In 1901, Henry Ford design and built the racecar called "Sweepstakes." On October 10 that year, he drove Sweepstakes against Alexander Winton, a famous racer and builder. Against all odds, Ford won. That was the beginning - "the race that changed the world" - and it continues today. From our victories at Le Mans in 1966 and again fifty years later in 2016, to championships in NASCAR, World Rally Championship, Off-Road, Sports Cars, NHRA, and other series across the globe, the spirit of Henry Ford lives with us every day through our motorsports efforts around the world.
The Ford Performance Motorsports Vehicle Dynamics team supports race teams through vehicle dynamics and chassis engineering expertise, test car and race car data analysis, and race car setup consultation and simulations. We make the cars perform on the track to win. Ford Performance is looking for a talented engineer to be a part of their motorsports vehicle dynamics and chassis engineering team which develops World-Class race-winning vehicle dynamics simulations, designs chassis architectures and components, and supports test and track-side engineering for vehicles such as the Mustang GT3, Mustang GT4 (SRO; IMSA), Darkhorse R, WRC Puma Rally Car, Bronco R (Baja 1000), Bronco 4600 (King of Hammers), NextGen NASCAR Cup, Xfinity, Craftsman Truck, other future high-performance demonstrators, and Electrification.
Projects in our department include both race-specific design/build, customer race vehicles (eg. Bronco DR, Darkhorse R), and demonstration vehicles (eg. electrified vehicles), simulation CAE tool development, performance engineering tools, and tire modeling. You will use simulation tools and methods to meet our primary goals of Winning Races, Winning Championships, and Transferring Technology to and from the greater Company. Throughout this process you will perform and advocate a high level of quality, and adhere to Our Truths – Put People First, Be Curious, Built Ford Tough, One Ford, Play to Win, Create Tomorrow, and Do the Right Thing.
This role is based in Concord, NC and will require an on-site presence in a hybrid work scenario. Candidates should be capable of working hours which may include late evenings, nights, weekends and travel to meet Company goals.
You’ll Have….
- Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering or related engineering degree or related field of study
- 2+ years of experience in automotive chassis design or testing, or vehicle dynamics
Even better, you may have….
- Master of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering or related engineering degree
- 3+ Years of experience in motorsports vehicle dynamics including simulation, track testing, and interdisciplinary work with other engineering departments
- 1+ years of experience with simulations
- Excellent knowledge of suspension/chassis and vehicle dynamics
- Strong problem solving and analytical skills
- Excellent communication and relationship skills, putting the customer and race teams first
- Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with evolving products and needs
- Strong work ethic and ability to adapt to requested schedules
- Passion to Win
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, and prescription drug coverage
- Flexible family care, parental leave, new parent ramp-up programs, subsidized back-up child care 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 range of salary grades 6-8 .
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 committed to a culturally diverse workforce. 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.
What you'll do…..
- Develop race cars and trucks by using simulation engineering tools
- Integrate simulation/simulator vehicle models, tire models, aerodynamics models, powertrain models
- Use simulator tools to meet customer and race team needs
- Run simulator sessions for race team drivers to develop and test race setups, acclimate drivers, and provide race engineers and crew chiefs valuable simulated performance data
- Be the conduit between Ford engineering and programs, race team engineers, and race drivers to maximize Ford’s on-track race performance
- Leverage data generated by race teams, Ford test vehicles, event databases, and simulations to create the winningest vehicles
- Exercise vehicle dynamics knowledge and existing data to propose designs and setups for DOEs leading to the optimum configurations for race day
- Contribute to the improvement of simulator and simulation tools
- Partner with race teams to prepare for simulator sessions
- Partner with race teams to analyze the performance of cars and drivers at races and tests to improve race outcomes