Industry | Ryanhickey

Industry Experience

General Motors, Advanced Senior Propulsion Engineer - Thermal Runaway Lead

I was designated as the technical leader for Battery Thermal Propagation Mitigation across the Advanced and New Products Groups for Battery High Voltage Hardware where I lead a team of engineers working across various GM programs. Additionally, I served as the technical expert for Battery Packs and Hazards, while leading the Battery Safety portion in the GM EV First Responder Training program.
In 2022, I was honored to receive the 47th Annual Boss Kettering Award for creating the Trade Secret on Battery Thermal Runaway. This award is GM's top technical recognition for employees who have made high-impact inventions and product innovations.
I played a key role in ensuring high-quality and safe products for the company’s customers by diligently training and guiding Thermal engineers across all GM product development programs.
I am credited with contributing to new product designs launched under the Ultium platform (Hummer, Lyriq, Blazer), as well as all future architectures planned for deployment through MY2028.
I served as a technical member of the Li-Ion Battery Invention Review Board (IRB), responsible for determining the disposition of new inventions at GM for protection.

General Motors, Advanced Battery Thermal Engineer

I completed comprehensive benchmarking activities to analyze competing electric vehicle batteries, providing valuable insights into the current trends of competition.
I boosted the efficiency and precision of thermal systems by expediting the development of advanced 1D and 3D Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) models in partnership with the CAE organization.
I elevated the technical skill set of new engineers by providing training and guidance on thermal propagation design, testing, and strategy.
I pioneered an engineering process for establishing a cutting-edge functional area within the battery product development process.
I designed and secured approval for a new architecture to ensure compliance with all requirements and readiness for a low-volume launch.

General Motors, RESS Development Engineer - Safety & Abuse

I identified and addressed various critical testing and launch issues while filing a patent for an innovative solution. This solution is on track for launch in the highly lucrative Chinese market by late 2024.
I spearheaded the establishment of the Southwest Research Institute off-site testing facility while serving as Lead Engineer and Safety Lead for a team of engineers and technicians working on a TRP task crucial to achieving Ultium program deliverables.
I earned the Design for Six Sigma Green and Black Belt GM Certification while working on a temporary assignment in 2020.
I cultivated operational excellence by training new employees in various advanced TRP test methods, while also instilling an organizational culture that emphasizes safe practices and a secure work environment.
I played a pivotal role in preparing testimony prior to an interview with OSHA regarding a safety incident.

Johnson Controls, Advanced Battery Technology Engineer Co-Op

I performed engineering process automation essential to designing, developing, and improving innovative battery systems. By enabling the automation of processing and modeling methods for lithium-ion battery development, I saved more than 500 engineering hours annually.