Product Development Engineer – Wiper/Washer (Subject Matter Expert)

Ford Motor Company • Dearborn, MI

2d • $99,100 - $166,200 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Product Development Engineer serves as the Subject Matter Expert for exterior wiper and washer systems within Ford’s Global Body Exterior Ornamentation team. The role is responsible for technical content, strategy, processes, and robust design and delivery of components and vehicle systems on a global scale. It leads technical aspects of product strategy, concept and product development, verification and validation, launch sign-off, ongoing support, and product quality assurance in the field.

The role acts as a technical architect and specialist, supporting global teams and interfacing with management and external organizations. It guides standardized tools, methods, processes, commodity standards, specifications, verification methods, and foundation documents, while leading failure-mode-avoidance design reviews and prevention of recurrence.

Requirements

• Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering or a related physical science field.
• At least 10 years as a Body Exterior Design and Release Engineer or similar experience.
• At least 6 years of experience with responsibilities specific to exterior automotive engineering, focused on systems such as exterior wiper and washer systems, hoses, nozzles, motors, or related exterior automotive engineering.
• Understanding of DC motor functionality and performance.
• Expert-level knowledge of body exterior wiper and washer attributes, including material properties, durability and NVH design attributes, corrosion mitigation, control plan management, tooling, and testing methods.
• Experience across all program phases from Pre-Program through Launch, including one major program (scale 4–6).
• Working knowledge of applicable design, analysis, verification, quality, manufacturing, and assembly methods.
• Demonstrated improvements in customer satisfaction, warranty reduction, and total cost reduction.
• Working knowledge and experience with engineering tools, including CAE, CATIA, and TCE.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated strong leadership behaviors.
• Excellent problem-solving and root-cause-analysis skills.
• Ability to teach, coach, and mentor, and to document technical knowledge.
• Self-starter able to work effectively with little oversight.

Nice To Haves

• Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering or a related physical science field.
• Patents or inventions, defensive disclosures or trade secrets, and/or technical publications.
• Experience developing advanced technology for exterior components related to wipers and washers.
• Experience with GPDS and GTDS processes, timing, and delivery requirements.
• Experience writing DFMEAs, SCCAFs, engineering specifications, requirements, design rules, or equivalent core documents.
• Ability to build strong working relationships with stakeholders, including program teams, purchasing, manufacturing, STA, and suppliers.
• Aptitude for developing processes.
• Strong understanding of statistical analysis and dimensional variance.
• CATIA V5 capability.
• Extensive experience and strong TMM working on safety-critical systems and components.

Responsibilities

• Provide global sign-off of exterior wiper and washer HIR requirements for application programs at key milestones.
• Serve as an internal and external technical resource on component and vehicle systems, and provide technical support to global teams.
• Recommend, develop, and verify applications for new and advanced exterior wiper and washer system designs.
• Analyze designs during development and address potential failures and error states.
• Lead new concept design to improve system performance and support timely implementation.
• Monitor and investigate new system technologies to maintain the company’s industry position.
• Mentor and consult with department engineers and interfacing functions.
• Support Campaign Prevent and CCRG activities for exterior wiper and washer systems, as needed.
• Provide technical advice to ASO and OGC as required.
• Guide development of module system tools, methods, and processes.
• Lead development and maintenance of commodity-specific standards, specifications, and verification methods.
• Lead development and deployment of commodity foundation documents, including DFMEAs, SCCAFs, Boundary Diagrams, P-Diagrams, DVP&Rs, and integration manuals.
• Guide or lead root-cause analysis of warranty, plant, or supplier wiper and washer issues.
• Lead design reviews based on Failure Mode Avoidance (FMA).
• Lead and drive the prevent-recurrence process.
• Share and present work to cross-functional teams and senior leadership.
• Assist global managers, technical leaders, and chief engineers in identifying, resolving, and presenting department technical strategies, objectives, mission, and values.

Benefits

• Immediate medical, dental, vision, and prescription drug coverage.
• Flexible family care days, paid parental leave, new parent ramp-up programs, and subsidized back-up 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.
• 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: Senior