Laser Welding Engineer
Ford · Dearborn, MI
- Level
- Engineer
- Team
- Manufacturing
- Base pay
- $87k–$145k
- Degree
- Required
- Experience asked
- 4+ years
- Industry
- Automotive
- Posted
- 7 days ago
The role in 30 seconds
An engineer-level manufacturing role at Ford (automotive) in Dearborn, MI. Vision-guided robotic welding or precision positioning systems.
- They ask for
- 4+ years · degree required
- Tools it names
- OEE, Root cause, FMEA, Control plans, DOE, Validation (IQ/OQ/PQ)
- Base pay
- $87k–$145k
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of November 2, 2026
Manufacturing Engineer roles in Michigan: typical posted base $81k–$166k. This one lists $87k–$145k.
Median of the low and high ends of 28 live postings that list pay, out of 83 manufacturing engineer openings in Michigan, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
Michigan plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 82 other live manufacturing postings in Michigan.
- Base pay
- About 5% below similar roles
- Experience asked
- Less than usual (4+ vs 5+)
Typical $78k–$166k, from 27 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 5+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- ✓ New product launch 61%
- ✓ Tooling 47%
- Lean 40%
- ✓ FMEA 33%
- ✓ Root cause 30%
- Team leadership 29%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
Stands out: this posting asks for OEE, DOE, PLC, Assembly lines, which few similar roles mention. If you have it, lead with it.
At a glance
Pulled from the posting text. If it's not listed here, the posting didn't say.
How to get in at this plant
Five moves over a week or two. The first one takes ten minutes.
- 1
Pick 2–3 people on the Manufacturing team at Ford
We found 11 people at this company and state: 8 in this kind of role, 3 leaders. Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. See them ↓
- 2
Send a short, curious note
One real question about their work. No favors yet. Each person gets a different note, written for this role.
Write to Rob → (free) - 3
Turn a reply into a short call
Questions worth asking about this team:
- What does a normal week look like on your team?
- Is the work mostly new product launches or sustaining existing lines?
- How much time do you spend on the floor versus at a desk?
- How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
- 4
Apply with someone vouching for you
If the call went well, ask whether they’d pass your résumé to the hiring manager. Send your résumé link, apply that day, and let them know.
- 5
Bring proof to the interview
One page of before-and-after numbers from projects you led: scrap, OEE, cycle time, cost. Plant managers hire on results.
This plant: Ford in Dearborn
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Full description from FordAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
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.
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 position....
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.
Show full description ↓Show less ↑
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.
Launch & Continuous Improvement
- •Support pilot builds, pre-production, and launch events at global manufacturing sites.
- •Develop documentation and training for plant teams: process instructions, troubleshooting guides, maintenance best practices, and safety procedures.
- •Drive continuous improvement of OEE, cycle time, yield, scrap, and consumable usage.
Benchmark industry best practices and emerging technologies in battery laser welding, monitoring, and automation; recommend adoption paths for Ford.
You'll have....
- •Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Welding Engineering, Materials Science, Electrical Engineering, or related field.
- •4+ 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 joining processes (laser, resistance, TIG/MIG, ultrasonic, etc.).
- •Metallurgical evaluation of welds (microstructure, defects, joint design considerations).
- •Running structured experiments and analyzing data (DoE, regression, statistical analysis).
Even better, you may have....
- •Master’s degree in a relevant engineering discipline, or 4+ years of relevant industrial experience.
- •Experience with battery manufacturing (cells, modules, or packs) or high-reliability electrical interconnects.
- •Direct experience laser welding:
- •Dissimilar metals (e.g., Cu–Al, Al–Ni, Cu–Ni-plated steel).
- •Thin foils, tabs, or can terminals where spatter, porosity, and HAZ control are critical.
- •Familiarity with:
- •Fiber laser systems, scanner-based welding, wobble welding, and remote welding.
- •Weld monitoring technologies and closed-loop process control.
- •Vision-guided robotic welding or precision positioning systems.
- •Proficiency with engineering tools and systems such as:
- •CAD tools (e.g., CATIA, NX, 3DX) for joint and fixture