Body Interior Core Engineering Supervisor - IP/Console

At Ford, you can build more than vehicles. Come build what matters.

The Body Interior Core Engineering Supervisor leads a team responsible for developing the technical foundations and advanced engineering solutions for Body Interior systems and components. The role owns functional standards, engineering specifications, design rules, analytical methods, technology strategies, and reusable solutions supporting FoM and FNA programs.

Responsibilities

• People:
• Establish technical performance standards and priorities for Core Engineering.
• Develop engineers' expertise through training, mentoring, technical reviews, and hands-on coaching.
• Maintain technical competency and succession plans aligned with the Body Interior TMM.
• Build subject-matter expertise in materials, craftsmanship, manufacturing processes, occupant interfaces, and system integration.
• Allocate resources across advanced engineering, standards development, and program support.

• Core Engineering and Advanced Technology:
• Own and continuously improve Body Interior engineering specifications, SDS requirements, design rules, design guidelines, test procedures, and technical requirements.
• Develop the Body Interior technology strategy and advanced engineering roadmap.
• Identify, evaluate, and mature new materials, processes, features, architectures, and manufacturing technologies.
• Lead concept development, feasibility studies, analytical assessments, prototyping, and validation.
• Define technology maturity criteria and ensure solutions are ready before transfer to vehicle programs.
• Promote reusable architectures, standardized interfaces, common components, and engineering commonality.
• Establish objective engineering methods that translate customer expectations into measurable requirements.
• Benchmark competitive products and emerging technologies to identify opportunities for improved quality, cost, weight, sustainability, and customer experience.
• Capture lessons learned and convert them into updated standards, methods, and requirements.
• Protect intellectual property and support invention disclosures and patent development where appropriate.

• Program and Technical Support:
• Provide technical direction and escalation support to Body Interior program teams.
• Ensure core solutions support Best-in-Ford and Best-in-Class objectives.
• Lead or support Technical Design Reviews and resolution of complex cross-functional issues.
• Assess manufacturing and assembly feasibility, robustness, serviceability, and customer performance.
• Support design, release, validation, tooling, build, and launch activities when core expertise is required.
• Review significant engineering changes, deviations, concerns, notices, and alerts affecting functional standards or technology strategy.
• Ensure effective knowledge transfer from Core Engineering to Design & Release, Manufacturing, Purchasing, STA, and suppliers.

• Process and Governance:
• Maintain governance for standards, requirements, design rules, analytical methods, test procedures, and technical documentation.
• Define measurable deliverables, maturity targets, and review cadences for core and advanced engineering projects.
• Ensure compliance with applicable engineering processes, quality methods, legal requirements, and corporate policies.
• Manage headcount, budgets, facilities, software, prototypes, and testing resources.
• Track technology readiness, technical risks, intellectual-property opportunities, and implementation status.
• Align departmental objectives with functional and enterprise priorities.

• Supplier and External Relationships:
• Establish technical requirements and capability expectations for strategic suppliers.
• Partner with Purchasing and STA to assess supplier technology, engineering capability, control plans, and development readiness.
• Lead technical engagements with suppliers, universities, research organizations, and technology partners.
• Support supplier selection, sourcing studies, innovation workshops, technical reviews, and matched-pair activities.
• Review supplier engineering authorization requests and other technical approvals within the function's responsibility.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Materials Science, or a related engineering discipline.
• 5+ years of relevant Body Interior product development, core-engineering, or advanced-engineering experience.
• Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Materials Science, or a related engineering discipline.
• Demonstrated experience leading technical teams and developing engineering talent.
• Strong knowledge of Body Interior systems, materials, manufacturing processes, craftsmanship, validation, and system integration.
• Experience developing technical standards, requirements, design rules, test methods, and reusable engineering solutions.
• Proven ability to lead technology development from early concept through validation and program transfer.
• Working knowledge of GPDS, quality tools, risk-management methods, and technology-readiness assessment.
• Strong analytical, benchmarking, innovation, project-management, and problem-solving capabilities.
• Excellent written, verbal, negotiation, and executive-presentation skills.
• Proficiency in 3D CAD geometry, C3P tools and processes, GD&T, and common productivity applications.

Benefits

• Immediate medical, dental, vision, and prescription drug coverage
• 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
• Generous vacation time, sick/personal time, and paid holidays, including between Christmas Eve and New Year's Day