Hardware Integration Engineer
Ford Motor Company
About the Role
This position involves Systems Design and System Level Sign-Off as a Lead Vehicle Integration Engineer. The role is responsible for identifying and advancing opportunities to simplify designs, optimize systems, and reduce part count. The successful candidate will work across Core Teams to deliver cost, weight, and quality improvements, coordinating system-level changes from evaluation through implementation. They will also guide cross-functional trade-off decisions, balancing competing priorities to achieve the best overall outcomes for the VHE Function.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead Commodity / Systems level sign-off for the assigned Vehicle Integration team.
- Collaborate and work with team members and external partners on packaging, weight, cost, labor, timing, and integration from a systems perspective according to assigned commodity team and content.
- Support functional sign-off and compatibility reviews to deliver all Program Milestones on-time with completed metrics.
- Drive cross-functional issue resolution (including program, finance, quality, attribute, manufacturing, STA, studio, color & materials sign off, suppliers etc.).
- Support escalation when needed.
- Manage total cost, content, and other attributes & metrics within the system.
- Identify opportunity areas for optimization and part reduction.
- Drive cost reduction, weight minimization, and quality improvements.
- Lead the overall optimization of the system.
- Coordinate with Core Teams on system optimization opportunities and manage change.
- Drive SET Adherence to Systems Engineering Operating Principles.
- Champion trade-off decisions to balance within the VHE Function.
Requirements & Tech Stack
- Bachelor’s degree in engineering required.
- Knowledge of systems engineering fundamentals and design-thinking principles.
- Strong technical aptitude and problem-solving skills.
- Clear, professional written and verbal communication skills in English.
- Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment.
- Demonstrated leadership skills and the ability to help teams deliver results.
- Ability to manage multiple issues, prioritize competing demands, and balance immediate needs with longer-term objectives.
- Strong organizational skills and consistent follow-through.
- Ability to build productive working relationships with cross-functional partners.
Nice-to-Haves
- Master's degree.
- Experience working with teams across Program, Studio, Purchasing, Finance, and Engineering.
- Experience delegating tasks or coordinating work across a team.
- A proactive approach to identifying opportunities and addressing challenges.
- Adaptability and decisiveness when priorities or circumstances change.
- Ability to communicate a broader vision and consider differing perspectives with humility.
- Experience leading system- or commodity-level integration and sign-off, including evaluating compatibility and readiness against program requirements.
- Ability to track system content, cost, weight, and other performance metrics, and use them to support timely decisions and program milestone delivery.