Battery Monitoring Hardware 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.

In this position... 

The BESS Battery Monitoring System Hardware Engineer will lead the design, development, and release of the "nervous system" for Ford Energy’s energy storage programs. Working in close coordination with Ford Auto Engineering and Ford Energy technical teams, you will own the hardware architecture for cell sensing, balancing, isolation monitoring, and fault detection. You will translate complex system requirements into robust, high-voltage hardware designs that ensure the safety and reliability of grid-scale assets. 

What you'll do...

• Hardware Architecture & Design
  • Define and develop sensing topologies (centralized, distributed, or modular) for rack and string-level monitoring.
  • Design and release hardware for BESS applications, including sensing circuits, balancing circuitry, contactor interfaces, and isolation monitoring.
  • Own the electrical subsystem architecture from initial concept through production release, including schematics, PCB layouts, and BOM management.
  • Optimize designs for cost, manufacturability, and supply chain robustness without compromising safety.
• Engineering Rigor & Analysis
  • Perform Worst Case Circuit Analysis (WCCA) for critical monitoring circuits to document margins and mitigations.
  • Support safety and compliance activities, including FMEA/FMEDA, hazard analysis, and requirements traceability.
  • Lead technical reviews and maintain rigorous engineering change control records.
• Validation & Bring-up
  • Lead board-, module-, and rack-level hardware bring-up and validation in lab and prototype environments.
  • Create and execute hardware test plans, design test fixtures, and analyze data to drive design iterations.
  • Drive Root Cause Analysis (RCA) for design, manufacturing, and field issues, implementing permanent corrective actions.
• Cross-Functional Integration
  • Collaborate with firmware, controls, and systems teams to verify hardware/software interfaces, ADC timing, and sampling strategies.
  • Partner with manufacturing and test engineering to develop production test plans and automated end-of-line fixtures.
  • Support supplier technical evaluations and qualify components for high-voltage energy storage environments.
    

You'll have...

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical, Electronics, or Computer Engineering.
• 5+ years of experience in high-voltage hardware design, BMS, or battery electronics.
• Hands-on experience with analog and mixed-signal circuit design and sensor interfaces.
• Proven ability to perform hardware debug and failure analysis in a lab environment.

• Strong communication skills with experience working cross-functionally with manufacturing and software teams.

Even better, you may have...

• Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering.
• Direct experience with centralized or distributed BMS architectures in utility-scale BESS or automotive HV platforms.
• Proficiency in WCCA, FMEA, and FMEDA processes for safety-critical electronics.
• Knowledge of communication interfaces such as CAN, CAN-FD, and SPI.
• Experience supporting production launch and supplier quality resolution.
• Leadership Attributes
  • Hands-on Problem Solver who thrives in the "weeds" of technical debugging and hardware validation.
  • Safety-First Designer who ensures that protection features and diagnostic coverage are never compromised.
  • Collaborative Integrator capable of aligning hardware design with firmware requirements and manufacturing constraints.
  • Technically Disciplined leader who maintains high standards for documentation, analysis, and release readiness.
• Location & Travel
  • Location: Dearborn, MI. This position is hybrid-friendly for candidates with a proven ability to deliver results in a flexible environment.
  • Travel Expectations: Occasional travel to support suppliers, test houses, and customer sites. 

 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!

This position is a salary grade 7 and ranges from $86,600-$144,900

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: https://fordcareers.co/GSRFE

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

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.

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. Candidates who are in commuting distance to a Ford hub location may be required to be onsite four or more days per week.

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