Senior Exterior Designer

Ford; Dearborn (MI); Hybrid; USD 97,000 - 166,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision coverage

Retirement benefit program

Tuition assistance

Vehicle discount program

Job summary

Ford in Dearborn is seeking an experienced Exterior Design professional to craft innovative design experiences for global automotive projects. This role requires strategic thinking, strong portfolio, and collaboration across engineering, suppliers, and design teams.

Candidates should have a portfolio focused on automotive exterior design, a relevant degree, and 3+ years of experience in transportation design. The position is hybrid with salary grade 8 and a comprehensive benefits package.

Qualifications

• Portfolio focused on Automotive Exterior Design.
• 3+ years of Automotive or Transportation Design experience, including final design execution.
• Ability to interpret customer needs and global trends into compelling design.
• Ability to lead team members with strong technical aesthetic judgment.
• Awareness of global automotive and consumer electronics to stay competitive.
• Must provide a design portfolio (pdf) upon application.

Responsibilities

• Think creatively, strategically, and analytically to shape exterior design experiences.
• Create compelling exterior design visions for Design Projects.
• Coordinate work of design personnel to achieve holistic visions.
• Create future brand-focused design visions; span digital and physical design thinking.
• Collaborate with Engineering, Suppliers and partners to progress design development.
• Finalize 2D to 3D translation with strong sense of form and proportion.

Skills

Creative thinking

Strategic thinking

Analytical thinking

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Design or Transportation Design

Job description

What you'll do...

• Having the ability to think creatively, strategically, and analytically.
• Create compelling and innovative exterior design experiences and visions for Design Projects.
• Coordinate the work of other design personnel to achieve holistic design visions.
• Create future brand focused design visions.
• Span digital and physical (software and hardware) thinking.
• Problems solve around topics of connectivity, mobility and consumer segments.

You’ll have...

• A portfolio to share that focuses on Automotive Exterior Design.
• Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Design, Transportation Design, or equivalent; can include graduates earning their degree in the same calendar term
• 3+ years of Automotive or Transportation Design experience; including experience with final design product execution, and Internships with transportation design companies
• Ability to interpret customer needs and global trends into compelling design.
• Ability to work independently and provide strong technical aesthetic judgment to lead team members.
• Awareness of global automotive and consumer electronics to ensure Ford competes with the ability to lead.
• Demonstrated creative exterior 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 renderings.
• Ability to translate 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...

• Global design experience.
• Good understanding of exterior 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 8 and ranges from $96,720-166,200.

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.