Manager, Interior Innovation & Applications

Ford Motor • Dearborn, MI

84d

About The Position

You will serve as a key bridge, translating visionary concepts and emerging technologies into tangible, high-quality interior solutions. Working in close partnership with Design and Release, Program Quality Teams, and a diverse array of cross-functional teams, you will ensure that our interior designs not only meet the highest standards of quality and customer expectation but also set new benchmarks for innovation and user experience. This role demands visionary leadership, extensive Design and Release experience in Interior Systems and Components, a deep understanding of advanced automotive manufacturing and launch processes, an unwavering commitment to pioneering quality, and the exceptional ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams, external partners, and suppliers to bring cutting-edge interior innovations to life. As the Manager, Automotive Interior Innovation & Applications, you will be at the forefront of shaping the future of automotive interiors. This pivotal role is responsible for driving the application and industrialization of groundbreaking innovations into production programs for cockpit and trim systems.

Requirements

• Extensive Design and Release experience in Interior Systems and Components.
• Deep understanding of advanced automotive manufacturing and launch processes.
• Exceptional ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams, external partners, and suppliers.
• Visionary leadership skills.
• Strong problem-solving methodologies, including advanced root cause analysis.
• Six Sigma certification is a plus.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with smart surfaces and sustainable materials.
• Knowledge of advanced Human-Machine Interface (HMI) technologies.
• Familiarity with lightweighting and additive manufacturing techniques.

Responsibilities

• Pioneer Interior Innovation: Proactively identify, evaluate, and champion the industrialization of novel interior technologies, materials, and design concepts into forward model programs, ensuring Ford remains at the forefront of automotive interior innovation.
• Strategic Design Content Review: Review forward model program Interior Design Content with a keen eye for future trends and customer expectations, identifying opportunities for innovative enhancements and ensuring comprehensive closure plans for any quality or experience gaps.
• Robust Innovation Integration: Actively participate in design reviews, DFMEAs (Design Failure Mode and Effects Analysis), and other risk mitigation activities, providing specialized technical expertise to ensure that innovative designs are robust, reliable, and production-ready.
• Solve Complex Innovation Challenges: Identify, analyze, and resolve complex technical issues unique to new or advanced interior components and systems, employing advanced root cause analysis and problem-solving methodologies. Six Sigma certification is a plus.
• Future-Proofing & Technology Scouting: Proactively research and stay abreast of the latest automotive technologies, emerging materials, and transformative trends in interior design and engineering, including advancements in smart surfaces, sustainable materials, advanced Human-Machine Interface (HMI), personalized experiences, lightweighting, and cutting-edge manufacturing techniques like additive manufacturing.
• Drive Iterative Innovation: Champion continuous improvement initiatives within the team, establishing effective prevention measures and fostering a culture of capturing and communicating lessons learned from innovative design processes.
• Validate Innovative Requirements: Audit Design and Release engineering requirements and test reports for accuracy and clarity, ensuring they adequately address the unique characteristics and performance needs of innovative interior features.
• Enable Advanced Manufacturing: Evaluate manufacturing process controls to ensure that the unique design characteristics of innovative components are properly controlled and seamlessly integrated into production.
• Optimize Innovation Handoff: Collaborate closely with the Functional Engineering team to optimize the handoff process between design and manufacturing, facilitating the smooth transition of complex and novel interior designs into production.
• Set New Quality Standards: Lead the development and implementation of Design Quality Best Practices for interior systems, ensuring adherence to Ford Standards while actively seeking to understand and integrate pioneering quality benchmarks from within and outside the automotive industry.
• Catalyze Design Studio Vision: Work collaboratively with the Design Studio to identify and highlight both risks and opportunities for Design Quality, empowering the realization of their most visionary interior concepts.

What This Job Offers

• Career Level: Manager
• Industry: Transportation Equipment Manufacturing
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees