CAE Engineer - Early Career Program, Advanced EV

Ford • Long Beach, CA

2d • Hybrid

About The Position

Ford is hiring a CAE Engineer for its six-month Early Career Program, Advanced EV. The program offers hands-on experience working alongside engineering, design, and software teams on electric-vehicle technologies. The ADVEV Structures and CAE team develops body-in-white architecture for new EV platforms, from early-program studies through production-intent design, analysis, and physical validation.

As an intern on the NVH and Durability team, the engineer will participate in BIW structure design loops, including concept generation, detailed analysis, design for manufacture, and CAD. The role supports CAE development of cost- and mass-reduction opportunities for structural parts and assemblies, and explores optimization workflows, AI methods, custom tools, and automated analysis. The program lasts six months, with shorter durations possible in some cases, and may start as early as spring 2027. Candidates may be required to work onsite four or more days per week.

Requirements

• Currently pursuing a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related field.
• Demonstrated ability in structures design and optimization, from hand calculations through detailed analysis and execution.
• Strong first-principles understanding of solid mechanics and mechanics of materials.
• Proficiency in finite element methods, including linear and non-linear static analysis.
• Experience with one or more FEA solvers: Abaqus, OptiStruct, nCode, or ANSYS.
• Experience with one or more FEA pre/post-processors: HyperMesh, SimLab, ANSA, or ANSYS.
• Scripting or programming experience in Python, including tools such as NumPy, pandas, SciPy, PyTorch, or Keras.
• Strong problem-solving skills, eagerness to learn in a fast-paced, collaborative environment, and ability to communicate technical ideas clearly across cross-functional teams.
• Legally authorized to work in the United States; employment eligibility verification is required at hire. Visa sponsorship is not available.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with CAD tools such as CATIA V6 or 3DEXPERIENCE.
• Experience with modeFrontier or similar DoE and optimization frameworks.
• Proficiency in finite element methods extending to linear and non-linear dynamic and modal analysis.
• Proficiency in numerical methods, including gradient- and non-gradient-based optimization and sensitivity analysis.
• Familiarity with AI-assisted coding tools such as Copilot to accelerate engineering workflows.
• Familiarity with automotive manufacturing methods such as stampings, roll forming, extrusions, and casting, and joining technologies such as GMAW, SPR, RSW, and adhesives.

Responsibilities

• Drive CAE and optimization of next-generation ADVEV products in one or more areas: Body, Exteriors, Closures, or Seats.
• Develop finite element models at component and subsystem levels to evaluate designs against stiffness, strength, and durability metrics using linear and non-linear analysis techniques.
• Work with D&R engineers to execute cost- and mass-reduction opportunities using topology, topography, gauge, and shape optimization.
• Identify, develop, and implement CAE techniques, analysis procedures, and tools to improve model robustness, fidelity, and simulation execution speed.
• Automate analysis methods to support large-scale DoEs, create surrogate models using deep-learning techniques, and explore design domains using response-surface methods.
• Participate in CAE and design reviews, present findings, and influence design decisions.

Benefits

• $5,000 pre-tax relocation and commuter stipend for eligible candidates who live more than 50 miles from a local office and are assigned to an eligible team.
• Opportunity to develop skills and gain meaningful experience with an industry engineering team.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Intern