Hybrid Principal Design Quality Engineer – Vehicle Appearance & Harmony

at Ford Motor Company

• Job title: Principal Design Quality Engineer – Vehicle Appearance & Harmony
• Job type: Full Time
• Experience level: Lead
• Salary: Not specified
• Degree requirement: Bachelor's Degree
• Location requirements: Hybrid, Dearborn, United States

About the role

• Principal Design Quality Engineer at Ford ensuring visual integrity and appearance harmony in vehicle design and production. Lead assessments and collaborate with cross-functional teams for high automotive quality standards.

Responsibilities

• Lead comprehensive visual assessments of interior and exterior components, spanning various materials and processes, to rigorously certify compliance with Ford's design intent and appearance standards.
• Orchestrate and lead Interior and Exterior Harmony Reviews (focusing on color, grain, and gloss) at production facilities, ensuring a cohesive and premium aesthetic across all vehicle lines.
• Drive the evaluation of production parts to Ford Standards for Color, Grain, Gloss, and overall quality appearance, identifying and resolving deviations proactively.
• Serve as a primary expert in manufacturing and tooling processes, leveraging this knowledge to proactively influence product and process changes that ensure adherence to Ford's demanding appearance standards.
• Champion the continuous improvement of appearance quality processes, identifying inefficiencies and driving transformative changes to enhance our methodologies and outcomes.
• Document and manage the program status of Appearance Approval Reports (AARs) and Vehicle Harmony, providing clear, concise, and actionable insights to program and supplier teams.
• Act as a central coordinator and consultant, collaborating extensively with cross-functional teams including Design, Engineering, Manufacturing, and Quality departments to resolve complex appearance-related challenges.
• Lead root cause analysis for appearance issues, implementing robust corrective actions and preventative measures throughout the product lifecycle.
• Utilize advanced CAD software (e.g., 3Dx, CATIA) to perform digital assessments and simulations of appearance quality, enabling proactive identification and resolution of potential issues ahead of physical production.
• Maintain a deep understanding of materials science, paint, and manufacturing processes, and their impact on aesthetic attributes.
• Travel as required (up to 10% domestically and internationally within North America), with increased travel during critical program launch phases, to support evaluations and problem resolution at manufacturing sites.

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree in a relevant field such as Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Design, or a closely related discipline. Equivalent demonstrated experience in the areas of automotive appearance quality will also be considered.
• A minimum of 5+ years of experience in appearance quality, with a strong focus on color, grain, gloss, and overall vehicle harmony conformance.
• Demonstrated ability to consistently pass a color vision test, indicating superior visual acuity for discerning subtle differences in color and finish.
• In-depth knowledge of automotive materials, paints, and manufacturing processes, and their direct influence on aesthetic attributes.
• Proficiency in CAD software (e.g., 3Dx, CATIA) for digital appearance assessments and analysis.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with a track record of identifying and resolving complex appearance quality issues.
• Exceptional written and oral communication skills, with the ability to articulate complex appearance quality concepts and findings effectively to diverse audiences, including senior leadership and technical teams.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams, influence stakeholders, and drive consensus towards optimal appearance quality solutions.

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.