Product Development Engineer-Brake Core NVH and Dynamometers

Ford • Livonia, MI

1d • $65,100 - $166,200 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Brake NVH Core Engineer is a technical and operational leadership role in Underbody Systems, focused on brake noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH), friction-pair behavior, system integration, vehicle-level performance, and brake dynamometer operations. The position owns brake NVH methods and requirements, applies model-based systems engineering to link customer attributes to design decisions and verification evidence, serves as the technical lead with CAE, and leads the peer network of brake NVH champions. The role also supports program-level NVH work, including dynamometer noise signoff, cold-room and low-frequency vehicle testing, electric parking brake (EPB) sound quality, and vehicle-level subjective and objective evaluation.

The role is the single point of ownership for brake dynamometer testing across Ford-operated dynos at Building 4 and leased dynos at LTL. It determines test placement and scheduling across machines with varying capabilities and manages an annual operating budget in the millions of dollars. The engineer coordinates Ford engineering, facilities, skilled trades, contracted test-lab operators, suppliers, and software specialists. This high-visibility position prioritizes scarce test capacity and affects program timing, launch quality, warranty performance, and customer satisfaction.

The engineer manages test intake and scheduling, budgets and invoices, facility efficiency and reliability, dyno hardware and software upgrades, procedures, fixtures, and parts. The position also establishes oversight for a vehicle chassis dyno at the leased facility and communicates test status, risks, and results to technical and leadership audiences. The position is hybrid and requires onsite work four or more days per week.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Automotive, Aerospace, or a related engineering field.
• At least 5 years of experience in brake NVH, brake system engineering, or brake dynamometer testing.
• Ability to prioritize competing demands, make decisions under pressure, and influence without direct authority.
• Strong communication, negotiation, and relationship-building skills across engineering, trades, suppliers, and management.
• Financial skills, including budget tracking, forecasting, and detailed invoice review.
• Willingness to be available for urgent issues outside normal hours.
• Professional proficiency in English and Spanish.

Nice To Haves

• Master's degree in Mechanical, Automotive, Aerospace, or a related engineering field.
• Hands-on experience executing and interpreting dyno or vehicle-level tests.
• Experience managing a laboratory or test facility, including scheduling, calibration, uptime metrics, and vendor oversight.
• Familiarity with dynamometer systems, including environmental control, drive systems, and control software such as LabLINK, RevData, and ProLINK.
• Knowledge of EMB, EPB, and 48V brake systems and their test requirements.
• Working knowledge of CAE and model-to-test correlation.
• Experience writing technical requirements and applying systems engineering practices.
• Experience with model-based systems engineering tools.
• Experience leading technical networks, training others, or managing contracted test providers.
• Experience supporting vehicle launch and warranty-reduction activities.
• CAD Level 2 capability, if applicable to this grade.

Responsibilities

• Develop, document, and maintain brake NVH test and analysis methods, translating analytical and physical learnings into design guidance and reusable standards.
• Author and maintain system and component NVH requirements and use model-based systems engineering to maintain traceability from customer needs through CAE, test methods, and verification evidence.
• Serve as the key technical lead with CAE, align modeling priorities, and drive model-to-test correlation.
• Lead the peer network of brake NVH champions by providing coaching, common methods, escalation support, and cross-program alignment.
• Define dyno and vehicle-level test strategies; interpret acoustic, vibration, thermal, and dyno data; and support supplier signoff testing.
• Support program NVH deliverables, including dyno noise signoff, cold-room and low-frequency noise vehicle tests, EPB sound quality, and low-speed vehicle tests.
• Lead root-cause investigations of squeal, judder, roughness, moan, and groan; confirm corrective actions under representative conditions; and explain differences between Ford and supplier test results.
• Receive and reconcile every dyno test request and ensure none are missed.
• Lead weekly dyno scheduling meetings and review dyno operational status, fixture builds, parts, and supplier signoffs.
• Assign tests to appropriate dynos based on capabilities, including heavy-duty, drag, EMB, EPB, speed, inertia, torque, pressure, and fixture-size needs; use simpler machines when appropriate to maximize capacity.
• Schedule tests after parts arrive and signoff photos are approved; prioritize competing programs and clearly explain decisions to stakeholders.
• Act as escalation point for dyno problems, including breakdowns, malfunctions, late reports, missed supplier signoffs, and urgent test starts; be available outside normal hours when needed.
• Plan holiday coverage, including lab staffing and movement of fixtures and parts between buildings.
• Manage the annual dyno operating budget, authorize normal operations spending, and forecast monthly spending and burn rate against planned fixture builds, emissions testing, and other purchases.
• Decide when and how many leased dynos to fund based on workload and availability, and reduce capacity when it is not needed.
• Audit monthly operating invoices, check dyno charges and related costs, resolve discrepancies with the lab operator, and recommend payment.
• Schedule and approve dyno and capacitance-probe rack calibrations; approve fixture and driver builds; and order spare hardware such as shafts, bearings, and seals.
• Support annual budget planning with workload inputs and work with Ford facilities leadership to rank and fund dyno repairs and upgrades.
• Run biweekly operations efficiency reviews, update metrics and run charts using lab-operator data, and prepare agendas covering downtime and open issues.
• Review dyno breakdowns and repairs for duration, root cause, lessons learned, and missed preventive maintenance; investigate underlying causes rather than symptoms.
• Track downtime waiting for engineering and technicians, and track test-lab uptime against contractual commitments; use make-up time to fund additional test capacity.
• Identify hidden operational losses, including tests that take longer than expected, and add and monitor metrics such as report-generation timing.
• Monitor recurring failures in environmental control units, refrigerant systems, cooling-water systems, and main drive systems, and advocate for effective preventive maintenance.
• Establish and run oversight for the vehicle chassis dyno at the leased facility, track uptime and root causes, and evaluate longer-term options such as a new chassis dyno with EMB capability.
• Lead planning for dyno upgrades by obtaining quotes, defining scope, and agreeing on funding responsibilities.
• Drive EMB-compatible noise scripts and servo-control updates, higher-voltage and higher-amperage power supplies for EMB and EPB testing, and EMB updates to the highest-inertia dyno.
• Secure replacement corrosion-chamber capability as existing facilities are retired.
• Coordinate upgrade and operations work across engineering, facilities, skilled trades, lab operators, and software specialists.
• Audit, enforce, and update operating procedures, including test request flow, supplier signoff guidelines, and pre-test dyno setup checks to company standards.
• Maintain fixture inventory; manage fixture storage and scrapping guidelines; and manage post-test part retention processes for NVH and performance tests.
• Host professional laboratory tours for audiences ranging from interns to executives.
• Manage working relationships among Ford engineering, facilities, skilled trades, contracted lab operators and software specialists, and the chassis-dyno lab; escalate repairs and upgrades through the appropriate channels.
• Communicate test status, risks, and results clearly to technical and leadership audiences.

Benefits

• Immediate medical, dental, vision, and prescription drug coverage.
• Paid parental leave, new parent ramp-up programs, subsidized back-up childcare, and more.
• 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.
• Established and active employee resource groups.
• Paid time off for individual and team community service.
• Generous vacation time, sick/personal time, and paid holidays, including between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day.

What This Job Offers

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