Vehicle Accessory Product Development 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 Creation and Industrialization (PC&I) brings together Ford’s vehicle, electric, digital and design teams with our global manufacturing system. Working as one end-to-end organization, we turn ideas into high-quality vehicles, software and experiences across gas, hybrid and electric, designed around what customers need.

In this position...
The Vehicle Accessory Product Development Engineer will work closely with studio designers to develop new design concepts and collaborate with other vehicle engineering teams and cross-functional teams on technical, feasibility, and cost trade-off studies. In this role, you will play a key part in designing and engineering high-quality vehicle accessories that enhance the functionality and aesthetics of vehicles. You will work closely with cross-functional teams to bring innovative concepts to life. The engineer will explore creative ideas covering a variety of systems, including roof solutions, bed solutions, and various innovative accessories to celebrate engineering and aesthetics design possibilities, from the concept phase all the way to manufacturing and quality teams for the launch. 

You'll have...

B.S. in Mechanical Engineering or equivalent combination of relevant education and experience.

B.S. in Mechanical Engineering or a related field

2+ years of experience working on production vehicle development and launch

4+ years of experience utilizing CAD (3DX, Catia, NX, ICEMSURF, or Alias) collaboratively, 3DX and CATIA preferred

4+ years of experience in exterior, interior systems or accessory design, development, release and supplier management.

Proof of record of development and launch experience for vehicle system and accessories, e.g. roof applications, bed applications, trailer hitch applications

Even better, you may have...
Strong mechanical engineering fundamentals, with preferred to have experience designing mechanisms, electromechanical components

Strong understanding of the materials and manufacturing processes such as stamping, injection molding, casting, composites, paint and other surface finishes

Strong Understanding of differences in design and engineering based on production volume and functional and cosmetic features

Strong familiarity with legislative requirements affecting the design feasibility

Strong understanding of GD&T, craftsmanship and CMF and how design execution would be affected

Experience in working on automotive Class A surface feasibility assessment and development, vehicle layout/package, including body structures, exteriors, closures, glazing

Hands-on experience in building and launching automotive products

You may not check every box, or your experience may look a little different from what we've outlined, but if you think you can bring value to Ford Motor Company, we encourage you to apply!

As an established global company, we offer the benefit of choice. You can choose what your Ford future will look like: will your story span the globe, or keep you close to home? Will your career be a deep dive into what you love, or a series of new teams and new skills? Will you be a leader, a changemaker, a technical expert, a culture builder…or all of the above? No matter what you choose, we offer a work life that works for you, including:
• Immediate medical, dental, vision, and prescription drug coverage
• Paid parental leave, new parent ramp-up programs, subsidized back-up child care and more
• Family building benefits including adoption and surrogacy expense reimbursement, fertility treatments and more
• Vehicle discount program for employees and family members and management leases
• Tuition assistance
• Established and active employee resource groups
• Paid time off for individual and team community service
• Generous vacation time, sick/personal time, and paid holidays, including between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day

 This position is a salary grade 7-8 and ranges from $118,700 - $232,700.  
Final determination of salary grade will be based on candidate's skills and experience, and base salary will be set within the applicable range according to job scope, responsibility and competitive market value.

For more information on salary and benefits, click here: https://fordcareers.co/GSR 

Visa sponsorship is available for this position.

Candidates for positions with Ford Motor Company must be legally authorized to work in the United States. Verification of employment eligibility will be required at the time of hire.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, age, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status or protected veteran status. In the United States, if you need a reasonable accommodation for the online application process due to a disability, please call 1-888-336-0660.

This position is hybrid with a requirement to be onsite four or more days per week. #LI-Hybrid

   #LI-BB1 #UEV

What you'll do...

• Design and develop vehicle accessories in CAD and other engineering tools. 
• Conduct feasibility studies, prototyping, and testing to ensure product performance and durability. 
• Define roadmap for accessories with build to print approach, as well as co-development approach together with suppliers.
• Collaborate with suppliers and manufacturers to select materials and optimize production processes. 
• Support the product development lifecycle, from concept to production, ensuring adherence to timelines and quality standards. 
• Troubleshoot and resolve technical issues during the development, manufacturing, launching and service phases. 
• Stay updated on industry trends, technologies, and materials to drive innovation. 
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams within engineering, manufacturing, and purchasing to ensure system manufacturing, assembly feasibility, and serviceability. Support vehicle development milestones and prototype/production build events