Hardware Integration Engineer

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.

Product Development uses design thinking & user experience methods to deliver breakthrough products and services that delight our customers. We bring innovative, exciting, and sustainable ideas to life. We have opportunities around the world for you to contribute to advancements in autonomy, electrification, smart mobility technologies, and more!

You will guide the interior D&R team from initial styling theme selection through mass production, assuming process ownership for program delivery, priority alignment, and performance management. This role requires managing part-level cost and weight targets, overseeing Digital Pre-Assembly (DPA) health, and ensuring robust Bill of Materials (BOM) management. You will champion the Failure Mode Avoidance (FMA) process and manage total Design Verification (DVP&R) planning to support program milestones.

Additionally, you will lead the engineering change control process and provide critical on-site assembly support during production plant build events to consistently meet Quality, Cost, Weight, and Functional (QCWF) targets.

We are seeking a highly skilled Vehicle Hardware Engineer (VHE) Integration Lead to serve as the Single Point of Contact (SPOC) and project manager for automotive interior systems. Acting as the technical subsystem leader, you will bridge the gap between the Design Studio, Design & Release (D&R) Engineers, Suppliers, and Program Management.

In this position...

* Leverage Dearborn location to engage in frequent, face-to-face collaboration with the Interior Studio Liaison and the Design Studio team, supporting physical property reviews (clay models, foam bucks, 3D prints) directly on the Studio floor.

* Serve as the primary liaison between functional engineering teams, attribute teams, and Program Management, establishing and chairing VHE integration meetings to manage open issues and program updates.

* Coach and guide D&R engineers on systems, tools, forms, and processes necessary to support the program, assisting them in overcoming roadblocks.

* Ensure functional engineering alignment with program assumptions, managing updates to the Product Direction Letter (program content document).

* Manage the development of part-level cost and weight targets alongside commodity planning teams, maintaining a roadmap and driving gap-closure actions.

* Review and validate 1st and 2nd Engineering Concepts and technical Statements of Work (ESOW) generated by D&Rs to ensure cross-functional compatibility.

What you'll do...

* Manage functional CAD-to-BOM alignment, overseeing the Digital Pre-Assembly (DPA) and packaging work streams to resolve digital buck clashes and misalignment reports.

* Develop and manage Failure Mode Avoidance (FMA) planning, reviewing D&R-generated DFMEAs and Special Characteristic agreements to ensure cross-functional alignment.

* Manage total Design Verification (DVP&R) planning to support program milestones, confirming compliance to design rules and coordinating sign-off for engineering deviations.

* Lead the engineering change control process to maintain a robust BOM, establishing and enforcing glide paths for initial production part releases.

* Lead cross-functional issue resolution using 8D methodology, ensuring the corporate issue-tracking system is updated for on-time disposition or escalation.

* Lead on-site assembly support for the functional area during production plant build events, managing daily whiteboard calls, quality audits, and prototype part pedigree status.

* Support the Plant Vehicle Team (PVT) during hand-off, coordinating immediate reactions with engineering and supplier teams to address any stop-ship or critical build issues.

In this position...

* Leverage Dearborn location to engage in frequent, face-to-face collaboration with the Interior Studio Liaison and the Design Studio team, supporting physical property reviews (clay models, foam bucks, 3D…