Container Subsystem Design & Release/TVM Engineer, Ford Energy

Ford Energy is a newly formed, wholly-owned subsidiary of Ford Motor Company dedicated to accelerating U.S. energy independence. Leveraging Ford’s century of manufacturing excellence and world-class battery energy storage systems (BESS) technology, Ford Energy designs, manufactures, and services grid-scale and commercial DC battery energy storage systems (BESS). Ford Energy is uniquely positioned to capture the growing demand for reliable, US-built energy storage systems. We are not just building batteries; we are building the infrastructure for the next generation of the American grid.

Why Ford Energy?
At Ford Energy, you have the backing of an industrial manufacturing powerhouse with the agility of a dedicated energy startup offering industry leading technology. We offer a competitive compensation package including performance-based bonuses, Ford vehicle discounts, and the opportunity to shape the energy strategy of one of the world's most iconic brands. Learn more at https://fordenergy.com.

In this position...
Ford Energy is growing our Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) portfolio, and we're looking for a BESS Container Subsystem Design & Release (DR) Engineer to own the technical design and release of our BESS container subsystems. This role's primary focus is design and release: ensuring container-level subsystems (thermal management, fire detection/suppression, venting, structural, and electrical integration) meet performance, safety, quality, and reliability targets from concept through production release.

In addition to core DR responsibilities, this engineer will support Total Value Management (TVM) activities and partner closely with Purchasing on component sourcing and procurement strategy for container subsystem hardware. You'll work hand-in-hand with our battery/container supply partners and internal design, test, quality, and manufacturing teams, with the opportunity for scope to expand across unit, rack, and full-system BESS levels as our product line matures.

What you'll do...

• Container Subsystem Design & Release (Primary Focus)
  • Own design and release (DR) responsibilities for BESS container subsystems, including thermal management, fire detection/suppression, deflagration venting, structural enclosure, and electrical integration components.
  • Develop and maintain system design specifications (SDS), component design specifications (CDS), bills of material (BOMs), and bills of design (BODs) for container-level hardware.
  • Lead or support DFMEA, DVPR, and design reviews to ensure subsystem designs meet safety, performance, durability, and manufacturability requirements before release.
  • Drive root cause analysis and corrective action for design issues identified during testing, build events, or field operation, closing the loop with battery/container supply partners and internal design teams.
  • Ensure container subsystem designs comply with applicable standards, including UL 9540, UL 9540A, NFPA 855/68, ISO/CSC transport certification requirements, and Ford Energy internal design specifications.
  • Consume and act on DV/PV test results and reports delivered by the DV/PV Testing team, incorporating findings into design updates, engineering changes, and release decisions.
• Total Value Management (TVM) Support
  • Support Total Value Management activities for container subsystems, balancing function, cost, quality, and timing to identify value engineering / value analysis (VE/VA) opportunities.
  • Provide engineering input into should-cost models and design benchmarking to help identify cost-down opportunities without compromising safety or performance.
  • Support development and presentation of cost-benefit trade studies to program leadership as needed, tracking value-added design actions through implementation.
• Procurement & Sourcing Support
  • Support Purchasing in the procurement and sourcing of container subsystem hardware, providing technical requirements, specifications, and evaluation criteria for supplier and component selection.
  • Partner with Purchasing on supplier technical assessments, quoting activities, and sourcing decisions, ensuring selected components and suppliers meet design, quality, and program timing requirements.
  • Support supplier onboarding and technical qualification activities in coordination with Purchasing and Quality.
• Cross-Functional & Supplier Collaboration
  • Serve as the primary technical interface between Ford's internal design team and container/battery supply partners for subsystem design and release.
  • Collaborate with Systems Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Purchasing, and the DV/PV Testing team to ensure container subsystem designs are release-ready and aligned with program timing.
  • Coordinate engineering changes, manage documentation through Ford's PLM systems, and support supplier technical reviews and design maturity milestones (e.g., DVPR sign-off, PPAP).
    
    

You'll have...

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Electrical, or Systems Engineering, or a related technical field.
• 3+ years of experience in design & release engineering or product engineering, ideally within BESS, automotive, or other complex electro-mechanical systems.
• Working knowledge of battery energy storage safety and performance standards (e.g., UL 9540/9540A, NFPA 855/68, IEC 62619) and/or Ford Energy internal design and test specifications.
• Experience developing or supporting DFMEA, DVPR, BOM/BOD, and design release documentation.
• Experience partnering with Purchasing or supply chain teams on sourcing, supplier evaluation, or procurement of engineered components.
• Strong cross-functional collaboration skills, with experience working directly with external suppliers or battery partners.
• Proficiency with CAD and PLM tools (e.g., NX, Teamcenter, CATIA, or similar).

Even better, you may have...

• Experience with container-level or enclosure-level subsystems: thermal management, fire suppression/detection, deflagration venting, or structural design.
• Exposure to should-cost modeling or formal Value Engineering/Value Analysis (VE/VA) training.
• Familiarity with UL 9540A unit/container-level thermal runaway fire propagation testing and how to translate results into design action.
• Experience with Design for Six Sigma (DFSS), design of experiments (DOE), or other robust design methodologies.
• Prior experience supporting BESS or energy storage programs from concept through production launch.
• Advanced degree in engineering or related technical field.
• Location & Travel
  • This position is based in Dearborn, Michigan. Periodic domestic and international travel expected to support supplier sites, global partner coordination as needed.

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 7 and ranges from $86,600-$144,900.

Company: As Ford establishes a wholly owned subsidiary focused on Battery Energy Storage Systems, this role will initially be employed by Ford and is expected to transition to the subsidiary within one year.

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.

For more information on salary and benefits, click here:

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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