Product Development Engineer - Heat Exchanger Core Engineer

Ford Motor Company • Dearborn, MI

9d • $74,300 - $166,200 • Hybrid

About The Position

Ford is hiring a Product Development Engineer to lead heat exchanger components, including condensers, radiators, charge-air coolers, water-cooled condensers, and battery chillers. The role requires expertise in heat exchanger design, aluminum alloys and materials, brazing and other manufacturing processes, and laboratory analysis. The engineer supports product development and vehicle applications by helping deliver optimized refrigerant- and powertrain-system designs, resolve technical issues, improve quality, and reduce cost.

The position works with Ford organizations, laboratories, application teams, suppliers, and cross-functional groups. It also supports product release CAD and BOM structures, supplier data integration, design studies, core engineering documentation, validation and signoffs, and development of new technologies and suppliers. The position is hybrid, with an expectation to work onsite four or more days per week.

Requirements

• Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related field.
• At least 3 years of experience in heat exchanger design and development.
• Strong knowledge of DFMEA and its implementation under AIAG/VDA.
• Laboratory experience in metallurgy related to heat exchangers.
• Knowledge of corrosion laboratory testing and material designs.
• Knowledge of materials and heat exchanger manufacturing processes, including fluxing, brazing, and end-of-line checks.
• Understanding of investigation tools such as SEM, FTIR, surface analysis tools, and TGA.
• Ability to lead and align people who do not directly report to the position.
• Ability to communicate opinions effectively at all levels and drive organizational decisions.

Nice To Haves

• Master of Engineering in electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, physics, systems engineering, or a related area.

Responsibilities

• Support creation and maintenance of core engineering documents, including DFMEA/SCCAF documents, requirements, and test procedures.
• Support application teams with sourcing decisions, validation planning, engineering signoffs, and manufacturing site reviews.
• Sign off on DV/PV/SREA/DPA for heat exchanger components.
• Solve technical problems related to launch, recalls, quality, and field issues.
• Understand heat exchanger manufacturing processes, including tube and fin forming, stamping, injection molding, brazing, and end-of-line leak checks.
• Understand corrosion methodologies for different heat exchanger designs, conduct root-cause analyses, and work with suppliers on countermeasures and preventive actions.
• Apply knowledge of materials, analysis tools, design, and manufacturing for heat exchanger components.
• Lead technical discussions to deliver optimized refrigerant or powertrain designs for vehicle systems.
• Work with Ford organizations, laboratories, and outside suppliers to direct solutions to issues.
• Support global application teams with refrigerant- and coolant-based heat exchanger issues.
• Optimize designs for cost reduction while maintaining quality and performance.
• Interact with Refrigerant, Power Train, NVH, Controls, and CAE teams.
• Collaborate with internal subsystem technical specialists and external suppliers.
• Support new technology and supplier development.
• Support strategy papers, including modularity and commodity business plans.
• Provide technical support for cost-reduction ideas and quality improvements.
• Manage product release CAD and BOM structures, including assembly positioning and mass attribute analysis.
• Facilitate supplier data integration and develop CAD studies to support design improvements.
• Document thermal-system success factors and lessons learned in design rules, requirements, and technical design guides, and teach related learning sessions.

Benefits

• Immediate medical, dental, vision, and prescription drug coverage.
• Paid parental leave, new parent ramp-up programs, and subsidized backup childcare.
• 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: Mid Level