Senior Lead, Upper Steering Systems & Technical Excellence

Jobtailor; Dearborn (MO); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Jobtailor is seeking a seasoned Senior Mechanical Engineering leader to oversee the Upper Steering portfolio, including Column and I-shaft systems, with a focus on safety-critical design and robust validation.

You will mentor engineers, coordinate with Steering Technical Experts, and drive DFMEA, DVP&R, and MBSE practices across global supplier networks to ensure high-quality, cost-efficient solutions.

Qualifications

• BS in Mechanical Engineering or closely related field
• 10+ years in safety-critical automotive design or equivalent
• 8+ years in Upper Steering experience (Columns, I-shafts)
• Strong leadership and drive for results
• Proven ability to lead teams and manage complex programs
• Excellent written and oral communication for reviews and stakeholders
• Ability to build productive relationships with technical partners and suppliers
• Experience with DFMEA, DVP&R, PFMEA, System Engineering Fundamentals
• Experience managing senior engineering teams and delivering on GPDS/GTDS timelines
• Familiarity with Ford tools including FEDE, Teamcenter, WERS
• Cross-functional knowledge of Steering components and interfaces

Responsibilities

• Lead the Upper Steering section to deliver core mechanical column systems and related components
• Mentor the team and coordinate with Steering Technical Experts
• Plan workloads and resources for on-time delivery
• Drive continuous improvement and cost-efficient validation
• Develop and enforce foundation standards and design rules (DFMEA, DVP&R, MBSE)
• Oversee supplier development and RFQ workstreams with Supply Chain
• Validate designs with robust testing methods across vehicle and subsystem levels
• Lead design reviews with Application engineers and ensure signoffs against requirements
• Address quality issues and drive corrective actions with root-cause analysis
• Lead technical club and knowledge transfer for ongoing training
• Support PFMEA, SCCAF and control execution during APQP supplier reviews
• Drive new steering technology concepts and robust validation plans

Skills

Leadership

Systems Engineering

Communications

Problem solving

Supplier management

Cross-functional leadership

Education

B.S. Mechanical Engineering

Tools

FEDE

Teamcenter

WERS

GPDS

GTDS

Job description

Jobtailor is seeking a seasoned Senior Mechanical Engineering leader to oversee the Upper Steering portfolio, including Column and I-shaft systems, with a focus on safety-critical design and robust validation.

You will mentor engineers, coordinate with Steering Technical Experts, and drive DFMEA, DVP&R, and MBSE practices across global supplier networks to ensure high-quality, cost-efficient solutions.