Product Development Engineer - Exterior Lighting

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

Benefits offered by this job

Vehicle discount program

Tuition assistance

Paid time off

Job summary

Ford Motor Company is seeking an Exterior Lighting Engineer to define requirements, design lighting components, and drive cross-functional collaboration across suppliers, optics, software, and manufacturing. You will lead development from concept to production in a hybrid work setting.

The role emphasizes strong communication, project management, and hands-on CAD work, with opportunities to contribute to advanced lighting technologies for vehicles.

Qualifications

• BS in Engineering or related field required.
• 2+ years automotive and/or lighting experience.
• Experience with CAD studies and mass attribute analysis helpful.

Responsibilities

• Systems Engineering for Exterior Lighting.
• Generate and execute technical solutions for Exterior Lighting components.
• Perform complex engineering evaluation analysis.
• Develop early CAD design proposals and full CAD models.
• Collaborate cross-functionally to implement cost savings and product improvements.
• Support prototype and production build activities.
• Lead team meetings with suppliers, designers, engineers, manufacturing, and quality.
• Travel as required (including international).

Skills

Systems Engineering

Cross-functional teamwork

Project management

Communication skills

Automotive lighting

Education

BS in Engineering

MS in Mechanical/Electrical/Optical/Software Engineering

Tools

CAD software

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.

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!

In this position...

The Ford Exterior Lighting Engineer role spans a variety of engineering fields including mechanical, electrical, software, and optics. This position involves responsibilities including definition of requirements, product design, tooling, validation testing, and launching in an assembly plant during the development of Exterior Lighting products throughout a vehicle’s lifecycle. This role requires an engineer to lead and drive a cross functional team that includes lighting suppliers, optics, software, studio, purchasing, manufacturing, and quality functions.

Our ideal candidate desires to build their career as an engineer within exterior lighting. This candidate must demonstrate clear communication and project management skills and is a passionate, hard-working person who enjoys taking on challenges and following through with robust solutions.

What you'll do...

• Systems Engineering for Exterior Lighting
• Generate and execute technical solutions for Exterior Lighting components to support new vehicle programs
• Perform complex engineering evaluation analysis
• Develop early CAD design proposals and full CAD models
• Work cross-functionally to implement cost savings, product improvements, and to support prototype and production build activities
• Balance attributes such as cost, weight, complexity, and timing
• Production release of Exterior Lighting systems, subsystems, components, and features
• Core requirement and technology development
• Communicate information to and from internal and external organizations
• Lead team meetings (suppliers, designers, engineers, manufacturing, supplier quality, etc.)
• Travel as required (including international)

You'll have...

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor of Science Degree in Engineering or a related field
• 2+ years of related automotive and/or lighting applications experience (inclusive of professional, co-op, and internship positions).
• The D&R Engineer is responsible for managing product release CAD and BOM structures, including assembly positioning and mass attribute analysis. This role also includes facilitating supplier data integration and developing CAD studies to support and drive design improvements.

Even better, if you have …

Preferred

• Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Optical, or Software Engineering
• Master’s Degree or other Advanced Degree
• Familiarity with the engineering design of exterior lighting components
• Familiarity with Design For Six Sigma process
• Experience with DFMEA (Design Failure Mode and Effect Analysis), GD&T (Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing), and ISO standards
• Knowledge of plastic materials, plastic injection molding, optics, basic electrical/electronic circuitry, software, lamp manufacturing processes, tooling, fixture design and product validation
• Knowledge of global lighting regulations

This position is salary grades 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.

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.