Chief Engineer, AI Product Creation

Ford Motor • Dearborn, MI

9d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Chief Engineer, AI Product Creation will lead the strategic integration of next-generation digital tools, advanced analytics, and intelligent systems across Ford’s Global Product Development System (GPDS) to optimize engineering workflows, accelerate development cycles, and drive product excellence. In this highly strategic and transformational role, you will oversee the architectural integration of AI across the entire Ford product creation lifecycle. As the lead for AI Product Creation, you will recommend investments, and design and execute the systems that allow us to optimize our engineering workflows, leverage historical data assets, and enhance virtual validation. You will lead a global, cross-functional effort to modernize our systems, working across active and future vehicle programs to deploy next-generation tools. This role requires a rare combination of deep product development logic, a strong grasp of modern AI technologies, and the collaborative leadership necessary to drive cultural and technological change in a fast-paced, high-stakes and dynamic environment.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Data Science, or a related quantitative technical field.
• 10–15 years of experience in complex product development, systems engineering, or technical program management (ideally within automotive, aerospace, robotics, or high-tech hardware/software industries).
• Proven experience leading large-scale digital transformation initiatives, specifically deploying AI, machine learning, or high-fidelity simulation technologies within a physical engineering environment.
• Deep understanding of product development lifecycles, milestone-driven development systems, and complex hardware-software integration.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree in Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Engineering, or a Master's in Business Administration (MBA).
• Hands-on experience with modern AI frameworks, physics-informed neural networks (PINNs), or industrial Digital Twin platforms (e.g., NVIDIA Omniverse, Siemens Tecnomatix, or equivalent).
• Demonstrated experience bridging the gap between software engineers/data scientists and traditional mechanical/manufacturing engineers.
• Familiarity with generative design software, automated path planning, or predictive supply chain risk orchestration.
• Exceptional executive presence with strong presentation, verbal, and written communication skills to influence global, cross-functional stakeholders.
• Agility and the proven ability to guide teams through highly ambiguous, fast-paced transformational journeys under tight deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Identify & Map Bottlenecks: Assess the value stream mapping of existing GPDS processes to pinpoint high-waste physical bottlenecks suitable for immediate AI-enabled optimization.
• Deploy Immediate-Value AI Tools: Champion and scale the rollout of tactical AI accelerators, including LLM-based coding assistants for software integration and automated program tracking tools (a virtual program manager).
• Execute Rolling Pilots: Collaborate with active vehicle program teams to implement rolling pilots of generative engineering and advanced simulation tools, delivering immediate efficiency gains to in-flight programs.
• Architect a data lake: Drive the definition and implementation of a data system to connect cross-functional work systems to enable real-time, closed-loop analysis.
• Scale Predictive Simulations and Digital Twins: Expand the use of advanced predictive simulation models aimed at reducing physical test iterations and accelerate validation loops across key vehicle attributes and development workstreams
• De-Risk Manufacturing Tooling: Leverage advanced predictive analytics to optimize long-lead manufacturing tooling designs, proactively identifying and correcting physical manufacturing constraints early in the design cycle.
• Establish a Digital-First Development Cycle: Lead the ultimate transition to a highly compressed, digital-first development cycle that significantly reduces time-to-market while improving quality.
• Foster a Digitally Literate Engineering Culture: Drive a culture of digital literacy and advanced tool adoption across the global engineering community, establishing next-generation benchmarks for the industry that every engineer at Ford is empowered by intelligent, generative design tools.

Benefits

• Immediate medical, dental, vision and prescription drug coverage
• Flexible family care days, paid parental leave, new parent ramp-up programs, subsidized back-up childcare 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.

What This Job Offers

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