Laser Welding Engineer - Battery Manufacturing Engineering

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In this position...

Ford is rapidly scaling next-generation battery manufacturing, including cell-to-pack architectures for our future electric vehicles. We are seeking a Laser Welding Engineer to develop, industrialize, and optimize laser joining processes between battery cell cans and busbar/current collector assemblies.

In this role, you will be the technical owner of laser welding processes used to join cylindrical/prismatic battery cells to module and pack-level current collectors. You will drive process development from early concept through pilot line, launch, and high-volume production—balancing weld quality, throughput, cost, and design constraints.

You will work closely with cell engineering, pack design, manufacturing, controls/automation, quality, and supplier partners to deliver robust, scalable laser welding solutions for Ford’s global EV programs.

What you'll do...

Process Development & Industrialization

• Develop and own laser welding processes for:
  • Joining battery cell terminals (e.g., Al, Ni-plated steel) to copper/aluminum busbars/current collectors
  • Tab-less / cell-to-pack architectures and high-density interconnects
• Define and optimize welding parameters (power, speed, focus, pulse shape, shielding gas, overlap, focal position, etc.) to meet mechanical, electrical, and thermal performance requirements.
• Plan and execute structured Design of Experiments (DoE) to establish process windows, main effects, and sensitivities across cell, busbar, and fixture variants.
• Lead process characterization including pull/shear testing, microsection analysis, porosity/crack evaluation, electrical resistance, and thermal performance.

Equipment, Tooling & Automation

• Specify and validate laser systems and subsystems:
  • Fiber lasers (CW and pulsed), beam delivery optics, scanners, galvos, clamping/fixturing, and motion/robot systems.
  • Vision systems for seam tracking, part localization, and weld path alignment.
  • Inline weld monitoring (e.g., photodiode, pyrometer, imaging, acoustic/optical sensors).
• Define and implement tooling and fixturing concepts that ensure repeatable cell positioning, pressure/contact, alignment, and thermal management.
• Collaborate with controls and automation engineers to integrate laser welding equipment into automated assembly lines, including interfaces to PLCs, robots, MES, and quality systems.
• Support equipment FAT/SAT, commissioning, and ramp-up at Ford plants and pilot lines.

Quality, Reliability & Safety

• Develop and maintain PFMEAs, control plans, and standardized work for laser welding operations.
• Define critical-to-quality (CTQ) characteristics, inspection methods, and acceptance criteria; establish inline and offline inspection strategies.
• Work with quality and product teams to correlate weld process parameters and defects to pack-level performance, durability, and abuse-test outcomes, and ensure compliance with Ford’s safety standards and industry best practices for high-power laser systems.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with:
  • Battery cell and pack design teams to influence joint design, materials, and stack-ups for manufacturability and weldability (DFM/DFW).
  • Cell and materials engineers to understand coating stacks, current collector materials, and their impact on weld behavior.
  • Manufacturing and industrial engineering to plan line layouts, takt times, and scaling strategies.
  • Suppliers and integrators to qualify equipment, tooling, and consumables.
• Provide laser welding expertise to support design reviews, technical trade studies, and cost/feasibility assessments.
• Support problem-solving activities (8D, 5-Why, Ishikawa) for build issues, field returns, and validation test failures linked to weld integrity.

You'll have...

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Welding Engineering, Materials Science, Electrical Engineering, or related field.
• 2+ years of hands-on experience in laser welding process development, manufacturing engineering, or equipment engineering in an industrial setting.
• Demonstrated experience with:
  • Developing and optimizing welding or j