Senior Drive Unit Lubrication and Thermals Engineer

Ford Motor Company

Drive Unit Lubrication and Thermals Engineer responsible for developing EV drivetrain components at Ford. Leading design and testing using CAD tools in a collaborative team environment.

Posted 6/12/2026full-timePalo Alto • California • 🇺🇸 United StatesSenior💰 $138,800 - $232,700 per yearWebsite

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

Python

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Design, analyze and test drive unit components using a variety of tools, including CAD and FEA.
Generate and update/maintain 3D and 2D CAD of designs, considering best practices for GD&T, clear and consistent notes, identification of critical and significant characteristics, etc.
Review and update requirements, DFMEA’s, process control plans and other documentation as required during the course of hardware design and development.
Evaluate and understand the correlation between predicted and measured results by first hand testing or collaborating closely with test engineers and reviewing data with subject matter experts.
Support and/or conduct testing and test setup including data acquisition systems and fixture design.
Interact with vendors and industrialization personnel to ensure high quality products arrive where they are needed in time to support the scheduled activities. Travel as required to support this.
Propose and implement component, system and/or process improvements. Work closely with appropriate teams to verify the effectiveness of the implementation.
Contribute to design reviews, test plans, and requirement reviews to further advance the powertrain system cross functionally.
Develop and maintain comprehensive documentation and reports related to design and test work.
Contribute to the continuous improvement of design processes and methodologies to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.

Requirements

What you’ll need

Bachelor's, Master’s, or PHD in mechanical engineering or equivalent combination of relevant education and experience.
3 - 7 years of experience designing, developing, and validating drive unit or powertrain hardware.
Expertise in designing injection molded plastic hardware for high volume production is a plus.
Experience modeling and/or testing systems utilizing CAE tools such as ANSYS, GT-Suite, MATLAB, Python or equivalent applications. Familiarity with AI tools is a plus.
Experience with instrumentation and measurement of powertrain systems in a lab environment.
Strong sense of ownership, analytical skills and problem-solving skills with a basis in first principles understanding.
An eagerness to work collaboratively and cross-functionally in a dynamic environment where you are part of a high performing team.
A system approach to design and development with the desire and curiosity to strive for exceptional delivery execution and continuous improvement.

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

CADFEAGD&TDFMEAdata acquisition systemsfixture designCAE toolsANSYSGT-SuiteMATLAB

Soft Skills

analytical skillsproblem-solving skillscollaborativecross-functional teamworkownershipcuriositycontinuous improvementdynamic environmenthigh performing teamsystem approach

Certifications

Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineeringMaster’s degree in mechanical engineeringPhD in mechanical engineering