Job Summary:
The Senior BMS Hardware Design Engineer leads the design, development, integration, and validation of Battery Management System (BMS) hardware for advanced energy storage and electrification applications. This role owns technical direction and design decisions for assigned BMS programs, spanning requirements definition and architecture through schematic design, PCB layout, hardware bring-up, bench and system-level validation, and production release. The Senior Engineer serves as a technical authority on lithium-ion battery pack electronics, resolves complex system-level failures, and drives design maturity to ensure safe, efficient, and reliable operation. This role partners closely with embedded software, systems, cell, manufacturing, and test engineering teams, mentors engineers, and establishes design standards and best practices across the BMS group.
Responsibilities:
- Own the design and architecture of BMS hardware, including cell sensing, protection, control, and interface circuitry.
- Develop, review, approve, and release electrical schematics, component selections, and electrical interfaces for battery packs.
- Lead Printed Circuit Board (PCB) layout reviews and board-level hardware bring-up, including initial power-on, electrical measurements, debugging, and rework.
- Direct the integration of BMS hardware with battery cells, contactors, sensors, and pack-level components.
- Define and document BMS hardware requirements, design specifications, and interface control documents in coordination with systems engineering.
- Conduct design risk assessments, including Design Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (DFMEA), tolerance stack-up, and worst-case circuit analysis.
- Evaluate component technologies and serve as technical lead in supplier design reviews and component selection decisions.
- Define and execute the BMS hardware validation strategy, including functional verification, protection feature testing, and fault-injection testing.
- Develop, review, and approve electrical and functional test plans, acceptance criteria, and requirements traceability to verify BMS performance.
- Perform signal integrity, power integrity, and noise immunity evaluations.
- Direct environmental, endurance, abuse, and fault-case testing, and interpret results to drive design decisions.
- Lead root-cause analysis and failure analysis of complex BMS hardware, interface, and pack-level issues, and drive corrective actions through validation and closure.
- Diagnose and resolve interface issues between embedded software and BMS hardware, including Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC), Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI), Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C), Controller Area Network (CAN), and General Purpose Input/Output (GPIO) interfaces.
- Partner with embedded software teams to lead hardware bring-up and system-level debug activities.
- Support development, tuning, and validation of State of Charge (SOC), State of Health (SOH), and State of Power (SOP) algorithms, and correlate model predictions with bench, system, and field test data using MATLAB/Simulink.
- Maintain complete technical records that capture design decisions, test results, validation evidence, and lessons learned for production release and future development.
- Lead cross-functional technical reviews, align engineering teams on design decisions and dependencies, and remove barriers affecting BMS program execution.
- Serve as the technical escalation point for production, manufacturing, and field issue investigations.
- Mentor and provide technical guidance to other engineers, including design review feedback and development of technical skills.
- Establish and continuously improve BMS design standards, engineering processes, and best practices.
- Present technical status, design trade-offs, and recommendations to engineering leadership, program teams, and customers.
- Adhere to federal and state regulations.
- Adhere to all company policies, processes, and procedures.
- Performs other duties as requested, directed, or assigned.
- Predictable and reliable attendance.
Position Qualifications:
- Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering or a related engineering discipline; or a bachelor’s degree and two (2) years of equivalent experience in BMS, battery systems, embedded hardware or power electronics.
- Minimum of five (5) years of engineering experience in BMS, battery systems, embedded hardware, or power electronics, or equivalent experience.
- Demonstrated hands-on experience leading schematic design, hardware bring-up, and electrical debugging.
- Experience designing high-voltage and low-voltage battery systems and their communication interfaces.
- Demonstrated experience taking BMS or comparable electronic hardware from concept through production release.
- Experience leading BMS validation testing, fault-case analysis, and safety mechanism verification.
- Proficiency with PCB design tools such as Altium, KiCad, or equivalent.
- Experience in automotive, commercial vehicle, energy storage, or industrial electrification applications.
- Familiarity with SOC estimation methods such as Coulomb counting, Open Circuit Voltage (OCV) correlation, and observer-based or Kalman filter techniques.
- Working knowledge of functional safety and battery safety standards such as ISO 26262, UL 2580, UL 1973, or UN 38.3.
- Strong working knowledge of embedded interfaces such as CAN, SPI, I2C, Universal Asynchronous Receiver-Transmitter (UART), and ADCs.
- Proficiency using MATLAB/Simulink for modeling, algorithm support, and data analysis.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office tools (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
- Ability to travel and work flexible hours as needed (less than 10% travel on average).
Key Competencies:
- Influences Others: Has personal and organizational impact built on mutual trust, fairness, and honesty. Flexes their style to direct, collaborate, or empower as the situation requires.
- Focuses on Quality: Drives work results with a quality focus on actions and results.
- Decision Making & Analysis: Makes sound decisions based upon a mixture of data-driven analysis, expertise, experience, and judgment; collects relevant information, seeking input from others, and identifies connections and/or root causes of problems.
- Takes Initiative: Exhibits strong drive for results and success; conveys a sense of urgency and drives issues to closure; persists despite obstacles and opposition.
- Delivers Results: Achievement-oriented, feeling a sense of urgency to reach goals on time, if not before.
- Teamwork: Works cooperatively with others to accomplish team goals and organizational objectives.
- Communications: Exchanges thoughts, feelings, and information effectively.
Physical Requirements / Working Conditions:
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.
- Regularly works in laboratory, test, and industrial environments in addition to an office setting.
- Prolonged periods sitting or standing while working at a desk, workbench, or test station.
- Frequently performs detailed bench work requiring fine motor control, hand-eye coordination, and the use of small hand tools and soldering equipment.
- Constantly operates a computer, laboratory instruments, and other office and test equipment.
- Ability to adjust focus, especially due to concentration on a computer screen and on small components.
- Works on or near energized high-voltage battery systems; must follow all high-voltage safety procedures and wear required personal protective equipment.
- May need to lift and carry up to 30 pounds and/or position the body to reach items on the floor/below knee level or reach overhead.
- The person in this position needs to occasionally move about in industrial environments, and on uneven terrain.
- Works in a temperature-controlled office environment, with occasional work in outdoor weather conditions, and in industrial environments.
- The noise level in the work environment can be moderately loud.
Why Join Us
American Battery Solutions (ABS) provides comprehensive 100% employer paid benefit plans to employees and their family, competitive salary and retirement program. ABS employs a diverse and inclusive workforce.
Benefits Overview
- Paid time off includes 3 weeks vacation, up to 72 hours sick, 15 holidays, and parental leave.
- 100% company-paid medical, dental, vision, short-term disability, long-term disability, and life insurance.
- Flexible Spending Account (FSA) and Health Savings Account (HSA) offerings.
- Company provided 401K savings plan with immediately vested matching contributions to help you save for retirement.
- Voluntary benefits offerings.
- Tuition assistance.
- Employee Referral Program.
- Employee development and career growth opportunities.
About Us
American Battery Solutions Inc. (“ABS”) is a manufacturer of advanced batteries for commercial, fleet, and industrial on- and off-road vehicles. Located in the heart of the U.S. automotive region with facilities in Michigan and Ohio. In 2023, ABS was acquired by Komatsu, a world leader in construction, mining, forestry, and industrial heavy equipment in support of Komatsu’s 2050 carbon neutrality goal. ABS continues to operate as an independent entity serving Komatsu applications while continuing to expand and grow our core commercial, fleet and industrial business.
As we have grown, ABS has assembled a world-class team of dedicated and experienced engineers. This team is equipped with a deep understanding of high-voltage, automotive-grade battery systems from concept development and prototyping, to testing and validation, to high-volume production. We pride ourselves on developing a diverse team of next generation battery experts.
The Location - Lake Orion
American Battery Solutions Headquarters and Innovation Center is located in the heart of South-East Michigan in Orion Township. Orion Township is a Pure Michigan Trail Town that has a long-standing dedication to enhancing trails and pathways in its community, which is home to the Polly Ann Trail, Paint Creek Trail, and Iron Belle Trail. The township has more than 50 miles of trails. Southeast Michigan also boasts some of the best eating around! Whether your interest is in furthering your education, enjoying one of the many regional sporting events, or enjoying the vast outdoors that Michigan has to offer, you’ll be at the center of it here!
AMERICAN BATTERY SOLUTIONS IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER.
