Restraints Engineer

The Restraints Quality D&R Engineer is responsible for the end-to-end lifecycle of occupant protection components,such as airbags (driver, passenger, side, curtain, knee), seatbelts, steering columns, and crash sensors.

This role ensures that these safety-critical systems not only meet rigorous design intent and functional requirements but also adhere to the highest quality standards throughout the Global Product Development System (GPDS) cycle.

Key Responsibilities

Component Design and Releasing

• Lead the design, development, and release of restraint components using Ford’s internal systems (e.g., WERS - Worldwide Engineering Release System).
• Manage deliverables through the GPDS landscape, ensuring all engineering signs-offs (e.g., FEC, LoC) are completed on time for vehicle launches.
• Collaborate with Studio and Body Engineering to ensure restraint components are packaged correctly within the vehicle interior while maintaining deployment clearance and ergonomic requirements.

Quality and Robustness

• Lead the development of DFMEA (Design Failure Mode and Effects Analysis) and PFMEA (Process Failure Mode and Effects Analysis) to identify and mitigate risks early in the design phase.
• Identify and manage Significant/Critical Characteristics (CC/SC) to ensure supplier manufacturing processes remain capable of producing parts to specification.
• Utilize Ford’s G8D (Global 8 Discipline) process and Six Sigma methodologies to resolve complex technical issues, whether they occur during prototype builds or in the field.

Validation and Compliance

• Ensure all components comply with global safety regulations, including FMVSS (Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards), ECE, and CNCAP requirements.
• Define and execute Design Verification (DV) and Production Validation (PV) plans. This includes overseeing component-level testing (e.g., deployment at temperature extremes, environmental aging) and supporting full-vehicle crash testing.
• Interpret sled test and crash test data to refine component performance and ensure occupant injury criteria are met.

Supplier and Cross-Functional Leadership

• Act as the primary technical point of contact for Tier 1 safety suppliers (e.g., Autoliv, ZF, Joyson). Monitor supplier APQP (Advanced Product Quality Planning) progress and PPAP (Production Part Approval Process) readiness.
• Provide on-site engineering support at Ford Assembly Plants (Vehicle Operations) during Pre-Program (TT, PP, MP1) builds to resolve fit-and-finish or assembly-related issues.