Chief Designer

Ford Motor Company

Interior Chief Designer responsible for vehicle interior designs at Ford Motor Company. Leading strategic design projects from concept to production with a focus on customer experience.

Posted 5/19/2026full-timeDearborn • Missouri • 🇺🇸 United StatesLead💰 $141,700 - $268,300 per yearWebsite

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Be responsible for creating and developing future vehicle design proposals.
Partner with the Marketing and Strategy team members, to define and prioritize the strategic portfolio.
Translate customer insights into vehicle design. Global Trends awareness is necessary and expected.
Take responsibility for the creative vision and the standard of output across team members who work under them.
Influence decisions about Vehicle Architecture, Value to the Customer, Customer Research, User Experience, Cycle Plan development.
Pitch ideas confidently and present the creative vision clearly to partners, as well as communicate in the same manner to members of the creative team.
Guide multimedia vehicle storytelling from strategy to execution.
Be required to facilitate and conduct project reviews and presentations for the leadership team.
Ensure that sketch interpretation, design quality, and project progress are in keeping with established schedules and program deliverables.
Plan and organize the workload and job assignments of subordinate personnel.
Recommend and implement training and development plans for subordinates. Assist the Design Chief Officer and Design Director in the proper and effective implementation of personnel programs, including performance reviews, salary planning and employee counseling.
Be comfortable with complexity—finding opportunities and clear paths in ambiguous environments. You’re comfortable facilitating senior stakeholder discussions
Have strong people management and leadership skills to hire, develop, and inspire the creative team.
Lead multiple Ford design projects from conception to completion in accordance with deadlines.
Ensure that sketch interpretation, design quality, and model progress are in keeping with established schedules and program deliverables.
Collaborate with other Ford team members and stakeholders.
Work with other disciplines in the development of scale and full-size clay models ultimately interfacing with program engineering teams in the development of feasible high quality products based on designs.
Ensure that all the organization’s creative output/visuals are consistent with the overall Ford brand.
Lead market research model builds through the shops.
Plan and organize the workload and job assignments of subordinate personnel.
Ensure exterior/interior appearances are in harmony with all Ford Global Design, aligning with the One Ford product direction while working within cost and program constraints.
Communicate and conduct program reviews and presentations for design leadership. Daily interfaces and areas of influence include Corporate Senior Management, Product Planning, Strategy, Marketing, Engineering, Digital Media team, and Program teams.
Cultivate employee engagement and improve morale. Embody our culture and steward others in the direction of our shared values and ways of working inside the studio and with Ford. You have patience to mentor and coach others through difficult challenges and can serve as a trusted advisor to senior stakeholders
You will report to the Design Director

Requirements

What you’ll need

Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Design, Vehicle Design or Transportation Design, or equivalent
10+ years in Automotive Strategic Design / Production Design experience
Experience managing multimedia projects, internal and external
Skills in digital visualization & development is a requirement for this digitally lead studio environment.
Experience in Design DNA development, Design vision and Design strategies.
Expert storytelling
Global trend awareness is necessary and expected from the candidates.
High design creativity is a priority.
Outstanding teamwork, leadership, visual, written, and verbal communication skills required.
Extensive knowledge of the automotive market and the global trends is a requirement. Awareness of global automotive and consumer electronics to ensure Ford competes with the ability to lead. Familiarizes self and maintains interest with design trends within and across design professions and global cultures (automotive, fashion, architectural, etc.)
Deep knowledge and understanding of all processes involved in the design ideation and delivery process.
Ability to work independently and provide strong technical aesthetic judgment to lead team members.
Demonstrated creative exterior/interior design perceptions and capability. A design portfolio (pdf) must be provided upon application.
Outstanding teamwork, leadership, visual, written, and verbal communication skills

Benefits

Comp & perks

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.

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Hard Skills & Tools

Industrial DesignVehicle DesignTransportation DesignDigital VisualizationDesign DNA DevelopmentDesign VisionDesign StrategiesCreative Exterior DesignCreative Interior DesignAutomotive Strategic Design

Soft Skills

LeadershipTeamworkCommunicationMentoringCoachingCreative VisionProject ManagementProblem SolvingInfluencingEmployee Engagement

Certifications

Bachelor's Degree in Industrial DesignBachelor's Degree in Vehicle DesignBachelor's Degree in Transportation Design