Senior Seating Trim Engineer

At Ford Motor Company, we believe freedom of movement drives human progress. We also believe in providing you with the freedom to define and realize your dreams! With our incredible plans for the future of mobility, we have a wide variety of opportunities for you to accelerate your career potential as you help us define tomorrow’s transportation.

Ford Model E is responsible for developing the key technologies and capabilities – such as EV platforms, batteries, e-motors, inverters, charging and recycling – to create ground-up, breakthrough electric vehicles. By joining the best software, engineering, design and UX talent, you will be a part of creating new technologies and concepts that can be applied across the Ford enterprise. Being on the Ford Model E team means building the future as Ford’s center of innovation and growth through electric and connected vehicles and services.

Current Seating commodities include structures, mechanisms, actuators, cushions, wire harnesses, controllers, sensors, software, trims and so on. However, future seating solutions are not limited to these. Progression is targeted. A seat can be defined as a product which enables comfortable support for vehicular occupants. In some sense, a seat can be viewed as a moving robotic structural art piece.

Team members typically play dual roles as experts and polymaths. Each team member typically uses their particular expertise as a superpower to complement the team. You shall be part of the Seating Engineering Team which resides within Ford Model E -Vehicle Engineering Group.

Position Overview:

• Trim attachment strategy and development with the seating structure, plastics.
• Applicants should understand foam pad design and how to develop the foam pad
• Trim Supplier Management – Manage Seat cover suppliers, review and approving trim process and quality control
• Trim Package Development – Ability to Master Patterns in CAD, create drawings and change management control
• Trim Package Release – Management of full technical release package to suppliers, both internal and externa
• Travel required.

What You’ll Do

• Trim attachment strategy
  • Collaborate with the Seating team to design attachment strategies for trim with structure and plastic.
  • Propose different types of trim attachment options and provide necessary sections and dimensional requirements to the Seating team.
  • Develop new ideas and proposals to achieve defined studio surface with effective and optimized attachment strategies.
  • Possess an understanding of foam pad design and develop the foam pad and trim covers to achieve Design studio appearance standards.
  • Knowledgeable in automotive seat complete design and seat assembly process.
• Trim Supplier Management:
  • Manage weekly Open issues meeting with suppliers, which would include root cause, short term and long-term fix’s
  • Ability to define ownership of trim issue, Supplier or customer
• Trim Release Process:
  • Release full technical package to suppliers
  • Request samples for Engineering Trials/Production trials – when we make a change to a seat cover we request multiple sample parts for trials, coordination with multiple different internal and external suppliers and utilize multiple types of trials
  • Detailed feedback to supplier regarding concerns/questions on release data
  • Follow up on samples timing, raw materials & retainers
  • Create new Part Numbers in internal Engineering systems
  • Create new Part Numbers in Catia, additionally, create new trim phantom PNs for structuring
• Trim Package Development:
  • Responsible for designing, developing, and industrializing automotive soft trim covers
  •  Applicants must have knowledge of industrial cutting and sewing processes. Preferably with the ability to sew on industrial equipment
  • Applicants should have a basic understanding of automotive textiles (Cloth, Leather, Vinyl, etc.)
  • Ensure adherence to company, departmental and health and safety systems and policies to meet legislative requirements
  • Proficiency in mastering Patterns in Lectra and Accumark systems.
  • Ability to use Catia for drawings creation/modification
  • Experience with a PLM system and knowledge of release process
  • Able to communicate with suppliers to release trim engineering packages.

Key skills required :

• Knowledge of Trim development process and best practices
• Knowledge of Trim limitations and production constraints when establishing feasibility
• Knowledge of Trim retention methods and best practices
• Knowledge of Trim materials (leather, cloth, PVC, carpet, foam)
• Understanding of Product Cycle
• Experience on new project launch
• CAD proficient (CATIA preferred)