Design for Service Program Specialist

Ford • Allen Park, MI

7d • $84,480 - $162,120 • Hybrid

About The Position

This position is critical for integrating serviceability considerations early in the product development cycle, ensuring that new vehicles can be repaired efficiently, at a lower cost, and with superior customer experience. The specialist drives the "Design for Service" culture, bridging the Service Division and Product Development teams to achieve ambitious Warranty Cost Reduction and Launch Readiness targets, ultimately delivering the best-in-class repair experience and the lowest possible Cost of Ownership.
This role demands a strong advocate for the 'Voice of the Dealer & Technician' as a critical input to Product Development and cross-functional teams, while consistently maintaining a 'Voice of the Customer mindset.’

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of relevant education and experience.
• 3+ years of experience with automotive Computer-aided Design (CAD)
• 3+ years of experience in automotive services
• 2+ years of experience with technical related to assembly/disassembly of automotive systems/components, as well as technical publications

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor’s degree in automotive technology or automotive engineering preferred
• Familiarity and experience with Dealer Operations are strongly preferred (specifically tied to Fixed Operations)
• Ability to analyze warranty data (Cost Per Repair, R/1000) to build business cases for design changes
• Ability to manage critical timing and conflicting demands
• Project manage and progress multiple workstreams at once
• Lead through influence and collaborate across Enterprise
• Use data and customer insights to influence strategic decisions
• Problem solve against competing cross-functional priorities
• Facilitate cross-functional meetings
• Product Development Experience (either working in or with PD) is beneficial

Responsibilities

• Improve Serviceability in Future Product Designs:
• Proactively collaborate with Product Development (PD) teams to influence vehicle design for enhanced serviceability and overall customer ownership experience.
• Engage PD teams at early design milestones to positively impact vehicle serviceability, reduce Cost of Ownership, and improve repair cost and quality for current and future models.
• Identify and champion the resolution of High Impact Serviceability Actions.
• Ensure timely delivery of V1 and V2 Digital Pre-assembly (DPA-4) requirements by effectively managing assessment workload and conducting DPA-4 assessments as needed.
• Monitor, introduce, and refine service requirements, ensuring compliance or approved deviations.
• Strategically identify Essential Special Service Tools (ESSTs) and secure their funding through Financial Information Requests, while actively working to minimize the overall need for specialized tooling.
• Lead the early definition of the Service Bill of Materials (SBOM), aggressively pursuing lower-level service part integration to eliminate one-time-use components and significantly reduce replacement costs.
• Drive the achievement of targeted Warranty Cost Avoidance objectives by identifying and implementing serviceability improvements (e.g., reducing service labor times, optimizing component-level service, minimizing ESST needs)
• Program Launch Support:
• Participate in serviceability trials and competitive benchmarking activities.
• Support the delivery of FCSD requirements tracked via the Global Launch Scorecard (including ESSTs, Diagnostics, Service Information Training, Owner’s Manual, Service Parts and Major Service Issues).
• Support program TVM actions with requested feedback to ensure successful TVM implementation and downstream impact.
• Deliver Common and Efficient Global Processes:
• Conduct regular Gemba visits to validate the "Voice of the Technician" and bring ground-truth data to PD.
• Support the maintenance, updates, and authoring of new service requirements and Digital Pre-assembly (DPA) test methods.
• Lead reviews of DPA-4 service issues for Program Review Meetings, facilitating escalation and alignment as needed.
• Support the Serviceability Process Team in developing Design for Service Processes and Training Modules.
• Utilize AI-driven insights and tools for predictive serviceability analysis and process optimization.

Benefits

• 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.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees