What does a fuel cell engineer do?
A fuel cell engineer is tasked with the design, evaluation, or construction of components or systems that make up a fuel cell. They are also tasked with designing and implementing any programs that deal with fuel cell testing or development. They write technical reports related to any engineering project and collaborate with other engineers to plan fuel cell reduction. On special occasions, they give specifications for materials that make up the fuel cell.
Fuel cell engineer responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real fuel cell engineer resumes:
- Lead manufacturing development and production efforts around screen printing, coating and brazing of SOFC ceramic and metal components.
- Manage Jenkins security by providing specific access to authorize developers/testers using project base matrix authorization strategy.
- Design FMEA on performance characteristics of a fuel cell.
- Evaluate alternative, low-cost membranes for advance PEM fuel cell systems.
- Create new LabVIEW base software for test requirements or add test functionality.
- Create VBA tools to expedite the resolution of common problems in test.
- Design (SolidWorks) and specify components for the iGen fuel delivery system.
- Perform system evaluation, trade study, FMEA /risk assessment, and recommend abatement methods.
- Conduct geotechnical and environmental subsurface investigations.
- Plan, design and implement SAN equipment at customer's facility to ensure full functionality according to specifications.
Fuel cell engineer skills and personality traits
We calculated that 37% of Fuel Cell Engineers are proficient in Data Analysis, FEA, and LabVIEW. They’re also known for soft skills such as Mechanical skills, Creativity, and Listening skills.
We break down the percentage of Fuel Cell Engineers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Data Analysis, 37%
Performed engineering duties including: fuel cell data analysis, laboratory research, and root-cause failure investigation studies.
- FEA, 8%
Utilized FEA to develop predictive models used in design concept optimization.
- LabVIEW, 8%
Provided production support including developing LabVIEW based testing system, working procedure analysis/optimization and documentation, assembler training and equipment trouble-shooting.
- PEM, 6%
Designed a PEM Fuel Cell for the development and integration of novel materials for hydrogen fuel cells in New York State.
- Test Results, 4%
Documented test results in a database, Excel and Access were used in the process.
- Fuel Cell System, 4%
Provided technical consultation or direction related to the development or production of fuel cell systems.
"data analysis," "fea," and "labview" are among the most common skills that fuel cell engineers use at work. You can find even more fuel cell engineer responsibilities below, including:
Mechanical skills. The most essential soft skill for a fuel cell engineer to carry out their responsibilities is mechanical skills. This skill is important for the role because "mechanical skills allow engineers to apply basic engineering concepts and mechanical processes to the design of new devices and systems." Additionally, a fuel cell engineer resume shows how their duties depend on mechanical skills: "perform urgent, corrective and routine repairs in electrical, mechanical, carpentry, and plumbing. "
Creativity. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling fuel cell engineer duties is creativity. The role rewards competence in this skill because "mechanical engineers design and build complex pieces of equipment and machinery." According to a fuel cell engineer resume, here's how fuel cell engineers can utilize creativity in their job responsibilities: "conducted an inventory of all sites operated from indianapolis switches. "
Listening skills. fuel cell engineers are also known for listening skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to fuel cell engineer responsibilities, because "mechanical engineers often work on projects with others, such as architects and computer scientists." A fuel cell engineer resume example shows how listening skills is used in the workplace: "involved in event/listener effort using java.util.eventlistener. "
Math skills. A big part of what fuel cell engineers do relies on "math skills." You can see how essential it is to fuel cell engineer responsibilities because "mechanical engineers use the principles of calculus, statistics, and other advanced subjects in math for analysis, design, and troubleshooting in their work." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical fuel cell engineer tasks: "conducted failure analyses through dfmea, fea, and quantitative testing. "
Problem-solving skills. Another crucial skill for a fuel cell engineer to carry out their responsibilities is "problem-solving skills." A big part of what fuel cell engineers relies on this skill, since "mechanical engineers need good problem-solving skills to take scientific principles and discoveries and use them to design and build useful products." How this skill relates to fuel cell engineer duties can be seen in an example from a fuel cell engineer resume snippet: "created vba tools to expedite the resolution of common problems in test. "
The three companies that hire the most fuel cell engineers are:
- Tesla10 fuel cell engineers jobs
- Bosch USA7 fuel cell engineers jobs
- Cummins3 fuel cell engineers jobs
Compare different fuel cell engineers
Fuel cell engineer vs. Director, hydrogen storage engineering
Staff engineers are responsible for designing, developing, and inspecting various products, equipment, or structures. These professionals may perform varied duties depending on their specialization that includes overseeing the design and construction of buildings, bridges, sewer systems, and other infrastructure, estimating the financial costs of construction projects, and ensuring compliance with health and safety laws and regulations. Other duties include designing and developing machinery, tools, and engines, solving design problems, and building the manufacturing equipment needed to create their products.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a fuel cell engineer are more likely to require skills like "data analysis," "power electronics," "fea," and "labview." On the other hand, a job as a director, hydrogen storage engineering requires skills like "strategic plan," "performance management," "nas," and "resource utilization." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
The education levels that directors, hydrogen storage engineering earn slightly differ from fuel cell engineers. In particular, directors, hydrogen storage engineering are 21.1% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a fuel cell engineer. Additionally, they're 1.8% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Fuel cell engineer vs. Staff engineer
A product engineer specializes in designing and developing commercial materials and services. They are primarily responsible for conducting thorough research and analysis of the latest trends and marketing conditions to come up with new ideas and products for the public. Moreover, they are also responsible for producing reports and presentations, coordinating with the development team of their company. Product engineers also reach out to vendors and suppliers for the raw materials, set regulations and standards for the product, and even conduct a rigorous and regular quality check.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, fuel cell engineer responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "fea," "sem," "pem," and "fuel cell system." Meanwhile, a staff engineer has duties that require skills in areas such as "java," "python," "architecture," and "software development." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Staff engineers earn a higher average salary than fuel cell engineers. But staff engineers earn the highest pay in the telecommunication industry, with an average salary of $119,079. Additionally, fuel cell engineers earn the highest salaries in the automotive with average pay of $100,482 annually.In general, staff engineers achieve lower levels of education than fuel cell engineers. They're 5.4% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 1.8% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Fuel cell engineer vs. Product engineer
Engineers are highly trained professionals who determine the feasibility of various projects, usually related to the construction industry. They are considered experts in mathematics and science, two disciplines that they need to use in designing and coming up with plans for projects. They should also be well-versed in different construction or industrial materials, and they ensure that appropriate materials are used for the project. They also ensure that the projects meet the requirements of the groups that hired them. They create spaces that would both address the needs of the end-users and the industry standards. They also ensure that the projects they make would stand the test of time.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, fuel cell engineers are more likely to have skills like "labview," "sem," "pem," and "fuel cell system." But a product engineer is more likely to have skills like "product design," "project management," "c++," and "product development."
Product engineers earn the best pay in the technology industry, where they command an average salary of $90,301. Fuel cell engineers earn the highest pay from the automotive industry, with an average salary of $100,482.When it comes to education, product engineers tend to earn lower degree levels compared to fuel cell engineers. In fact, they're 8.2% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 1.0% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Fuel cell engineer vs. Engineer
Types of fuel cell engineer
Updated January 8, 2025
