Designer - Lighting

Ford Motor; Dearborn (MI); Hybrid; USD 87,000 - 166,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision coverage

Paid time off & holidays

Tuition assistance

Job summary

Ford Motor Company is seeking a highly creative Senior Lighting Designer for Dearborn design studios. You will develop conceptual and production lighting solutions across advanced and production projects, delivering sketches, renderings, and 3D models.

The role combines strategic thinking with hands-on design execution. You’ll lead and coordinate with engineering, suppliers, and design colleagues to shape exterior and interior lighting experiences that strengthen Ford’s brand.

Qualifications

• 4+ years automotive/transportation design experience with lighting focus.
• Ability to translate customer needs and global trends into lighting concepts.
• Strong technical aesthetic judgment and ability to lead a team.

Responsibilities

• Think creatively, strategically, and analytically.
• Create lighting design concepts and production-ready solutions.
• Coordinate design teams to realize holistic design visions.
• Bridge digital and physical design through software and hardware.
• Collaborate with Engineering and suppliers to advance design development.
• Present to executive audiences and stakeholders.

Skills

Lighting design

Conceptual design

3D visualization

Team leadership

Industrial design knowledge

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Design/Transportation Design

Tools

3D CAD (Alias)

VRED/Unreal/After Effects

Job description

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.

Join us in shaping the future of Ford Motor Company, as part of a global organization with exceptional colleagues in world-class facilities. As part of Ford Design, you’ll be at the cutting edge of Ford’s most strategically critical work, designing people and society’s needs into the heart of our next generation of products, services, and experiences.

Responsibilities

In this position...

Ford Motor Company is looking for a highly creative/strategic Senior Lighting Designer for our design studios in Dearborn. Working on Advanced & Production lighting projects, the successful candidate will have to develop both conceptual and production lighting design solutions in the form of sketch, rendering, and 3D digital models.

What you'll do...

• Having the ability to think creatively, strategically, and analytically.


• Create compelling and innovative lighting design experiences and visions for Design Projects.


• Create Human Centered Design experience with emphasis in Exterior Design holistic experience.


• Coordinate the work of other design personnel to achieve holistic design visions.


• Create futured lighting design visions, focused on the building our brand.


• Span digital and physical (software and hardware) thinking.


• Problems solve around topics of connectivity, mobility, and consumer segments.

Qualifications

You’ll have...

Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Design, Transportation Design, or similar

4+ years’ Automotive or Transportation Design experience; including experience specific to lighting conceptual design and final product execution.

Ability to interpret customer needs and global trends into compelling lighting design visions.

Ability to work independently and provide strong technical aesthetic judgment to lead team members.

Awareness of global automotive lighting technology, regulations and trends to ensure Ford competes with the ability to lead.

Demonstrated creative exterior/interior/component design perceptions and capability. A design portfolio (pdf) must be provided upon application.

Collaborate with Engineering, Suppliers and other partners to progress the design development.

Must have exceptional design intuition, strong problem-solving skills and a superior ability to visually communicate through sketches, and rendering,

4+ years of experience translating 2D to 3D and think three-dimensionally with a strong emphasis on proportions and a refined sense of form also required.

Familiarizes self and maintains interest with design trends within and across design professions and global cultures (automotive, fashion, architectural, etc.)

Outstanding teamwork, leadership, visual, written, and verbal communication skills

Even better, you may have...

Proficiency in 3D CAD (Alias or Similar) visualization, and Animation tools (VRED, Unreal, After Effects)

Good understanding of exterior/interior manufacturing process and materials.

Passionate about automotive and mobility industry, global trends, innovation and customer needs

Experience of working in or with creative cultures

Experience of working in large, corporate environments

Experience of managing multiple stakeholders across complex projects

Experience of presenting to executive audiences

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

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 a salary grade range of 7 - 8 and ranges from $86,600 - $166,200.

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.

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. Candidates who are in commuting distance to a Ford hub location may be required to be onsite four or more days per week. #LI-Hybrid #FordDesign #LI-SC3

Job Info

• Job Identification 68287


• Job Category PD Operations and Quality


• Posting Date 08/05/2026, 02:52 PM


• Degree Level Bachelor's Degree or equivalent


• Job Schedule Full time


• Locations 2100 Carroll Shelby Way West, Dearborn, MI, 48124, US (Hybrid)