Senior Design Technologist, Physical Prototype Engineering

We are the movers of the world and the makers of the future. We get up every day, roll up our sleeves and build a better world -- together. At Ford, we're all a part of something bigger than ourselves. Are you ready to change the way the world moves?

At Ford Motor Company, we believe freedom of movement drives human progress. We also believe in providing you with the freedom to define and realize your dreams! With our incredible plans for the future of mobility, we have a wide variety of opportunities for you to accelerate your career potential as you help us define tomorrow's transportation.

Digital Product Design (DPD) at Ford is committed to envisioning and creating simple, thoughtful, enjoyable, and compelling product experiences that our customers need and love. We work in close partnership with product and engineering to deliver best-in-class interactions experiences that meet the needs of people today, and in the future. Our team is comprised of a dynamic group of product designers, researchers, visual designers, industrial designers, modelers, and project managers.

In this position... As a Senior Design Technologist you will be a hands-on innovator, you'll bring cutting-edge ideas to life using a diverse range of shop tools, machinery, materials, and emerging technologies. Your technical expertise will be essential in crafting automotive prototype parts, modifying vehicles, and tackling intricate electrical and electronic systems. You'll own the entire prototype build process, from researching requirements and sourcing materials to designing and constructing the final product. This position is onsite in Palo Alto, CA.

What you'll do

• Work hands-on with a wide range of shop tools, machines, materials, and emerging technologies to bring innovative ideas to life
• Use your strong technical skills to create automotive prototype parts, modify vehicles, and handle electrical and electronic systems
• Plan and execute prototype builds by researching requirements, determining needed parts, sourcing materials, and designing and building the projects
• Collaborate with engineers and designers in a dynamic, fast-paced environment to turn concepts into reality and contribute to the successful completion of key projects
• Document team projects in both written and visual formats to inspire future work and share best practices across teams
• Manage and enhance both our well-equipped Makerspace and vehicle workshop, implementing improvements to maintain efficiency and innovation
• Continuously learn and develop new skills to stay current with the latest tools and practices in automotive and prototype fabrication technologies, applying them to enhance project outcomes

What you'll have

• Bachelor's Degree
• 2+ years of automotive service experience, machining experience, or other mechanical/electrical field experience
• 2+ years of experience with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint)
• Working knowledge and experience in the DIY maker field
• Ability to lift 50 pounds
• Ability to perform physical work on your feet for most of the workday
• Current valid driver's license

Even better you'll have

• Extensive experience in advanced design, fabrication, manufacturing, and rapid prototyping technologies such as:
  • Hand tools and manual shop equipment
  • Metal, plastics, wood, composites
  • Finishing (sanding, filling, coatings and paint)
  • 3D Printing (FDM, SLA, SLS)
  • Machining (manual and CNC mills, lathes, routers)
  • Welding (MIG, TIG, plasma cutter)
  • Vacuum Forming
  • Sheet metal (cutting, forming, bending, English Wheel and planishing hammer)
  • Laser Cutting / Engraving
  • Electronics Prototyping (component knowledge, schematic and PCB design, circuit assembly, troubleshooting)
  • CAD/CAM and design software (Fusion 360, Illustrator, Photoshop)
  • Arduino / ESP32 microcontroller implementation and coding
  • Experience using LLMs (ChatGPT, Claude, Grok, etc.)
• Previous experience in modern vehicle disassembly, diagnostics, modification, and assembly
• Experience working in a Makerspace
• Ability to collaborate with other team members and departments
• Motivated self-starter and problem solver
• Good organizational and communication skills