Technical Specialist - Advanced Chassis Structural Design & Manufacturing Engineering

Ford Motor Company; Salt Lake City (UT); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision and Rx cover

Paid time off

Vehicle discount program

Tuition assistance

Paid holidays

Job summary

Ford Motor Company is seeking a Technical Expert (LL6) to lead the design, development, and in-house process delivery for Suspension Structural Components across stampings, castings, and forgings. The role focuses on building an internal design process, validating engineering and tooling feasibility, and ensuring manufacturing readiness.

The position requires deep experience in chassis structural design, DFMEA/PFMEA, GD&T, and process optimization, with leadership across cross-functional teams

Qualifications

• BS in Engineering or equivalent.
• 10+ years of chassis structural design and engineering experience.
• Extensive experience in suspension structural components including stampings, castings, and forgings.
• Proven ability to execute DFMEA, PFMEA, and PPAP requirements.
• Strong GD&T knowledge and experience with design for manufacturing/assembly.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and delivery of in-house design/manufacturing processes for suspension components.
• Develop and maintain internal engineering foundation documents.
• Create and manage Level 2 technical materials including FMEAs, Control Plans, Safe Launch Plans, and Sub-component BOMs.
• Lead Design for Manufacturing (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA) feasibility reviews prior to tool kickoff.
• Drive in-house manufacturing process simulations to optimize structure and feasibility.
• Lead OK to tool process with BTP supplier including approving steel purchase and finish steps.
• Conduct test facility correlation studies between Ford test facility and supplier facility to validate structure.
• Develop component and assembly GD&T and sign-off program prints for BTP structural parts.
• Support prototype development process with program teams on BTP parts.
• Manage data collection and capability analysis for Significant/Critical Characteristics (SC/CC) and calculate Ppk.
• Lead DOE and process optimization trials to confirm manufacturing improvements.
• Develop APQP plans and oversee Gauge R&R trials with sign-off of fixtures and gauges.
• Lead root cause analysis and 8D/JIRA for dimensional and manufacturing issues during launch.

Skills

Analytical skills

Problem solving

Leadership

Communication

Education

BS Engineering

Tools

CAE tools

DOE

FMEA (DFMEA/PFMEA)

GD&T

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.

At Ford, the Vehicle Hardware Engineering teams are using Design Thinking & User Experience methods to deliver breakthrough products and services that will delight our customers. Our employees are laser-focused on bringing innovative, exciting, and sustainable ideas to life. From autonomy and electrification to smart mobility technologies, our teams around the world are working together with excitement to make smart vehicles for a smart world.

This is a Technical Expert (LL6) position leading the technical design, development, and in-house process delivery for Suspension Structural Components (stampings, castings, and forgings) in Ford Vehicles. The main role of this position will be to develop and deliver an in-house design process, executing engineering, manufacturing feasibility, and tooling optimization.

In this position...

• Lead the development and delivery of an in-house design and manufacturing process for suspension structural parts (stampings, castings, forgings), internalizing responsibilities.

• Develop and maintain the Suspension Structural Component internal engineering foundation documents including design guides, design rules (DR’s), Requirements (RQTs), and interface contracts/agreements.

• Create and manage Level 2 technical materials including Process FMEAs, Control Plans, Safe Launch Control Plans, and Sub-component BOMs.

• Lead Design for Manufacturing (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA) feasibility reviews prior to tool kickoff, ensuring designs align with tool design specifications, plant equipment compatibility, and normal process capability limits.

• Drive in-house manufacturing process simulations (e.g., stamping formability, casting solidification, forging flow) to optimize structure and ensure manufacturing process feasibility.

• Lead OK to tool process with BTP supplier including approving steel purchase, OK to rough cut, and OK to finish steps.

What you'll do...

• Conduct test facility correlation study between Ford test facility (DV) to BTP supplier facility (PV) to ensure proper validation of the structure per core ES at both locations.

• Develop component and assembly GD&T for in-house designs and sign-off program prints for BTP structural parts.

• Support prototype development process with program teams on BTP parts.

• Manage the data collection and capability analysis for Significant/Critical Characteristics (SC/CC), calculating Ppk to ensure pre-production and production capability requirements are met.

• Lead demonstrable process optimization trials and Design of Experiments (DOE) to confirm manufacturing processes are optimized.

• Develop comprehensive APQP plans, conduct OK-To-Build and OK-To-Ship reviews, and oversee Gauge R&R trials, including the review and sign-off of gauge and check fixture designs.

• Lead root cause analysis and problem resolution (8D, JIRA ) for dimensional, processing, and manufacturing quality issues during launch, DV/PV testing, and production.

You'll have...

• BS-Engineering required.

• 10 Years of experience in chassis structural design + engineering.

• Extensive component engineering design and release experience in suspension structural components (stampings, castings, forgings), including specific experience on launch.

• Deep understanding of Build-to-Print Supplier (BTPS) deliverables and the proven ability to execute manufacturing, tooling feasibility, and PPAP requirements in-house.

• Extensive experience creating and managing DFMEA, PFMEA, SCCAF, Control Plans, and drawings with advanced GD&T.

• Experience with CAE tools, manufacturing simulation software, and process optimization methodologies (DOE).

• Strong analytical, math, and problem-solving skills to lead root cause analysis for complex manufacturing and dimensional issues.

Even better, you may have...

• Understanding of GPDS deliverables and basic Ford engineering tools including Teamcenter, WERS, and buck environments.

• Required leadership skills - quality-focused as #1 priority, innovative, excellent communicator, strong organizational skills, highly motivated self-starter.

• Ability to handle complex tasks and challenging situations under compressed timing.

• Experience communicating with senior leaders, design and release, manufacturing, and tooling suppliers.

• Outstanding planning, organizational, and project management skills with proper follow-up to accomplish multiple objectives.

• Strong One Ford Leadership Behaviors with a demonstrated ability to drive and deliver results.

• Ability to build strong effective relationships with cross-functional teams (Foundation Chassis, Design and Release, Vehicle Operations, Testing Centers, and Suppliers).

Position requires occasional travel to assembly plants and other global chassis engineering centers to support new process development, issue resolution, and Design and Release engineer training.

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.

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.

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