Product Development Engineer – Core Latch Engineer

Ford Motor Company

Product Development Engineer at Ford developing innovative vehicle latching systems for the automotive industry. Collaborating with teams to deliver high-quality engineering solutions while meeting customer needs.

Posted 5/26/2026full-timeDearborn • Missouri • 🇺🇸 United StatesMid-LevelSenior💰 $65,100 - $109,300 per yearWebsite

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

The candidate will work with internal and external customers to develop competitive cost & weight efficient closer latches, and closer latching system designs.
Additionally, the candidate will be responsible for engineering the required CAD and lead analytical and physical analysis to deliver a system that will meet all prescribed requirements.
The candidate will be responsible for establishing closer latching strategy, reducing latching complexity, developing and maintaining latch requirements and design rules, ensuring that the latching system works seamlessly with the entire vehicle mechanical and electrical architecture.
The candidate will lead root cause and resolution of latching issues during vehicle development and in field.
The candidate will also be responsibilities for latch product testing, latch deliverables during the development process.

Requirements

What you’ll need

BS Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Electro-Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics Engineering or a related field
3+ years of professional experience in the Automotive or Aerospace industry (experience with hinged closures is preferred)
Experience with latch and latch system design and development.
Hands-on experience with “in-house” engineering, design, and release, as well as managing full-service supplier commodities, with on-time delivery at cost & quality targets.
Design and Release/Product Development Engineer/ Closures Commodity Subject Matter Expert experience
Ability to work overtime & travel to support launches and issue resolution.
CAD experience
Even better, if you have …
2 years of professional experience in the Automotive or Aerospace industry.
3+ years of direct experience in vehicle closer latching systems (e.g. tailgates, liftgates, swing gates, side doors, cargo doors) a plus.
Experience leading peers via Design reviews to resolve part to part interface issues and deliver a successful system.
Experience solving current model quality issues and implementing corrective actions.
Ability to utilize and demonstrate System engineering disciplines and Design for Manufacturing principles to proactively solve issues.
Knowledge of automotive exterior components, including materials and manufacturing technologies, such as stamping, injection molding, extrusion, forging, casting, welding, riveting, etc.
Experience with bolted joint structures
Experience with Structural mechanics
Experience with Systems engineering
Experience with latching vehicle electronics integration.
Experience with latching vehicle software integration.
Working knowledge of FEA, DFMEA, Control Plan development, & Dimensional Variation Analysis
Ability to operate within CATIA/3DX environment, Teamcenter Engineering, and Digital Buck
CATIA/3DX ability to create simple parts, sections, and studies a plus
Capability with Microsoft Suite of products (Word, Excel, Powerpoint)

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.

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills & Tools

CADlatch designlatch system developmentDesign for ManufacturingStructural mechanicsSystems engineeringFEADFMEADimensional Variation Analysisbolted joint structures

Soft Skills

problem solvingleadershipcommunicationcollaborationanalytical thinkingtime managementattention to detailadaptabilityproject managementcustomer focus

Certifications

BS Mechanical EngineeringBS Aerospace EngineeringBS Electro-Mechanical EngineeringBS Mechatronics Engineering