Research Engineer - Joining CAE

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.

In this position... 

The Materials, Process, Structures & Safety organization within Ford Research & Advanced Engineering is seeking an employee to work in the Advanced Joining Research Department. The team delivers novel mechanical, thermal, and chemical joining solutions to reduce cost, improve quality, and enable Ford vehicle architectures and powertrains. The department comprises a multidisciplinary team of mechanical and materials engineers, adhesive and welding specialists, computer scientists, and laboratory technicians.

When new joining processes are developed, robust execution in design is critical. Implementing new joining technologies or changing from one joining technology to another requires accurate reliable models to predict the joint behavior in-vehicle. Models are critical to enable design efficiency (right joining technology in the right location) and reduce design verification iterations (testing and timing). This position will develop models and simulation of performance for joints to support analytical sign-off of components and vehicles.

What you'll do...

Develop fundamental CAE models of automotive joints produced via novel mechanical, thermal, and chemical joining processes to enable robust simulation of component and full-vehicle attributes.

Design experiments, conduct joining trials and correlation experiments, characterize mechanical and metallurgical properties of joints and materials, and perform statistical analyses to develop and optimize joining performance models and determine key inputs.

Conduct sensitivity analyses to determine impact of imperfections on joint attributes. 

Work cross-functionally with other materials simulation experts to integrate material cards and models into safety CAE for different joining technologies. 

Pursue a balanced portfolio of long-term research and shorter-term development. 

Conduct gap analyses and evaluate business case for new models. 

Collaborate with stakeholders in Product Development, suppliers and IT to develop and implement advanced joining models and make improvements. 

Benchmark competitor models and simulations for joining performance.

Develop test methods; support engineering specification and design guideline development.

Identify and implement novel process improvements and protect intellectual property.

Document findings via oral presentations and written technical reports.

You'll have...

B.S. in Materials Science / Mechanical Engineering / Welding Engineering / Computer Science or in a related discipline

3+ years of CAE modeling or joining simulation experience 

Experience in mechanical, thermal or chemical joining technologies

Demonstrated capability in data analysis and documentation of results 

Self-starter with ability to handle complex assignments

Exemplary written and oral communication skills

Strong interpersonal skills and capability to excel on cross-functional teams 

Passion for innovation

Even better, you may have...

M.S. or Ph.D. in Materials Science, Computer Science, or a related physical science field of study

5+ years' experience in finite element methods, connection modeling and joining of metals

Demonstrated capability in research or advanced development, including gap analyses and literature reviews, experimental scoping and design, joining modeling and simulation, analysis and documentation of results

Experience with automotive body construction methods 

Experience in mechanical testing and metallurgical sample preparation and analysis

Proficiency with statistical analysis packages

Plant and/or laboratory experience

You may not check every box, or your experience may look a little different from what we've outlined, but if you think you can bring value to Ford Motor Company, we encourage you to apply!

As an established global company, we offer the benefit of choice. You can choose what your Ford future will look like: will your story span the globe, or keep you close to home? Will your career be a deep dive into what you love, or a series of new teams and new skills? Will you be a leader, a changemaker, a technical expert, a culture builder…or all of the above? No matter what you choose, we offer a work life that works for you, including:

• 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. 

This position is a salary grade 7 and ranges from $86,600-$144,900. 

Final determination of salary grade will be based on candidate's skills and experience, and base salary will be set within the applicable range according to job scope, responsibility and competitive market value.

For more information on salary and benefits, click here: https://fordcareers.co/GSR

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Candidates for positions with Ford Motor Company must be legally authorized to work in the United States. Verification of employment eligibility will be required at the time of hire.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, age, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status or protected veteran status. In the United States, if you need a reasonable accommodation for the online application process due to a disability, please call 1-888-336-0660.

This position is hybrid with a requirement to be onsite four or more days per week. #LI-Hybrid

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