Body on Frame Structures Architecture Technical Specialist

Technical Specialist

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!

Currently, we are seeking a Technical Specialist candidate for our Dearborn, Michigan location having a technical background in Body on Frame (BoF) Body Structure, with a diverse background in ICE, HEV, and EV architectures.

The importance of flexible BoF Body architectures has grown significantly due to the need for cost-efficient, lightweight vehicles. These cater to a variety of occupancy & propulsion systems, all while derived through accelerated program timelines.

Development of robust design solutions for steel, aluminum, and mixed materials including critical joining elements are required. Robust solutions include a proper definition of Truck/SUV platform bandwidth, system efficiencies through frame and EV structure integration, critical fixed & variable parameters in Top Hat and Box Structure execution, all while meeting stringent durability and attribute requirements to balance high-time in service quality expectations, cost, & vehicle range.

This TS role would also include the development of analytical methods to facilitate efficient Structure architecture definitions, that cater to both defined and future manufacturing footprints.

Collaboration with Vehicle Hardware Engineering (VHE) Flexible Vehicle Architecture teams, Advanced Manufacturing, and Program Strategy & Planning organizations is vital to ensure compatible architecture designs with process assumptions. Quality assurance must be detected and confirmed in resulting architecture definitions, so VO and Supply Base can properly control Ford Vehicle quality expectations during production.

Recognized expertise, demonstrated leadership behaviors, and technical maturity within BoF Truck & SUV Structures is critical for this role, and the expected successful business delivery.

Responsibilities

What you'll do...

• Develop new Body on Frame BIW architectures that align with advanced manufacturing and product cycle plan requirements.
• Collaborate extensively with RIC, VO Manufacturing, Materials Engineering, Vehicle Program Teams to develop efficient and feasible BIW solutions in support of our Quality and Cost efficiency corporate objectives.
• Maintain a thorough knowledge of new and critical competitive benchmarks to fully understand Best-in-Class designs, and develop advanced projects to ensure Ford supersedes existing BoF Body architectures.
• Work with Application engineering teams to optimize designs as a system, leveraging your expertise, and provide technical insights toward design robustness in prelude of milestones.
• Develop and institutionalize best practices and design rules in FEDE for BoF BIW design applications.
• Drive continuous improvement in future programs, including TS-level sign-off by Ford Applications engineering pre-FDJ.
• Enhance & Manage Foundation document improvements (DVP, DFMEA, interface diagrams, boundary diagrams) through partnership with Exterior Structure Core TS and subject matter experts
• Define and validate BoF architecture system assumptions for program applications during the to development phase.Validation and optimization of standard and mixed-metal joint designs in BIW architectures.
• Close cooperation with Architecture & Applications CAE-team for the development of new BoF architectures, as well as adaptation and optimization of existing platforms.
• Development of new lightweight designs that integrate reductive design principles through Aluminum High Pressure Die Casting, Plastic-Metal Hybrids, Magnesium Thixo-molding, and new methods of aluminum and steel sheet material applications.
• Deliver a robust hand-off to Applications Structures Engineering for seamless progression toward optimization, without revolution of architecture designs, via aligned Requirement and Design Rule checks at / and / .

Success Metrics:

• Ensure that Ford remains in a leadership position for BoF architectures, while promoting enhancements and innovation to existing structure designs currently in production.
• Robust implementation of new architecture designs and joining processes into forward-model programs in line with GTDS-principles; elimination of last-minute design pivots.
• Leverage Ford's internal manufacturing assets to ensure Exterior cost targets can be delivered to support EBIT.
• Promote and use AI and simulation tools to reduce dependency on external support and physical testing.
• Capture and document BoF architecture strategies that align with Ford Purchasing objectives for sourcing efficiencies.

Qualifications

You'll have...

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering required.
• Minimum of 8 years experience in the Body Exterior Systems and Structure product development, with direct advancement (UNV/UPV-series), validation (FJD/DCV), and industrialization (launch) experience.
• Body Engineering Design and Release experience in Body Exterior Systems and Structures required.
• Experience with Advanced Technology development particularly in body structure systems and mixed materials bonding with aluminum.
• Experience with GPDS milestone delivery, with knowledge of GTDS timing Milestones for new technologies.
• Strong written/verbal communication skills, with demonstrated successes in technical presentations to senior leadership.
• Working knowledge and experience with Engineering toolsets: Catia V5/TeamCenter Engineering. Catia V6/3DX Level 1 CAD capability experience required.
• Demonstrated track record of strong Leadership Behaviors aligned with Leadership+.
• Demonstrated track record of strong collaboration / negotiation skills to drive global alignment to efficient BoF system design solutions.
• Strong team problem solving skills - technical and non-technical to achieve collaborative outcomes.

Even better, if you have

Preferred

• Master of Science degree in Technical Engineering for Engineering Management preferred.
• Strong skillset in systems interaction and integration with frames, battery structures, chassis, seats & restraints, and interior trim preferred.

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 builderor 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
• Flexible family care days, 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
• A generous schedule of paid holidays, including the week between Christmas and New Year's Day
• Paid time off and the option to purchase additional vacation time

This position is leadership level 6 and ranges from $115,500-$218,100.

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.

Visa sponsorship is NOT 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.