career Program, Advanced EV

Ford, Inc; Long Beach (CA); On-site; USD 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation stipend

Job summary

Ford invites engineering students to join a 6-month Early Career Program as a Thermal Test Engineer, supporting Ford's EV thermal management systems. You will work hands-on in the thermal lab, instrument hardware, run tests, and turn data into actionable insights while collaborating with cross-functional teams across electronics, software, and mechanical domains.

Ideal candidates are pursuing a Mechanical Engineering degree with strong thermodynamics knowledge, Python data analysis skills, and a

Qualifications

• Pursuit of a degree in Mechanical Engineering or related thermal/fluid sciences.
• Hands-on laboratory experience with experimental methods, instrumentation, and data acquisition.
• GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (or equivalent).
• Must be able to dedicate 6 MONTHS for this engagement.

Responsibilities

• Support planning, readiness, and execution of component, bench, subsystem, and vehicle-level thermal tests.
• Support thermal lab operations, including test fixture build-up, equipment readiness, and safe and efficient test execution.
• Develop automated test sequences for repeat, durability, and reliability cycles; monitor shutdown behavior.
• Instrument test articles and vehicles with sensors; support DAQ setup, checkout, and calibration.
• Process, analyze, and visualize test data in Python.
• Assist with environmental chamber, climatic wind tunnel, and proving-ground test events, including test matrix prep and on-site data collection.
• Document test plans, procedures, and results; present findings to stakeholders.

Skills

Thermal engineering

Python

Analytical thinking

Organizational skills

Communication

GPA 3.0

Education

Mechanical Engineering degree

Tools

Python

MATLAB

CATIA V6

Job description

We made history and now we work to transform the future – for our customers, our communities and our families. You'll see your work on the road every day, helping people move freely and pursue their dreams. At Ford, you can build more than vehicles. Come build what matters.

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.

Join us for a 6-month Early Career Program and help build the future of mobility. You'll work alongside top engineering, design, and software talent to create groundbreaking EVs. You'll contribute to key technologies like advanced structures, thermal management, hardware/software integration, and vehicle architectures. This is your chance to gain hands-on experience and make a real impact on the automotive industry.

Thermal systems spans a diverse range of critical customer-facing attributes, hardware, and software domains. Our work keeps occupants comfortable, enables full vehicle powertrain capability, and empowers battery fast charging - in all weather conditions. We strive to balance heating/cooling performance, energy consumption, cost, reliability, NVH and packaging trade-offs through physics-driven, cross-functional engineering collaboration. We work closely with mechanical engineers, aerodynamicists, battery and powertrain experts, electrical engineers, embedded/controls engineers, and more through all phases of vehicle development.

Program:

6-months (shorter duration possible in some cases), starting as early as spring 2027!

Work arrangement: Candidates may be required to be onsite four or more days per week.

Stipend: $5,000 pre-tax relocation stipend for eligible candidates living 50+ miles away.

The Role...

Thermal Test Engineer will support the physical validation of Ford's next-generation EV thermal management systems - generating the empirical data that every design and control decision is built on. You will work hands-on in the thermal lab and on vehicle test events, instrumenting hardware, running tests, and turning raw data into clear answers about whether the system meets its targets.

This role is a strong fit for an engineering student with an experimental background who enjoys building test setups, working with instrumentation and data acquisition, and writing Python to analyze what comes out of them.

What you'll do...

• Support the planning, readiness, and execution of component, bench, subsystem, and vehicle-level thermal tests.
• Support thermal lab operations, including test fixture build-up, equipment readiness, and safe and efficient test execution alongside test engineers and technicians.
• Support development of automated test sequences for repeat, durability, and reliability cycles, including monitoring and safe shutdown behavior.
• Instrument test articles and vehicles with thermocouples, pressure transducers, flow meters, and related sensors, and support data acquisition (DAQ) setup, checkout, and calibration.
• Process, analyze, and visualize test data in Python.
• Assist with environmental chamber, climatic wind tunnel, and proving-ground test events, including test matrix preparation and on-site data collection.
• Document test plans, procedures, and results, and present findings to stakeholders.

You'll have...

• Pursuit of a degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related thermal/fluid sciences discipline.
• Strong foundational knowledge of thermodynamics, heat transfer, and fluid mechanics.
• Hands-on laboratory experience with experimental methods, instrumentation, and data acquisition.
• Proficiency with Python (or MATLAB) for processing, analyzing, and plotting experimental data.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to support multiple test events and schedules in parallel.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills (written and verbal).
• A GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (or equivalent).
• Must be able to dedicate 6 MONTHS for this engagement.

Even better, you may have...

• Familiarity with EV thermal management concepts, including battery thermal management, power electronics and drive unit cooling, and cabin HVAC.
• Experience with environmental or climatic testing (chambers, wind tunnels, hot- or cold-weather testing).
• Experience with test automation tools and scripting (Python, LabVIEW, or equivalent).
• Familiarity with vehicle communication protocols (CAN, LIN, Automotive Ethernet) and logging data from vehicle networks.
• Exposure to test fixture design and CAD software such as CATIA V6.
• Working knowledge of measurement uncertainty, design of experiments (DOE), and statistical analysis of test data.
• Experience with programming best practices (readable, reusable, version-controlled code) and Git.

What you'll receive in return:

As part of this exciting program, you'll enjoy a high level of involvement with an exceptional team of industry innovators and visionaries. You'll contribute in a meaningful way to our important, breakthrough work. And you'll develop the skills that will give you a significant edge in your future career pursuits. If you have what it takes to help us redefine the future of mobility, we'd love to have you join us.

This position is a salary grade 4.

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.

Candidates who are in commuting distance to a Ford hub location may be required to be onsite four or more days per week. #LI-Hybrid #UEV #LI-NJ2