Colour, Materials and Finishes Designer

Lead. Grow. Transform. Ford Motor Company is constantly evolving and innovating. As part of the International Markets Group, we are committed to delivering smarter, more connected vehicles for our Global customers. With an expanding vehicle lineup, growing digital services, and a strong dealer network, we are well‑positioned to support Australian businesses in new ways. About Us As Australia’s largest automotive OEM employer, we proudly have around 1,500 talented engineers, designers, and specialists working across five Victorian sites. Australia is a key global development hub for Ford, and our local design and engineering team leads the creation of vehicles including the Ranger, Ranger Raptor, and Everest – models sold in around 180 markets worldwide. Why Ford? For a century, we’ve been a driving force across Australia, building a legacy that truly speaks for itself. The Ranger remains Australia’s No. 1 selling vehicle, and the iconic Mustang holds its position as Australia’s No. 1 sports car. These achievements demonstrate our commitment to innovation, customer focus, and excellence. We also build careers, not just award‑winning vehicles. Benefits 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 Assistance Program. Wellness programmes including free flu vaccinations and health checks. Paid volunteer days. About The Role As a Colour and Materials Designer, you will play a pivotal role in driving the development of innovative Colour, Material, and Finish (CMF) solutions for both our advanced and production projects. You will translate visionary concepts into tangible, production‑ready designs, directly shaping the aesthetic and tactile future of our products and enhancing the overall brand experience. This position reports directly to the CMF Design Manager and is based at the Design Studio in Broadmeadows, operating on a hybrid schedule with four days in the office. Responsibilities Lead visionary CMF design: Create and drive compelling, innovative colour, material, and finish design experiences and visions across advanced and production projects, developing sensory‑rich palettes and material strategies. Champion human‑centered CMF: Apply human‑centered design principles to CMF, ensuring material choices, colours, and finishes enhance user comfort, interaction, emotional connection, and perception of quality. Coordinate holistic design integration: Collaborate with other design disciplines (exterior, interior, UX/UI) to ensure CMF strategies are seamlessly integrated, contributing to a cohesive vehicle design vision. Develop future brand CMF identity: Generate forward‑thinking, brand‑focused CMF design visions that anticipate trends and translate brand identity into tangible material and colour expressions for upcoming generations. Strategic CMF problem solving: Lead problem‑solving initiatives in areas such as connectivity (e.g., integrating new material technologies for sensors or displays), future mobility solutions (e.g., sustainable or lightweight materials), and diverse consumer segments (e.g., tailored CMF options for specific demographics or regional preferences). Qualifications Education and Experience: Bachelor’s degree in a relevant design field or equivalent experience, with 3–5 years of global automotive or transportation colour & materials design experience, including final design product execution. Design Acumen: Exceptional design intuition, strong problem‑solving skills, and a superior ability to visually communicate through compelling imagery and renderings. CMF Expertise: Strong perception of colour and understanding of colour processes, enabling interpretation of customer needs and global trends into compelling CMF designs. Independence and Judgment: Proven ability to work independently while providing strong technical aesthetic judgment. Technical Skills: Experience developing artistic presentations and proficiency in 2D/3D digital design media (e.g., Photoshop, VRED, PowerPoint). Collaboration & Communication: Outstanding teamwork, leadership, visual, written, and verbal communication skills. Preferred Qualifications Manufacturing and mastering: Understanding of exterior/interior manufacturing processes, materials, and mastering processes. Industry passion and trends: Passion for the automotive and mobility industry, global trends, innovation, and customer needs, with interest in design trends across diverse cultures. Corporate and collaborative experience: Experience working within creative cultures and large corporate environments, managing multiple stakeholders across complex projects, and presenting to executive audiences. Cross‑functional partnership: Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with engineering and other partners to progress design development. A design portfolio (PDF) must be provided upon application to be considered. Equal Opportunity Ford Australia is an 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 Sunday 11 January 2026, however please do not delay your application as interviews will commence before this date. Privacy Notice Ford Motor Company of Australia Pty Limited ACN 004 116 223 (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 (13 36 73) or via the contact details set out in Ford’s privacy policy. #J-18808-Ljbffr