Product Design and Release Engineer – Upper Body Structures

Ford Motor Company

📍Dearborn, MI
Posted May 20, 2026

Job Overview

Position

Product Design and Release Engineer – Upper Body Structures

Company

Ford Motor Company

Location

Dearborn, MI

Work Type

On-site

Job ID

li-4408078883

Job Description

Job Description
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?

In this position...

Professional position utilizing engineering education and experience to design and release Upper Body structures. The D&R engineer is responsible to design, develop, release and validate parts with an emphasis on light-weight materials and designs.

Responsibilities
The engineer will lead the following design engineering activities from pre-program through launch:

  • Understand structural design to meet vehicle attributes including FMVSS, NVH and Safety

  • Lead Purchasing, Finance, and Cost Estimating in supplier selection to achieve program targets

  • Develop component designs that meet customer requirements, and Vehicle Operations manufacturing requirements.

  • Interface with engineers of surrounding components and systems (seats, electrical, etc)

  • Release 3-D CAD that meets system design requirements

  • Support supplier and Ford CAE testing of structure and closure designs prior to tooling

  • Kick off tooling, supplier part manufacturing, part layout, and part testing

  • Lead prototype vehicle level build support for structures

  • Manage Final Engineering Sign-off and production vehicle launch at Ford assembly plants

Qualifications
Minimum Requirements:

  • Requires a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering - Master’s preferred.

  • Excellent communication skills, both oral and written

  • 2 years of experience as structures D&R Engineer or relevant course work for new graduates

  • Working knowledge of Catia V5/V6 and/or 3DX CAD is preferred

  • Recent product development experience with Ford body commodities a plus

Should also have experience:

  • Applying DMAIC and DFSS principles

  • Reviewing and signing-off on component drawings and gaging practices

  • Applying 8D, fishbone, and DOE problem solving methodology

  • Creating Boundary Diagrams, P-Diagrams, DFMEA & SCCAFs

  • Reviewing CAE models and CAD drawings

  • Leading design reviews based on Failure Mode Avoidance

  • Maintaining DVP&R and signing-off on DV tests – including FMVSS requirements

  • Microsoft Office (Word, Excel and Power Point).

  • Executing threaded fastener joint designs and tests

Preferred Requirements:
Knowledge of Ford software systems: AIMS, WERS, FEDE, and Integrator

You may not check every box, or your experience may look a little different from what we've outlined, but if you think you can bring value to Ford Motor Company, we encourage you to apply!

As an established global company, we offer the benefit of choice. You can choose what your Ford future will look like: will your story span the globe, or keep you close to home? Will your career be a deep dive into what you love, or a series of new teams and new skills? Will you be a leader, a changemaker, a technical expert, a culture builder…or all of the above? No matter what you choose, we offer a work life that works for you, including:

  • 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.

For more information on salary and benefits, click here: https://fordcareers.co/GSRSP1

This position is a range of salary grades SG5-SG8 .

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Candidates for positions with Ford Motor Company must be legally authorized to work in the United States. Verification of employment eligibility will be required at the time of hire.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, age, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status or protected veteran status. In the United States, if you need a reasonable accommodation for the online application process due to a disability, please call 1-888-336-0660.

This position is hybrid. Candidates who are in commuting distance to a Ford hub location may be required to be onsite four or more days per week.

#VehicleHardwareEngineering

Interview Prep

AI-powered insights to help you prepare

Key Skills

Required:
Preferred:

Practice Questions

💡Technical Questions (3)
  • 1.How do you approach designing an upper body structure to balance lightweight material requirements with strict FMVSS and NVH safety attributes?
  • 2.Walk me through your process for developing and maintaining a DVP&R, specifically ensuring FMVSS requirements are met prior to production launch.
  • 3.Can you explain your experience with threaded fastener joint designs and how you ensure joint integrity under various load cases?
🎯Behavioral Questions (3)
  • 1.Tell me about a time you had to lead a cross-functional team—including Purchasing, Finance, and Manufacturing—to achieve a program target during supplier selection.
  • 2.Describe a situation where a CAE test or physical prototype test failed just prior to tooling kick-off. How did you handle it?
  • 3.Give an example of a time you led a design review based on Failure Mode Avoidance. What was the outcome?
🧩Situational Questions (2)
  • 1.You are supporting a prototype vehicle build and discover that an upper body closure structure is interfering with a surrounding electrical component, but the design is already released. What do you do?
  • 2.A supplier is struggling to manufacture a lightweight structural part to your specifications, risking the final engineering sign-off and production launch. How would you manage this situation?

Resume Keywords

Make sure these keywords appear on your resume

Upper Body StructuresD&R EngineerCATIA V5/3DXDFMEADVP&RFMVSSNVHDFSS8D Problem SolvingLightweight MaterialsCAE ValidationPrototype Build

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