Product Development Engineer - Plant Vehicle Team - 100% Travel Required

Ford Motor • Louisville, KY

2d • Onsite

About The Position

We are the movers of the world and the makers of the future. We get up every day, roll up our sleeves and build a better world together. At Ford, we’re all a part of something bigger than ourselves. Are you ready to change the way the world moves? Product Development uses design thinking & user experience methods to deliver breakthrough products and services that delight our customers. We bring innovative, exciting, and sustainable ideas to life. We have opportunities around the world for you to contribute to advancements in autonomy, electrification, smart mobility technologies, and more! In this position... We are seeking a dedicated and technically proficient Plant Vehicle Team (PVT) Engineer to join our dynamic team at the Louisville Assembly Plant. This is an exceptionally exciting time as we are on the verge of launching the highly anticipated Ford Universal EV Platform. In this critical role, you will serve as the 'first line of defense' for quality, directly impacting customer satisfaction and ensuring every vehicle meets our rigorous global standards. As a PVT Engineer specializing in Exterior Systems, you will play a pivotal role in fostering seamless collaboration across our global product development teams, manufacturing operations, and with our valued suppliers. Your expertise will be instrumental in delivering industry-leading quality for the Ford Universal EV Platform and beyond. If you are an engineer who values precision, embraces complex challenges, and are passionate about delivering exceptional products and customer satisfaction, you will thrive in this fast-paced environment, contributing to breakthrough products that delight our customers and connect with a global community of PVT engineers.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Manufacturing, Industrial), or a related discipline.
• MUST Be Willing to travel and live in Michigan during the first six months for Prototype Production Support Prototype Production Support runs January 2026 until the end of June 2026
• Travel Expenses or Launch Vehicle, Housing, and Per-Diem provided
• A minimum of five years' progressive experience in a high-volume manufacturing environment, with automotive industry experience highly valued.
• 100% Travel is required for the first six months
• Candidates for positions with Ford Motor Company must be legally authorized to work in the United States.
• Verification of employment eligibility will be required at the time of hire.

Nice To Haves

• Master's degree in Engineering
• Prior experience in exterior systems engineering, process validation and testing, or within a unionized automotive manufacturing environment.
• An ideal candidate will possess a technical foundation, practical experience, and the right soft skills to thrive in a dynamic manufacturing environment.
• Experience with CAD software, Dimensioning and Tolerancing, and interpreting CAE simulation results.
• Certified in Six Sigma or Lean Manufacturing, with practical experience in Design of Experiments and automotive quality tools.
• Familiarity with product development systems, new product introduction processes, and launch support.
• Skilled in Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) software and proficient in data analysis and visualization platforms.

Responsibilities

• Product Change & Launch Management: Engineering Change Management: Lead engineering commodity changes for minor product launches, manage cost reduction actions, and oversee engineering trials and the implementation of running changes while rigorously ensuring quality standards are met.
• Quality Documentation & Reporting: Maintain critical quality documents for vehicle subsystems and functional groups, and prepare and present comprehensive quality reports to various levels of management.
• Critical Issue Escalation: Effectively escalate "Help Needed" issues and critical quality concerns through appropriate core engineering meetings for timely resolution and management awareness.
• Engineering Change Authorization: Issue Engineering Alerts and initiate or pursue authorization of Engineering Concerns for product changes required to achieve critical quality objectives.
• Quality Analysis & Problem Solving: Data-Driven Quality Improvement: Proactively analyze warranty claims data, customer feedback, and daily quality reports to identify and investigate emerging quality issues. This includes coordinating parts returns for thorough root cause analysis.
• Root Cause Investigation & Corrective Actions: Lead in-depth root cause analysis of identified quality issues, developing, documenting, and implementing effective interim containment and permanent corrective actions. Ensure all actions are meticulously recorded in relevant systems.
• Variability Reduction Team (VRT) Leadership: Lead VRT activities, collaborating closely with cross-functional teams to drive continuous quality improvements aligned with customer requirements and manufacturing best practices.
• On-Site Plant Support & Collaboration: Assembly Plant Support: Provide critical on-site quality support to the assembly plant, addressing urgent issues such as Stop Ships/Stop Builds, quality campaigns, audits, and other quality-related tasks to maintain production integrity and prevent disruptions.
• Cross-functional Collaboration: Collaborate extensively with internal teams (e.g., Product Development, Manufacturing) and external supplier partners to accurately map issues, develop robust countermeasures, and ensure the effective implementation of quality solutions.
• New Model and System Launch Support: Provide hands-on support for new model launches and specific system implementations, ensuring all quality objectives are met during vehicle operations and manufacturing ramp-up.
• Team & Stakeholder Engagement: Work directly with hourly personnel, fellow engineers, suppliers, and all levels of company management to foster collaboration and drive quality initiatives effectively.

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: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees