Exterior Design Manager

Ford Motor Company

Design Manager leading the design team for Ford's next generation of products and services. Collaborating globally to fulfill customer insights and automotive innovation.

Posted 7/17/2026full-timeLong Beach • California • 🇺🇸 United StatesSeniorLead💰 $127,100 - $239,900 per yearWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates expertise in Automotive and Transportation Design, with a strong focus on creative vision, team leadership, and the ability to translate customer insights into innovative vehicle designs. Proficient in visual communication, problem-solving, and maintaining alignment with global design trends and brand standards.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Automotive Design ExperienceCreative Vision LeadershipVisual Communication SkillsTeam ManagementGlobal Trends Awareness

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Industrial DesignTransportation DesignFinal Design Product ExecutionSketch Interpretation3D ThinkingDesign Portfolio DevelopmentExterior Design PerceptionModel Progress ManagementProblem-Solving SkillsDesign Trend Familiarity

Soft Skills

Leadership SkillsTeamworkCommunication SkillsMentoringEmployee Engagement

Certifications & Qualifications

Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial DesignBachelor’s Degree in Transportation Design

Industry Keywords

Automotive IndustryConsumer ElectronicsDesign TrendsUser ExperienceVehicle Architecture

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

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.
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 Chief Designer.

Requirements

What you’ll need

Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Design, Transportation Design, or equivalent
7+ years’ Automotive or Transportation Design experience; including experience with final design product execution.
Ability to work independently and provide strong technical aesthetic judgment to lead team members.
Awareness of global automotive and consumer electronics to ensure Ford competes with the ability to lead.
Demonstrated creative exterior design perceptions and capability. A design portfolio (pdf) must be provided upon application.
Must have exceptional design intuition, strong problem-solving skills and a superior ability to visually communicate through sketches, and renderings.
Ability to think three-dimensionally with a strong emphasis on proportions and a refined sense of form also required.
Familiarizes self and maintains interest with design trends within and across design professions and global cultures (automotive, fashion, architectural, etc.)
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.