3D Designer at Ford Motor Company

United States

$99.6k - $192.9k

We made history and now we work to transform the future – for our customers, our communities and our families. You'll see your work on the road every day, helping people move freely and pursue their dreams. At Ford, you can build more than vehicles. Come build what matters. Join us in shaping the future of Ford Motor Company, as part of a global organization with exceptional colleagues in world-class facilities. As part of Ford Design, you’ll be at the cutting edge of Ford’s most strategically critical work, designing people and society’s needs into the heart of our next generation of products, services, and experiences.   In this position... As a 3D Illustration Designer, you will be responsible for the end-to-end creation of compelling visual illustrations, effectively bridging the gap between design intent and production readiness. Leveraging advanced 3D software, you will envision, develop, and implement diverse 3D elements ranging from stylized illustrative designs to high-fidelity presentation visuals. A key aspect of this role involves establishing and optimizing scalable pipelines for efficient asset generation and workflow, including the thoughtful integration of AI tools to build repeatable, structured design workflows. You will contribute to the documentation of visual guidelines for broader team adoption and collaborate closely with Product Designers, Design Directors, and Software Engineers to support leadership reviews and deliver production-ready assets. What you'll do... The 3D Illustration Designer will be responsible for the following areas:   I. 3D Illustration Development & Production * Concept to Execution: Envision, develop, and create high-quality 3D elements and illustrations from initial concept through final implementation. * Executive Visualization: Produce advanced storytelling and production-intent visualizations for leadership presentations. * Motion & Animation: Create dynamic animations and visual assets that effectively reinforce design intent for various presentation needs.   II. Pipeline Development & Optimization * Workflow Automation: Design and implement efficient 3D asset generation pipelines and rigging systems to streamline production. * Post-Production: Establish and maintain a robust post-production pipeline, utilizing tools like Adobe After Effects for animation generation and refinement. * Real-Time Engines: Set up and manage Unreal Engine pipelines to support design-intent vehicle visualization and scenario-driven animations. * Tool Integration: Develop quick templates for seamless integration of digital screen content into design software (e.g., Figma, Adobe Creative Suite).   III. Asset Management & Visual Guidelines * Library Management: Create and maintain a comprehensive asset library utilizing tools shared across the design organization. * Design Systems: Collaborate with Lead Designers to establish, document, and disseminate visual guidelines and patterns for consistent 3D visualization across projects. * Developer Hand-off: Provide clear documentation and principles for asset usage and efficient export to software development teams.   IV. Cross-Functional Collaboration & Support * Cross-Functional Alignment: Work closely with Product Designers, Design Directors, and Software Engineers to ensure seamless integration of 3D illustrations. * Leadership Support: Provide visualization support for leadership collateral and presentations, including rapid pipeline setup for urgent requests. * Hybrid 2D/3D Artistry: Leverage traditional 2D design tools for post-production touch-ups and overall refinement of 3D illustrations. * Studio Integration: Maintain a continuous connection with the Vehicle Design Studio to integrate the latest 3D data, particularly from platforms like Autodesk VRED.   You'll have... * Bachelor’s Degree, or educational/experience equivalent in Entertainment Arts, Game Design, 2D/3D Animation, etc...   * 3+ Years working in Maya is required. * 3+ Years working in Unreal is required. * 3+ Years working in Adobe Suite is required * Has a scalable approach to solving large, complex design challenges   * Able to precisely articulate design rationale and present to stakeholders   * Excellence in visual design   * Deliver uncompromised design fidelity while also striving for production efficiency   * Excellent presentation and documentation skills   * Able to replicate 2D illustrations in 3D   * Able to create illustrative designs both in 3D and 2D graphically.   * Portfolio of work is required    Even better you'll have...  * Experience with Real time execution of designs   * Experience in 3D modeling, unwrapping, and animation in Maya * Experience with Figma, Protopie, Rive   * Demonstrated ability to identify and implement structured, repeatable AI methodologies that enhance pipeline efficiency and team throughput. * Experience with VRED   * Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment   * Previous automotive experience         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 into what you love, or a series of new teams and new skills? Will you be a leader, a changemaker, a technical expert, a culture builder…or all of the above? No matter what you choose, we offer a work life that works for you, including: • Immediate medical, dental, vision and prescription drug coverage • Flexible family care days, paid parental leave, new parent ramp-up programs, subsidized back-up child care and more • Family building benefits including adoption and surrogacy expense reimbursement, fertility treatments, and more • Vehicle discount program for employees and family members and management leases • Tuition assistance • Established and active employee resource groups • Paid time off for individual and team community service • A generous schedule of paid holidays, including the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day • Paid time off and the option to purchase additional vacation time.   This position is a salary grade 7-8 and ranges from $99,600-$192,900. 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 [https://fordcareers.co/GSR] Visa sponsorship is not available for this position. Candidates for positions with Ford Motor Company must be legally authorized to work in the United States. Verification of employment eligibility will be required at the time of hire. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, age, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status or protected veteran status. In the United States, if you need a reasonable accommodation for the online application process due to a disability, please call 1-888-336-0660. #LI-Remote #DesignTeam   #LI-LS1