Senior BIW Structure Engineer

Employment Type: Long-Term Contract
Pay: $48-52/hour

Position Overview

We are seeking a Senior Body-in-White (BIW) Structure Engineer to support the development, validation, and continuous improvement of vehicle body structures. This role requires deep expertise in car body sheet metal design and structural performance, with a strong emphasis on dimensional tolerances and physical/virtual testing. The ideal candidate brings proven analytical and problem-solving skills to resolve complex structural and manufacturing issues across the vehicle program lifecycle. This is a long-term contract engagement with strong potential for extension based on program needs.

Responsibilities

• Lead structural engineering activities for BIW car body and sheet metal components, from concept through production release.
• Analyze and optimize body structure designs for strength, stiffness, durability, and crashworthiness.
• Define, review, and manage dimensional tolerances (GD&T) across body structure and sheet metal assemblies to ensure fit, function, and manufacturability.
• Plan, execute, and evaluate structural testing programs, including physical validation testing and correlation with CAE/simulation results.
• Investigate structural performance issues (e.g., NVH, fatigue, crash, stiffness) and drive root-cause analysis and corrective action.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with design, manufacturing, quality, and program management teams to resolve structural and tolerance-related issues.
• Support build events, prototype builds, and launch activities with hands-on structural engineering support.
• Review supplier and manufacturing data to ensure structural and dimensional requirements are met throughout production.
• Document engineering analysis, test results, and design changes in accordance with Ford engineering standards.
• Provide technical mentorship to junior engineers as needed.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Automotive Engineering, or a related technical field (or equivalent relevant experience).
• Extensive, senior-level experience in Body-in-White (BIW) structure engineering within the automotive industry.
• Hands-on expertise with car body and sheet metal structures, including design intent, manufacturing constraints, and assembly processes.
• Strong working knowledge of structural tolerancing (GD&T) and how tolerance stack-up affects body structure performance and assembly.
• Proven experience planning and interpreting structural testing - physical lab testing, prototype testing, and/or CAE-based validation.
• Demonstrated strong analytical skills, with the ability to interpret complex engineering and test data to drive decisions.
• Track record of proven problem-solving ability in fast-paced, deadline-driven automotive program environments.
• Familiarity with OEM engineering processes, design review cycles, and cross-functional program collaboration (Ford experience strongly preferred).
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills for cross-functional collaboration and technical documentation.

Preferred Qualifications

• Direct experience working within Ford engineering systems, standards, or programs.
• Experience with CAE tools (e.g., Nastran, Abaqus, LS-DYNA) for structural simulation and correlation.
• Familiarity with automotive body structure CAD tools (CATIA preferred).
• Experience supporting vehicle launches, prototype builds, or pilot programs.
• Six Sigma, Lean, or other structured problem-solving methodology experience (e.g., 8D, Red X).