Lead Designer/Design Technologist

We are the movers of the world and the makers of the future. We get up every day, roll up our sleeves and build a better world -- together. At Ford, we’re all a part of something bigger than ourselves. Are you ready to change the way the world moves?

Digital Product Design (DPD) at Ford is committed to envisioning and creating simple, thoughtful, enjoyable, and compelling product experiences that our customers need and love. We work in close partnership with product and engineering to deliver best-in-class interaction experiences that meet the needs of people today, and in the future. Our team is comprised of a dynamic group of product designers, researchers, visual designers, industrial designers, modelers, and project managers.

In this position…

We’re looking for an inspiring Product Design Lead to help shape digital products and experiences across both our next‑generation EV programs and our current product lineup — supporting the entire organization with a special focus on the intersection of hardware and software. You’ll join a small prototyping team focused on digital and physical interactions, working most closely with designers, prototypers, and researchers.

You’ll champion user-centered design principles, elevate the craft of design within the team, and foster a collaborative and innovative design culture. If you’re passionate about building and leading high-performing teams, setting design strategy, and ensuring we consistently deliver beautiful, intuitive, and impactful experiences, we’d love to talk to you!

This role is located in Palo Alto, CA or Dearborn, MI with an in-office expectation of four days per week.

What you’ll do…

• Lead high-impact design work: Own the design of key digital products and experiences from discovery through delivery — including internal prototype tools and systems, as well as customer-facing vehicle and app experiences that ship on the road and in the car. Apply user-centered design principles to create intuitive, delightful, and accessible interfaces.
• Inspire and guide designers: Support a small group of designers through informal mentorship and design direction. Help elevate the quality of the team’s work through thoughtful critique and collaboration.
• Shape product direction: Work closely with cross-functional partners in product, engineering, research, data, and prototyping to define problem spaces, explore solutions, and contribute to product strategy.
• Champion craft and consistency: Push for design excellence at every stage. Help evolve our design system and ensure consistency across platforms and vehicle experiences, with particular attention to seamless hardware–software interactions.
• Collaborate across teams: Communicate clearly and proactively with stakeholders. Advocate for the user experience while balancing technical and business needs.
• Advocate for users: Participate in user research and testing to deeply understand customer needs — and turn those insights into thoughtful, impactful design solutions.

You’ll have…

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of relevant education and experience.
• 5+ years of experience
• A strong portfolio of user-centered digital work across web, mobile, embedded, or in-vehicle interfaces.
• Experience working closely with cross-functional product, engineering, research, and prototyping teams in agile environments.
• Ability to lead end-to-end design efforts on complex projects — from concept through execution.
• Passion for systems thinking and interaction design across digital and physical touchpoints, with a focus on hardware–software cohesion.
• Familiarity with design systems and component-based UI frameworks.
• Strong communication and storytelling skills, with the ability to advocate for design with clarity and confidence.
• A collaborative mindset and a desire to mentor and inspire others around you.
• Familiarity with modern prototyping tools and workflows (for example, InVision Studio, Framer X, ProtoPie, or similar).
• Bonus skills: CAD or 3D modeling tools, Arduino or similar microcontroller prototyping, and basic programming understanding for interactive prototypes.

• Automotive background not required. We value diverse domain experience and welcome candidates from adjacent industries.

  Portfolio of work must be provided

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