Product Development Engineer – Exterior Underbody Structure Architecture

• Develop and deliver engineering work products supporting robust exterior system design solutions
• Lead alignment of Underbody Structure KPIs, including Quality, Cost, Weight, and Functional Performance, for major programs before Strategic Confirmation
• Derive efficient underbody structure system design solutions aligned to program scope, technology readiness, capability, and cost and TFLE targets
• Create fundamental underbody structure system design definitions aligned with performance targets and manufacturing feasibility
• Analyze interactions between interfacing components and systems
• Use customer data, quality history, prior issues, and reliability and robustness methods to define FMEA action items
• Mature underbody structure designs from surrogate or concept designs
• Deliver architecture design recommendations with defined fixed and variable parameters for on-time program milestones
• Collaborate with Flexible Vehicle Architecture, Design Technical Operations, Manufacturing, suppliers, and cross-functional partners
• Communicate architectural issues, trade-offs, risks, and recommendations to supervisors, management, and cross-functional partners
• Develop business cases for system selection supporting program and corporate EBIT
• Support end-to-end underbody structure architecture development through technical analysis, target alignment, issue resolution, and design maturity tracking
• Present technical work to cross-functional teams, engineering teammates, and executive leadership
• Collaborate with structures core engineering on lessons learned through tech clubs and other forums
• Define architecture design executions meeting or exceeding Safety, NVH, stiffness, and supply-base quality targets
• Integrate Structural Systems TVM actions into forward-model designs
• Support Team-of-Four forums for design system selection, target derivation and alignment, and supplier sourcing plans

• Bachelor of Science in Engineering or a related field
• 5 years of experience in Structures Product Development
• Thorough knowledge of early product definition
• Proven skill deciphering deliverables for Underbody Structures commodities
• Launch delivery experience on at least one major program
• Experience managing product release CAD and BOM structures, including assembly positioning and mass attribute analysis
• Experience facilitating supplier data integration
• Experience developing CAD studies to support and drive design improvements
• Catia V5 or 3DX or Teamcenter experience
• Demonstrated problem-solving skills, including business plan comparisons for different solutions
• Ability to collaborate effectively as part of an engineering team
• Ability to influence technical decisions through data-driven recommendations
• Ability to travel occasionally to Ford and supplier assembly plants
• Ability to travel occasionally to global Ford engineering locations
• Program experience from inception (PS) through final design judgement (FDJ) required
• Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States
• Visa sponsorship is not available for this position

Demonstrates expertise in Underbody Structure Design and Product Development, with a strong focus on quality, cost, and performance metrics. Proficient in CAD management and cross-functional collaboration to drive engineering solutions and deliver on program milestones.

• Underbody Structure Design
• CAD Management
• Product Development
• FMEA Action Item Definition
• Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Product Definition
• Mass Attribute Analysis
• Design Maturity Tracking
• Technical Analysis
• Program Experience
• Data-Driven Recommendations
• Supplier Data Integration
• Design Improvements
• Architecture Design Execution
• KPI Alignment

• Problem-Solving
• Effective Collaboration
• Influencing Technical Decisions
• Communication Skills

• Bachelor of Science in Engineering

• Structures Product Development
• Engineering Work Products
• Quality History
• Functional Performance
• Safety Targets
• NVH Targets
• Supply-Base Quality

• Catia V5
• 3DX
• Teamcenter