Product Development Engineer-Brake Core NVH and Dynamometers

Ford Motor Company • 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, requiring expertise in brake noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH), friction-pair behavior, system integration, vehicle-level performance, and brake dynamometer operations. The engineer owns brake NVH methods, authors system and component requirements, and uses model-based systems engineering to connect customer attributes to design decisions and verification evidence. The role serves as the technical lead with CAE and leads the peer network of brake NVH champions, while supporting program-level work including dyno noise signoff, cold-room and low-frequency vehicle testing, electric parking brake sound quality, and vehicle-level evaluation.

The position is the single point of ownership for brake dynamometer testing across Ford-operated and leased facilities. It determines test assignments and schedules based on machine capabilities, manages an annual operating budget in the millions of dollars, and coordinates Ford engineering, facilities, skilled trades, lab operators, and suppliers. The role makes high-visibility prioritization decisions amid constrained test capacity, with work affecting program timing, launch quality, warranty performance, and customer satisfaction.

The position is hybrid and requires onsite presence four or more days per week. The employee may need to be available outside normal hours for urgent issues. The salary ranges are $65,100–$109,300 for grade 5, $74,300–$124,500 for grade 6, $86,600–$144,900 for grade 7, and $99,100–$166,200 for grade 8; final grade and salary depend on skills, experience, and role scope. Visa sponsorship is unavailable.

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 dynamometer 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 the 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, using 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 dynamometer and vehicle-level test strategies; interpret acoustic, vibration, thermal, and dynamometer 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; verify corrective actions under representative conditions; and explain differences between Ford and supplier test results.
• Receive and reconcile all dynamometer test requests and lead weekly scheduling meetings covering dyno status, fixture builds, parts, and supplier signoffs.
• Assign tests to suitable dynos based on capability and schedule tests only after parts arrive and signoff photos are approved.
• Prioritize competing program requests and clearly explain scheduling decisions to stakeholders.
• Serve as the escalation point for dyno breakdowns, malfunctions, late reports, missed supplier signoffs, and urgent test starts; provide off-hours availability when needed.
• Plan holiday coverage, including lab staffing and movement of fixtures and parts between buildings.
• Manage the annual dyno operating budget, authorize normal operating expenses, and forecast monthly spending and burn rate.
• Determine the number of leased dynos to fund according to workload and availability, reducing capacity when it is not needed.
• Audit monthly operating invoices, verify charges, and resolve discrepancies with lab operators before recommending payment.
• Schedule and approve dyno and capacitance-probe rack calibrations; approve fixture and driver builds; and order spare hardware.
• Provide workload inputs for the annual budget process and work with facilities leadership to prioritize dyno repairs and upgrades.
• Run biweekly operations efficiency reviews, update metrics and run charts, and prepare agendas covering downtime and open issues.
• Review dyno breakdowns and repairs for duration, root cause, lessons learned, and missed preventive maintenance.
• Track downtime awaiting engineering and technicians, monitor test-lab uptime against contractual commitments, and use make-up time to fund additional capacity.
• Identify hidden operational losses and establish metrics such as report-generation timing.
• Monitor recurring failures in environmental control units, refrigerant systems, cooling-water systems, and main drive systems, and promote effective preventive maintenance.
• Establish oversight of the vehicle chassis dyno at the leased facility, track uptime and root causes, and evaluate long-term options such as a new chassis dyno with EMB capability.
• Lead upgrade planning by obtaining quotes, defining scope, and agreeing on funding responsibilities.
• Drive projects including 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 upgrades 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.
• Maintain fixture inventory, storage and scrapping guidelines, and post-test part-retention processes.
• 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.
• Understand organizational ownership and 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, and subsidized back-up 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.
• 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