Design Perceived Quality Specialist

We made history and now we work to transform the future – for our customers, our communities and our families. You'll see your work on the road every day, helping people move freely and pursue their dreams. At Ford, you can build more than vehicles. Come build what matters.

Join us in shaping the future of Ford Motor Company, as part of a global organization with exceptional colleagues in world-class facilities. As part of Ford Design, you’ll be at the cutting edge of Ford’s most strategically critical work, designing people and society’s needs into the heart of our next generation of products, services, and experiences.

The Design Perceived Quality (DPQ) Specialist is responsible for driving Best-In-Class (BIC) interior and exterior fit, finish, and surface execution for Ford and Lincoln vehicles. Bridging the gap between creative design, engineering, and manufacturing, this role collaborates with designers and cross-functional partners to develop optimized surface execution and sections (understanding both "A" and "B" sides) while challenging traditional execution norms. Additionally, the role leads, from a Design perspective, competitive assessment initiatives to document and share Areas of Concern (AoC) and Areas of Excellence (AoE). 

What you'll do...

• This position maintains and builds Designs PQ assessment reference libraries.
• Responsible for Improving Interior and Exterior Perceived Quality from a Design POV for both Ford and Lincoln products.
• Responsible for program assessment and documentation for Design PQ that achieve excellence in all Ford and Lincoln products.
• Responsible for challenging execution norms and outdated sections to achieve BIC fit and finish, and PQ by TODAY’S NEW standards
• Responsible for sharing PQ assessment documents w/design team and program to assist in prioritizing value of each element relative to customer perception
• Works with design teams, design engineering, body engineering, craftsmanship, and manufacturing in the development of sections that enable BIC PQ
• Collaborates with digital modelers to assess and develop surface excellence and perfection
• Responsible for assessing 3D surface quality for highlights and execution
• Responsible for building trust and maintaining positive working relationships with Product Development counterparts (DTO, Craftsmanship, etc.)
• Leads the Design PQ Discovery process.
• Responsible for photo documentation of current Global Ford products as well as Global Best-In-Class competitive vehicles and maintains an online reference library (SharePoint site) of both Areas of Excellence and Areas of Concern for specific programs

You'll have...

• Bachelors degree in Industrial Design, Quality, and/or Engineering

• 7-8 years of studio engineering and/or design experience in an Automotive OEM

• Creative experience with knowledge of technical requirements for automotive design

• Proficient at creative problem-solving.

• Deep knowledge and understanding of automotive materials used in manufacturing 

• Deep knowledge of what it takes to deliver PQ excellence

• Must be a great collaborator, works well with others, and has a team player mindset

• Deep knowledge of surface development and execution with a keen eye for design
• Deep understanding of materials and manufacturing to achieve BIC design PQ
• Understands “B” side surface to achieve execution excellence on the “A” side surface
• Must be a self-starter

Even better, you may have...

• Experience with OEM’s who are considered to have BIC PQ

• ICEM and Alias CAD literate with ability to pull up assess 3D digital data

• Computer skills and software knowledge of Microsoft Office

• # years direct experience with design digital tools

• Automotive Industrial Design and/or Engineering emphasis preferred

• Experience working in or with creative cultures
• Experience of managing multiple stakeholders across complex projects