Ford Motor Company

Research & Simulation Engineer

Ford Motor Company$99K — $192K *
Manufacturing & Automotive
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Master's degree in Mechanical, Chemical, Automotive, or Controls Engineering or a related field
  • 3+ years of experience in engine, emissions, or aftertreatment simulation
  • Experience with physics-based models of combustion, emissions, or aftertreatment systems
  • Programming skills in Python, MATLAB/Simulink, or C/C++
  • Ability to research and prototype technical solutions independently
  • Strong communication skills for documenting and presenting research findings

Responsibilities

  • Research and prototype simulation architectures for hybridized gas/diesel emissions control systems
  • Develop models for electrified aftertreatment components in collaboration with research teams
  • Explore new co-simulation and model-integration methods for next-gen systems
  • Build proof-of-concept frameworks and demonstrate feasibility
  • Investigate the application of Agentic AI within the simulation pipeline
  • Evaluate AI/ML tools for emissions and aftertreatment simulation
  • Engage with teams to identify enhancements for next-gen architectures

Benefits

  • Hybrid work environment with flexible onsite requirements
  • Collaborative research culture
  • Access to cutting-edge technology in emissions and aftertreatment simulation
  • Opportunity to influence long-term research direction
  • Prominence in the evolving field of hybrid and electrified powertrains
Full Job Description
Job Description

In this position...
This is an opportunity to work in a research environment defining the next generation of emissions and aftertreatment simulation. As diesel and gas powertrains evolve toward hybridization and electrification, the underlying simulation infrastructure must be reinvented to keep pace. In this role, you will research and build the simulation architectures needed to integrate models of fundamentally new system concepts - including hybridized gas/diesel emissions controls and electrified aftertreatment components such as electric DPFs and electrically heated catalysts - well before they exist in any production toolchain.

Responsibilities

What you'll do...

You will work alongside teams developing engine, combustion, aftertreatment, and controls models, with a focus on exploring how these models can be connected, represented, and evolved to support technologies that don't yet have established simulation methods. On a three to five year research horizon, you will also investigate how Agentic AI can be embedded directly into the simulation pipeline - to automate model calibration, accelerate integration, and fundamentally change the speed and quality of simulation.

This role is suited for someone who wants to operate at the leading edge of simulation research, prototyping new approaches and helping define the roadmap.

Research: Next-Generation Simulation Architecture:
  • Research and prototype simulation architectures capable of integrating models for hybridized gas/diesel emissions control systems, enabling early-stage development and analysis of concepts ahead of production readiness.
  • Develop and integrate models for electrified aftertreatment components - electric DPFs, electrically heated catalysts, and other emerging technologies - in close collaboration with hardware, combustion, and controls research teams.
  • Explore new co-simulation and model-integration methods needed to combine models across teams, tools, and fidelity levels for these next-generation systems, where standard interfaces and workflows may not yet exist.
  • Build proof-of-concept integration frameworks and demonstrate feasibility before handoff toward broader adoption.

Research: Agentic AI in the Simulation Pipeline:
  • Investigate and prototype the application of Agentic AI within the simulation pipeline - for example, automated model calibration, intelligent scenario/test generation, self-diagnosing integration issues, or AI-assisted model reduction - on a 3-5 year roadmap.
  • Evaluate emerging AI/ML and simulation tools and methodologies, assess their applicability to emissions and aftertreatment simulation, and build early demonstrations of value.
  • Partner with technical leadership to help shape the long-term research roadmap for simulation of electrified and hybridized emissions systems.

Supporting Collaboration:
  • Engage with teams building engine, emissions, and aftertreatment models (using GT-Power, WAVE-RT, and in-house tools) to understand existing modeling approaches and identify where next-generation architectures can build on or diverge from them.
  • Document research findings, architectural concepts, and prototype results to inform future integration efforts.


Qualifications

You'll have...
  • Master's degree in Mechanical / Chemical / Automotive / Controls Engineering or a related field
  • 3+ years of experience in engine, emissions, or aftertreatment simulation (e.g., GT-Power, WAVE-RT, or similar 1D/0D simulation tools)
  • Experience developing or integrating physics-based models of combustion, emissions, or aftertreatment systems
  • Programming background in Python, MATLAB/Simulink, or C/C++
  • Demonstrated ability to research, prototype, and independently drive open-ended technical problems to a working solution
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to document and present research findings to technical and non-technical audiences


Even better, you may have...
  • PhD in Mechanical / Chemical / Automotive Engineering or a related field, with a focus on combustion, emissions, aftertreatment, or controls
  • Experience with hybrid/electrified powertrain systems and their emissions control implications
  • Familiarity with electrified aftertreatment technologies (e.g., electric DPFs, electrically heated catalysts)
  • Experience with co-simulation frameworks and model integration across multiple tools and fidelity levels (e.g., FMI/FMU, model-based systems engineering)
  • Hands-on experience applying machine learning, AI, or agentic AI frameworks to engineering simulation or calibration workflows
  • Experience with model calibration/optimization techniques and automation tooling
  • Published research, patents, or conference presentations in simulation, emissions control, or aftertreatment systems
  • Ability to work effectively across cross-functional research teams, translating ambiguous, forward-looking concepts into concrete prototypes
  • Initiative, curiosity, and comfort operating in a research environment without established workflows or precedent

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!

This position is a range of salary grades 7-8 and ranges from $99,600 - 192,900.00

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: https://fordcareers.co/GSR

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

This position is hybrid with a requirement to be onsite four or more days per week. #LI-Hybrid

#LI-KD1

About Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company manufactures or distributes automobiles in addition to offering financial services. The company sells to dealerships for retail sales, and for sale to fleet customers, including commercial fleet customers, daily rental car companies, and governments. Ford’s vehicle portfolio includes automobiles, buses, tractors, and trucks. Retail financing includes retail installment sale contracts for new and used vehicles, and direct financing leases for new vehicles to retail customers, government entities, daily rental car companies, and fleet customers. Finance receivables in the non-consumer portfolio include products offered to automotive dealers. Ford’s environmental initiatives include compressed natural gas, flexible fuel vehicles, electric drive vehicles, Hydrogen, PC power management, and so on. Ford Motor Company was founded by Henry Ford in 1903 and is headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan.

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Learn more about Ford Motor Company
Size
183,000 employees
Market Cap
$44.8 billion
Industry
Net Income
-$1.2 billion
Founded
1903
5 Year Trend
-2.1%
Revenue
$127.1 billion
NASDAQ

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