Automatic Transmission Systems Technical Expert

Ford • Livonia, MI

1d • $112,680 - $212,760 • Hybrid

About The Position

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.
Product Development uses design thinking & user experience methods to deliver breakthrough products and services that delight our customers. We bring innovative, exciting, and sustainable ideas to life. We have opportunities around the world for you to contribute to advancements in autonomy, electrification, smart mobility technologies, and more!
In this position...

This position is for a Transmission Systems subject matter expert focusing on traditional step transmission design. A Transmission Systems Technical Expert is required to define and execute our current front and rear wheel drive step ratio transmission systems, as well as future strategy. Expertise is required to deliver industry leading efficiency (energy, mass, cost) and robust functionality. The propulsion systems portfolio is evolving and proliferating rapidly with advancements and technology development. It is vital that we in how we execute our existing transmissions, which include 10-speed and 8-speed transmission families, which support all major revenue generating vehicle programs. The recent decision to add another unit program to the 10-speed portfolio, demands significant knowledge and leadership in an area where legacy engineering expertise has significantly reduced in recent years.
Tremendous opportunities exist for innovation, consolidation, simplification, and quality improvements in the traditional transmission space. Technical leadership is needed to manage the specific demands associated with this position. Our transformation in product design and manufacturing efficiency requires clear and correlated engineering specifications, acceptance criteria, correlated CAE models and deep understanding of potential failure modes across new technologies. The quality and robustness of our emerging strategy requires specific functional direction which will span attributes, components, systems, vehicles in product development and industrialization.

Requirements

• BS in Engineering or a related field.
• Proven history of design and verification directly applicable to automatic step ratio transmissions.
• Proven history of evaluating choices and directing a team based on technical ideals balanced with industrialization realities.
• Minimum 10 years overall engineering experience, including specific experience on launch.
• Minimum 6 years of experience in transmission systems architectural design.
• Extensive experience creating and managing DFMEA/PFMEA/SCCAF/Control Plans/ drawings.
• Experience with CAE tools and methods. 3-D CAD capable (working with modern engineering tools such as 3DX, Siemens, CATIA, etc)
• Descriptive CAD capable (MagicDraw, Teamcenter, etc)
• Proficient in SysML, UML, or other modelling languages
• Collaborate with various stakeholders to collect and understand product needs statements
• Use Model Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) methodologies to convert needs into functional requirements
• Define Systems, systems of systems, and components through functional and regulatory requirements
• Create and execute Design Verification and Production Validation plans against stakeholder needs and requirements
• Extensive knowledge & experience with associated supplier manufacturing and quality processes.
• Required leadership skills - quality focused as #1 priority, innovative, excellent communicator, strong organizational skills, highly motivated self-starter.
• Ability to lead and align collections of people that do not directly report to this position (lead the collection of sub-system and component technical specialists that make up the TE team)
• Ability to institutionalize the key factors of power unit success and lessons learned through documentation (design rules, SDS, technical design guides, etc.) and to teach associated learning sessions.
• Ability to form an opinion, communicate it effectively at all levels, and drive the company in a winning direction.

Nice To Haves

• Master of Engineering preferred.

Responsibilities

• Able to lead technical discussions and deep dives to balanced conclusions.
• Understands upfront design, verification plan and methods, and industrialization process.
• Knows the competitive landscape and what it takes to outpace the competition.
• Can speak with confidence and authority but is humble and collaborative in leading a technical review and debate.
• Authors requirements, rules, methods in a manner that institutionalizes key learnings.
• Author and maintain system design engineering specifications.
• Co-Lead technical peer reviews with transmission systems supervisors
• Coach, mentor, and train systems engineers across all the global regions
• Own the transmission warranty spend including driving best practices across supply base.
• Responsible (Owner) for the creation and maintenance of the Core Engineering Documents (FMA Documents, SDS/Requirements and Test Procedures, etc.)
• Integral to Signoff of System/Subsystem/Component with specific signoff responsibility BEFORE Chief Signoff
• Partner with R&A to identify and develop new technology.
• Go-To for Problem Solving – Launch, Recall, Quality / Field Issues, DV/PV issues.
• Conduct global supplier onsite reviews at component plants and recommend best practices for manufacturing process and quality control.
• Provide technical support to the Architecture, Core, and Applications teams.
• Develop and own interfaces with interfacing systems on boundary diagram including joint specs and device transmittals.
• Partner with Simulation Team to improve tunable models for use on full vehicle simulator.
• Conduct benchmarking to optimize design for future programs.
• Provide Technical leadership to broader Underbody Systems engineering teams.
• Leverage CAE modelling capability to optimize quality, maximize efficiency and minimize cost.
• Create and Conduct training sessions.
• Leads TDRs for System/Subsystem

Benefits

• 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.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees