EV Battery Engineer
The job description
Tech stack. Battery cyclers, thermal simulation (CFD), CAD (CATIA/NX), BMS calibration tools, HV safety equipment, Python/MATLAB, cell characterization rigs
About the role
You will join the battery engineering team of an EV maker responsible for the pack that defines vehicle range, charging speed, safety, and cost. The team owns everything from cell selection through pack design, thermal management, and validation. This role matters because the battery is the most expensive and most scrutinized system in the vehicle, and your engineering directly sets the specs customers compare: miles of range, minutes to charge, and years of warranty. You will partner with cell suppliers on qualification programs, running your own independent teardown and characterization to verify datasheet claims before committing to a chemistry. Your thermal models will predict cell temperatures across drive cycles and fast-charge events, guiding cold-plate and coolant routing decisions with data. You will also own the pack service strategy, designing for module replacement and diagnostics access so warranty repairs stay economical over the vehicle life.
What you will achieve
- Deliver battery pack designs achieving targeted energy density (Wh/kg) and cost ($/kWh) with validated thermal performance across the full operating envelope
- Cut DC fast-charging time by 15 percent through cell selection, thermal design, and charge profile optimization without accelerating degradation
- Own cell-to-pack validation: abuse testing, vibration, thermal runaway propagation containment per GB 38031 and UN 38.3
- Drive pack cost down 10 percent year over year through design simplification, supplier competition, and material optimization
- Ship packs that meet 8-year/100k-mile warranty targets with degradation models validated against fleet telematics
What you will bring
Must-haves
- 2 to 5 years of experience in EV battery pack design, cell engineering, or energy storage systems
- Deep understanding of lithium-ion cell behavior: NMC and LFP chemistries, degradation modes, and thermal characteristics
- Proficiency with CAD for pack mechanical design and familiarity with HV electrical architecture (400V/800V systems)
- Working knowledge of battery thermal management: liquid cooling design, cold-plate sizing, and thermal runaway mitigation
- Experience with battery testing: cyclers, environmental chambers, and abuse test standards
- Understanding of BMS functions: SOC/SOH estimation, balancing, contactor control, and isolation monitoring
- Rigorous documentation for DV/PV test plans, DFMEA, and safety case evidence
Nice-to-haves
- Experience with cell-to-body or structural battery pack architectures
- Knowledge of battery manufacturing processes: electrode coating, cell assembly, module/pack line design
- Familiarity with second-life or recycling considerations in pack design
- High-voltage safety certification and hands-on HV lab experience
Tesla
Rivian
Lucid Motors
Ford
GM
Waymo