Simulation Research Engineer

Ford Motor • Dearborn, MI

17h • 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? At Ford Motor Company, we believe freedom of movement drives human progress. We also believe in providing you with the freedom to define and realize your dreams. With our incredible plans for the future of mobility, we have a wide variety of opportunities for you to accelerate your career potential as you help us define tomorrow’s transportation. In this position... Ford’s Research and Advanced Engineering team explores new vehicle and societal innovations that require some level of invention before they can be applied to our products and services. The team is building on a history of Ford innovation, including our invention of the three-way catalytic converter to modernize vehicle emissions controls in the 1970s and the world’s first rear inflatable seat belts in 2010. The Materials, Processing, Structures and Safety Laboratory in Ford’s Research and Advanced Engineering organization is seeking an employee to work in the Simulation group in the Coatings and Surfaces Research team. The team’s focus is on fundamentally understanding coatings and surfaces that exist or are created in the manufacturing of automobiles. The research in this group is multidisciplinary and has both experimental and simulation components. For our current opening, we are looking for someone with strong simulation and modeling skills of coating processes and deep understanding of transport phenomena, including fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, and heat transfer. This exciting research role requires a multi-functional relationship with several organizations within Ford, which include Ford Model e, Ford Blue, Ford Ion Park, Basic Design, and Manufacturing.

Requirements

• PhD in Chemical, Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering with thesis work in Computational Science (e.g. Computation Fluid Dynamics), or a M.S. in Chemical, Mechanical, or Aerospace Engineering plus 5+ years of industrial experience using Computational Science.
• Strong background in modeling and simulation with deep understanding and knowledge in fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, and heat transfer.
• Strong background in applied mathematics and in-depth knowledge in numerical algorithms for partial differential equation (PDE) systems.
• Hands-on experience in advanced techniques in parameter estimation, uncertainty quantification (UQ), machine learning (ML), and/or reduced-order modeling (ROM).
• In-depth knowledge and experience in one or more of the following areas: coating and drying processes, porous medium transport, capillary flows, colloidal suspensions.
• Proficiency in Python, Julia, or C++.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with industry-standard CFD software such as COMSOL, OpenFOAM, STAR-CCM+, or similar.
• Experience of coating and drying processes within a manufacturing context.
• Deep understanding of rheology and behavior of non-Newtonian or complex fluids.
• Experience developing coupled multi-physics models for complex systems, such as fluid-structure interaction or transport-chemical coupling.
• Experience with computational model validation through experimental measurements.
• Experience with multiscale modeling for transport phenomena.
• Outstanding digital literacy as well as written and oral communication skills.
• Great teammate with strong interpersonal skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop and use state-of-the-art computational tools to simulate different automotive manufacturing processes.
• Develop a robust, multidisciplinary research portfolio across several areas of interest with both short-term and long-term deliverables.
• Develop advanced simulation methods to solve relevant Company issues with a specific emphasis on battery manufacturing and automotive paint processes.
• Rapidly solve time-critical Company issues using novel experimental approaches.
• Grow a network of collaboration inside of Ford and outside of Ford with universities, government laboratories and suppliers.
• Document research via internal reports and external publications and presentations.

Benefits

• Immediate medical, dental, vision and prescription drug coverage
• Flexible family care days, paid parental leave, new parent ramp-up programs, subsidized back-up child care 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
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree