Body Structural CAE Engineer

About Us
JOB DESCRIPTION
Lead. Grow. Transform.
Ford Australia is constantly evolving and innovating, committed to delivering smarter, more connected vehicles for all Australians, now and for generations to come.

Looking ahead, Ford is excited about the future. With an expanding vehicle lineup, growing digital services, and a strong dealer network, they are well-positioned to support Australian businesses in new ways.

As Australia's largest automotive OEM employer, we proudly have around 1,500 talented engineers, designers, and specialists working across five Victorian sites. Crucially, Australia is a key global development hub for Ford and their local design and engineering team lead the creation of vehicles including the Ranger, Ranger Raptor, and Everest – models sold in around 180 markets worldwide.

Complementing this technical network, Ford Australia's National Sales Company (NSC) located in Richmond, is the central hub for commercial and customer engagement activities across the country.

Why Ford?
For a century, we've been a driving force across Australia, building a legacy that truly speaks for itself. Leading the way, the Ranger continues its reign as Australia's No. 1 Selling Vehicle and our iconic Mustang proudly holds its position as Australia's No. 1 Sports Car.

These remarkable achievements are a testament to our unwavering commitment to innovation and a customer-focused approach that has delivered success across our entire lineup, giving us so much to be excited about But we believe we do more than just build award-winning vehicles—we build careers.

• Discounted lease car options.
• Multiple Employee Resource Groups – Ford Pride, Women of Ford and Ford Empowering Diverse Abilities.
• Flexible Work Arrangements.
• Growth and development opportunities via internal and external training.
• Paid parental leave from day 1.
• Comprehensive Employee Assist Program.
• Wellness Programs including Free Flu Vaccinations and Health Checks.
• Paid volunteer days.

About The Role
As a Body Structural CAE Engineer, you will be responsible for developing robust vehicle structures designed to meet demanding performance requirements for durability and quality. You will leverage advanced analytical tools to support Special Vehicle Engineering (SVE) objectives related to structural durability and quality.

This position reports directly to the Special Vehicle Engineering Manager, with a matrix report into our CAE Manager for Frames and UN structures. This position is based at our IMG Product Development Centre in Broadmeadows, Melbourne and operates under a hybrid work arrangement, requiring four days on-site.

Responsibilities

• Develop and optimize vehicle structures to meet demanding performance requirements for durability and quality.
• Provide expert support for Special Vehicle Engineering (SVE) requirements related to durability and quality performance, utilizing advanced analytical tools.
• Coordinate the creation of Computer-Aided Engineering (CAE) models and ensure the timely delivery of accurate analysis results.
• Support Engineering, Supplier, and Attribute teams by providing design confirmation and direction based on analytical insights.
• Research and develop new analytical methods and Computer-Aided Engineering Test Procedures (CETP) for novel applications and product enhancements.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering (Mechanical/Aerospace) or equivalent.
• Minimum of 5+ years of experience in a similar field.
• Finite Element Analysis (FEA) Expertise: Proven ability to conduct advanced FE analysis to simulate and predict vehicle performance characteristics, including stiffness, strength, and fatigue life for Body & Frame systems.
• Analytical Sign-off & Milestone Management: Experience in providing analytical sign-off and supporting program milestone timing, demonstrating an understanding of product development cycles.
• CAE-Driven Issue Resolution: Strong problem-solving skills, with the capacity to utilize CAE to establish root causes and propose corrective actions to achieve performance targets and ensure manufacturing feasibility.
• CAE Data Management & Compliance: Adherence to Global CAE record retention guidelines for model storage and reporting.
• CAE Model Development & Collaboration: Experience collaborating with model build teams to define model content inputs and mesh criteria requirements for durability FE model generation.
• Project Timing & Issue Tracking: Ability to support analysis completion timing and effectively raise and track issues using appropriate systems.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration & Input: Proven capability to attend Project Team and supplier meetings, providing expert input for system design/development with a focus on durability considerations.
• Analytical-Physical Test Alignment: Experience working with Product Group (PG) and test teams to ensure strong alignment between analytical simulations and physical prototype test setups

If you want to be a part of this challenging and rewarding transformation
– Apply Now.

Equal Opportunity
Ford Australia is inclusive employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment.

If you require any support or adjustments to the recruitment process, please contact our Talent and Inclusion Lead Sarah at .

Applicants must be legally authorised to work in Australia. Verification of employment eligibility will be required at the time of hire.

• Applications will close on Friday 28 November 2025, however, please do not delay your application as interviews may commence before this date---

Please note due to the high numbers of applications we will only be able to contact shortlisted candidates.

• Ford Motor Company of Australia Pty Limited ACN Ford) is collecting your personal information in order to consider you for a role at Ford. Ford may also collect personal information about you from third parties such as referees and recruitment agencies for this purpose. Ford may disclose your personal information to its related companies and third party service providers for purposes such as screening and background checks, aptitude testing and health and safety and human resources management activities. Ford's privacy policy (available at ) states how you can seek to access or correct any personal information Ford holds about you, how to complain about a privacy breach by Ford and how Ford will deal with a privacy complaint. You can contact Ford at 13 FORD or via the contact details set out in Ford's privacy policy