Thermal Vehical Test Technician

Ford; Long Beach (CA); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 159,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Immediate medical, dental, vision, and

prescription drug coverage

Paid parental leave

Family building benefits–adoption/sur-

Vehicle discount program

Tuition assistance

Employee resource groups

Paid time off for community service

Generous vacation and holidays

Job summary

Ford is seeking an experienced Vehicle Thermal Test Technician to support development, testing, and validation of thermal systems for electric vehicles. You will build test setups, operate chambers, install instrumentation, collect data, and troubleshoot performance in collaboration with thermal, mechanical and software engineers.

Ideal candidates have 2+ years in automotive/EV test environments, strong mechanical/electrical troubleshooting skills, and ability to read schematics and wiring

Qualifications

• 2+ years in automotive, EV, thermal systems, lab testing or related technical field.
• Strong mechanical and electrical troubleshooting skills.
• Able to read schematics, wiring diagrams and technical docs.

Responsibilities

• Build, configure, and maintain thermal test setups for full vehicle and components.
• Perform testing on Vehicle HVAC, vehicle components, electric motors, heat pumps, radiators, chillers and coolant loops.
• Install and troubleshoot instrumentation including thermocouples, RTDs, pressure transducers, flow meters, sensors, and CAN data.
• Operate walk-in/drive-in chambers, chillers, pumps, heaters, compressors and lab equipment.
• Assemble/modify coolant, refrigerant and air-flow loops for testing.
• Perform leak, pressure, vacuum checks and functional verification.
• Execute test procedures and maintain accurate test records.
• Collect and review test data; work with engineers to troubleshoot.
• Support installation/removal of instrumentation on prototype vehicles and components.
• Assist with vehicle thermal testing in lab and road-test environments.
• Perform preventive maintenance and calibration; maintain a clean, safe workspace.
• Follow safety procedures and document configurations, failures and corrective actions.
• Communicate test results and issues clearly to engineering teams.

Skills

Mechanical aptitude

Test equipment

Instrumentation

High voltage systems

Data acquisition

Tools

LabVIEW

NI DAQ

CANalyzer

CAN/LIN tools

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.

In this position... We are seeking an experienced Vehicle Thermal Test Technician to support the development, testing, and validation of thermal systems for electric vehicles. This role will work closely with thermal, mechanical, and software engineers to build test setups, perform lab operations, test vehicle components, collect data, and troubleshoot thermal system performance.

The candidate must have strong mechanical aptitude, experience with test equipment, instrumentation, and an interest in electric vehicle technology. Experience with coolant systems, HVAC/refrigeration, high-voltage systems, data acquisition, or automotive testing is preferred.

As an EV Thermal Test Technician, you will play a hands-on role in turning engineering designs into validated hardware. You will be responsible for setting up various thermal tests, operating test equipment, troubleshooting unexpected results, and providing engineers with reliable data to improve EV thermal-system performance.

What you’ll do

• Build, configure, and maintain thermal test setups for full vehicle and components
• Perform testing on Vehicle HVAC, vehicle components, electric motors, heat pumps, radiators, chillers and coolant loops.
• Install and troubleshoot instrumentation including:
  • Thermocouples and RTDs
  • Pressure transducers
  • Flow meters
  • Temperature and humidity sensors
  • Voltage/current sensors
• Operate thermal walk-in/drive in chambers, chillers, pumps, heaters, compressors, and other laboratory equipment.
• Assemble and modify coolant, refrigerant, and air-flow loops for testing.
• Perform system leak checks, pressure checks, vacuum procedures, and functional verification.
• Execute test procedures and maintain accurate test records.
• Collect and review test data
• Work with engineers to troubleshoot thermal system and test equipment issues.
• Support installation and removal of instrumentation on prototype vehicles and components.
• Assist with vehicle thermal testing in laboratory and road-test environments.
• Perform preventative maintenance and calibration checks on test equipment.
• Maintain a clean, organized, and safe test environment.
• Follow established high-voltage, electrical, mechanical, chemical, and laboratory safety procedures.
• Document test configurations, procedures, failures, and corrective actions.
• Communicate test results and issues clearly to engineering teams.

You'll have

2+ years of experience in automotive, EV, thermal systems, laboratory testing, manufacturing, or a related technical field.

Strong mechanical and electrical troubleshooting skills.

Ability to read mechanical drawings, schematics, wiring diagrams, and technical documentation.

Experience using standard electrical and mechanical test equipment.

Comfortable working with hand tools, power tools, plumbing/fittings, and test fixtures.

Basic understanding of temperature, pressure, flow, heat transfer, and fluid systems.

Ability to accurately follow detailed test procedures and record test data.

Strong attention to detail and ability to identify unexpected test behavior.

Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively with engineers and technicians.

Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Even better, you may have

Experience working with EVs or high-voltage systems.

Experience with liquid-cooled systems and coolant loops.

Experience with automotive HVAC or refrigeration systems.

Experience with NI LabVIEW, NI DAQ, CANalyzer, or similar data-acquisition systems.

Familiarity with CAN/LIN communication and automotive diagnostic tools.

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
• 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
• Generous vacation time, sick/personal time, and paid holidays, including between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day

This position is a salary grade 6 and ranges from $81,800-$136,900.

This position is a salary grade 7 and ranges from $95,300-$159,400. 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. #LI-Hybrid

#LI-BB1 #UEV