Hardware Architecture Manager

Position Overview

The Global Chassis Architecture Manager (Leadership Level 4) leads the global department that defines early underbody architecture, with enhanced focus on suspension, steering, brakes, and wheels/tires. This executive position is central to Underbody Systems’ modularity strategy: establishing the architectural path that manages complexity, enables efficient design, and lets programs move quickly without compromising quality.

You will lead chassis architecture from program start through the early UNVx milestones of GPDS, integrating all chassis commodities with frames/subframes, body structure, driveline, and propulsion across every global vehicle platform.

Strategic Accountabilities

• Modularity and architecture strategy: Own the multi-year underbody architecture roadmap, including common interfaces, scalable building blocks, and design rules that reduce variation and complexity across global platforms.

• Strategic planning: Translate vehicle strategy, cycle plans, and technology vectors into architecture decisions, investment priorities, and resource plans, ensuring a 5–10 year view shapes near-term program choices.

• Executive influence: Partner with Vehicle Architecture, Vehicle Engineering, Program Leadership, and Underbody Systems leadership. Negotiate trade-offs among cost, weight, timing, performance, and complexity, and drive alignment to decisions that hold.

• Program definition: Serve as the Underbody Systems point of contact for Vehicle Planning and Programs on hardware definition, weight, tool/facility investment, engineering headcount, and GPDS milestone alignment.

• Technical governance: Lead architectural milestone reviews, health charts, design-rule adherence, and sourcing package definition with Supply Chain and downstream underbody engineering.

• Technology and competitive positioning: Benchmark competitors and bridge Research & Advanced Engineering to industrialization of chassis tech vectors, partnering with Technical Experts.

Transformation Leadership

• Champion “Engineer as Designer,” strengthening CATIA/3DX, CAE, and ADAMS MBD proficiency.

• Implement an internal Build-to-Print strategy for key chassis commodities, growing engineering expertise as required.

• Lead the shift to AI-augmented engineering to improve quality, cost, and speed.

• Grow analytical capability and depth in early program phases.

Team Leadership

Lead and develop a global team of supervisors and product design engineers across US, European, Australian PD centers, deploying resources against shifting cycle plans and providing oversight to the broader global chassis organization. Direct reporting organization for this role is based in Dearborn, MI.

Set a high bar for technical rigor, build a culture of transparency, accountability, and sound risk-taking, and develop a succession pipeline of technical specialists and future engineering leaders.

You'll Have...

Qualifications & Competencies

• Education: B.S. in Mechanical, Automotive, or Aerospace Engineering required; M.S. or MBA preferred.

• Experience: 10+ years in automotive chassis product development and systems engineering, including early-phase architecture.

• Strategic Leadership: Proven record of setting long-range technical direction, influencing senior leaders without direct authority, and aligning multiple teams on complex trade-offs.

• Technical Leadership: Deep chassis expertise; working knowledge of modular architecture, CATIA/3DX, component FEA, and MBD/ADAMS systems modeling, Agentic & Generative AI.

• People Leadership: Experience leading and developing leaders in a global organization, with accountability for cost, timing, and talent.

You may not check every box, or your experience may look a little different from what we’ve outlined, but if you think you can bring value to Ford Motor Company, we encourage you to apply!

As an established global company, we offer the benefit of choice. You can choose what your Ford future will look like: will your story span the globe, or keep you close to home? Will your career be a deep dive into what you love, or a series of new teams and new skills? Will you be a leader, a changemaker, a technical expert, a culture builder…or all of the above? No matter what you choose, we offer a work life that works for you, including:

• Immediate medical, dental, vision and prescription drug coverage

• Flexible family care days, paid parental leave, new parent ramp-up programs, subsidized back-up childcare 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.

This position is a leadership level 4.

Final determination of salary grade will be based on candidate's skills and experience, and base salary will be set within the applicable range according to job scope, responsibility and competitive market value.

For more information on salary and benefits, click here: LL4 Benefits (https://urldefense.com/v3/\_\_https:/fordcareers.co/LL4Benefits\_\_;!!N\_LtwI-RPugbI9wg0dJn!EAs1grHWGkFBvmmAfQLnMDQk8qQqqgLL-JEuPcbS\_gpYPCCn36kRnRCEKHA9-AItFzx4irdqx6G6uXg%24)

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Candidates for positions with Ford Motor Company must be legally authorized to work in the United States. Verification of employment eligibility will be required at the time of hire.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, age, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status or protected veteran status. In the United States, if you need a reasonable accommodation for the online application process due to a disability, please call 1-888-336-0660.

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