Off-Road Technical Specialist

Ford • Dearborn, MI

9d • $115,500 - $218,100 • Hybrid

About The Position

Ford is seeking a Global Technical Specialist for Off-Road Performance to strengthen its off-road technical capabilities. The role develops analytical capabilities grounded in real-world off-road environments to establish component-, system-, and vehicle-level needs for power, torque, protection, and features across Ford and Lincoln vehicles. It involves working across functional teams, technologies, and product-positioning expectations, and updating requirements, test methods, and key performance indicators to support a closed-loop continuous-improvement process.

The specialist develops analytical tools to guide upfront vehicle decisions, leads cross-functional and cross-attribute balancing to optimize product-development trade-offs, and helps identify technical expert needs for the global Off-Road team. A Technical Evidence book outlining qualifications is required. This is a Leadership Level 6 hybrid position requiring onsite work four or more days per week. The stated salary range is $115,500–$218,100, with final salary determined by skills, experience, job scope, responsibility, and market value. Visa sponsorship is unavailable; candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering.
• At least 8 years of experience with full-vehicle attribute development, including strong knowledge of system interactions and their impact on the full vehicle and other systems.
• At least 6 years of experience in Off-Road.
• Tier 2 off-road certification or equivalent.
• Experience with analytical and physical signoff of off-road vehicles.
• Experience with ADAMS, Catia/3DX, calibration tools, and vehicle signal processing.
• Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States; visa sponsorship is not available.
• A Technical Evidence book outlining qualifications is required.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree in Engineering.
• At least 3 years of experience with problem-solving methodologies and quality tools, including FMEA, DOE, 8D, Six Sigma tools, and warranty analysis.
• Tier 3 Off-Road Certification with Recovery Certification.
• Experience with Ford-approved test surfaces.
• Political acumen and discernment to escalate issues appropriately for leadership awareness or assistance.
• Strong planning and execution skills focused on delivery.
• Passion for data-driven inputs to coordinate interactions among complex systems and organizations.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to interface with the team and senior management.
• Evidence of technical expertise, relevant competencies, and working knowledge of adjacent activities, customers, partners, and organizational objectives.
• Examples of accomplishments such as individual contributions to products, processes, or strategies; improvements in customer satisfaction, warranty, or total cost; and use of external resources.
• Documentation such as patents, invention or defensive disclosures, trade secrets, technical publications or reports, requirements, CETP, test methods, training materials, design guides, LOPs, program documentation, GTDS, or GPDS documentation.
• Recognition of expertise, including awards or recognition from Ford, professional societies, academia, directors, or internal customers.
• Demonstrated willingness and capability to teach, coach, mentor, and prepare training materials or instructional guides.
• Demonstrated high-level communication skills and teamwork.
• Initiative and capability to advise management, provide technical leadership to peers and programs, and lead a team in delivering technical objectives.
• Participation in professional committees, societies, or advisory boards, or Ford cross-functional activities and forums outside the department.

Responsibilities

• Develop robust analytical tools to guide upfront decisions and help achieve vehicle targets across Ford and Lincoln vehicles.
• Lead cross-functional and cross-attribute balancing initiatives to optimize trade-offs during product development.
• Use technical background, global technical outlook, and prior technical leadership experience to identify technical expert needs for the global Off-Road team.
• Prepare a Technical Evidence book outlining qualifications for the position.

Benefits

• Immediate medical, dental, vision, and prescription drug coverage.
• Paid parental leave, new-parent ramp-up programs, and subsidized backup child care.
• Family-building benefits, including adoption and surrogacy expense reimbursement and fertility treatments.
• Vehicle discount program for employees and family members and management leases.
• Tuition assistance.
• Employee resource groups.
• Paid time off for individual and team community service.
• Vacation time, sick/personal time, and paid holidays, including time between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day.

What This Job Offers

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