Ford Racing Brake Hardware Development Engineer

Ford - Lincoln Veteran Careers Program; Allen Park (MI); Hybrid; USD 87,000 - 166,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical coverage

Dental coverage

Vision coverage

Prescription drug coverage

Flexible family care days

Parental leave

Back-up child care

Vehicle discount program

Tuition assistance

Employee resource groups

Paid time off for community service

Paid holidays

Additional vacation time

Job summary

Ford is seeking a Brake Development Engineer to lead vehicle-level foundation brake development for Ford Racing’s performance portfolio. You will own brake performance, pedal feel, and sign-off across programs, while guiding testing, tuning, and cost/timing decisions.

You will work with FMVSS/ECE compliance, warranty, and field investigations, shaping annual brake budgets and business planning. You will be the brake pedal feel SME, coordinating with D&R engineers on rotor, caliper, and actuation

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science in Engineering required; understanding of vehicle development, validation, and safety/regulatory requirements.
• Ability to interpret physical test data and apply engineering judgment to complex issues.
• Ability to manage priorities across programs while balancing quality, cost, timing, and performance.
• Strong communication and organizational skills; independent self-starter linking analysis to hardware and vehicle performance.

Responsibilities

• Oversee vehicle-level brake development, validation, and engineering sign-off.
• Lead brake pedal feel strategy and friction material selection with D&R engineers.
• Direct testing strategies and oversee testing personnel and external services.
• Interpret test results and lead cross-functional investigations into brake performance and launch concerns.
• Develop annual brake budgets and communicate status and risks to leadership.
• Ensure compliance with FMVSS, ECE, and Ford requirements.
• Support warranty and field investigations as needed.
• Drive milestones and launch readiness in coordination with TPV/DCV targets.
• Lead cost, timing, and performance trade-offs across programs.
• Coordinate with engineering teams on rotor, caliper, and actuation design.

Skills

Engineering judgement

Communication skills

Prioritization

Test data interpretation

Cross-functional collaboration

CAD tools

GPDS processes

Frictions material selection

Problem solving

Project management

Education

Bachelor of Science in Engineering

Tools

FEDE DV tools

Job description

Join the Ford Racing Performance Car & Truck Team and help create a leading performance portfolio that fuels innovation and passion on and off the road.

As a Brake Development Engineer, you’ll lead vehicle-level foundation brake development across Ford Racing’s portfolio. You’ll own brake performance development, serve as the brake pedal feel subject matter expert, and lead tuning, testing, problem resolution, and launch sign-off.

In this safety-critical role, you’ll apply engineering judgment and direct testing resources to meet FMVSS, ECE, quality, timing, cost, and customer satisfaction objectives. You’ll also support warranty and field investigations, technical specialists, Total Value Management, vehicle launches, and annual brake engineering business planning.

What you will do...

• Oversee vehicle-level DVPs for forward-model programs, quality actions, TVM actions, and other projects.
• Establish and defend TPV and DCV prototype counts to support milestone delivery.
• Manage Link Engineering resources, technical priorities, and workloads across programs to reduce testing costs and improve Ford/Link team efficiency.
• Lead vehicle-level brake development, validation, and engineering sign-off using FEDE DV tools, ensuring compliance with FMVSS, ECE, and Ford requirements.
• Serve as Ford Racing’s brake pedal feel subject matter expert; lead friction material selection and work with component D&R engineers on rotor, caliper, and actuation design.
• Direct vehicle testing strategies and oversee purchased-services testing personnel.
• Interpret test results and lead cross-functional investigations into brake performance, customer attributes, compliance, quality, durability, and launch concerns.
• Drive TDC and PEC milestones, launch readiness, quality objectives, and customer satisfaction.
• Support warranty taskforces, field investigations, Technical Specialist requests, and brake-related corrective actions.
• Develop annual brake engineering budgets and forecasts; communicate technical status, risks, and mitigation plans to engineering and senior leadership.

You'll have...

• Bachelor of Science in Engineering.
• Understanding of vehicle development, validation, engineering release, and safety and regulatory requirements.
• Ability to interpret physical test data and apply engineering judgment to complex issues.
• Ability to manage priorities across programs while balancing quality, cost, timing, and performance.
• Strong communication and organizational skills; an independent self-starter who can connect analysis with hardware and vehicle performance.

Even better, if you have...

• Brake system experience, including foundation brakes, performance, pedal feel, vehicle dynamics, testing, launch, and D&R activities.
• Experience tuning and evaluating pedal feel, flashing EBB units, debugging DTCs, and creating Driver Brake Request tables.
• Experience evaluating high- and low-frequency vehicle NVH.
• Familiarity with CAD or visualization tools and GPDS program delivery processes.
• Passion for performance vehicles.

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
• 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 7 and ranges from $86,600-$144,900.
This position is a salary grade 8 and ranges from $99,100-$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.
Internal applicants: moving into this role may result in an adjustment to your current compensation based on the posted pay range for this role, taking into consideration your qualifications and other relevant factors.

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 with a requirement to be onsite four or more days per week.