Colour, Material and Finishes Design Manager

About Us

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

As Australias largest automotive OEM employer we proudly have around 1500 talented engineers designers and specialists working across five Victorian sites. Crucially Australia is a key global development hub for Ford and our local design and engineering team lead the creation of vehicles including the Ranger Ranger Raptor and Everest models sold in around 180 markets worldwide.

Why Ford

For a century weve been a driving force across Australia building a legacy that truly speaks for itself. Leading the way the Ranger continues its reign as Australias No. 1 Selling Vehicle and our iconic Mustang proudly holds its position as Australias 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 vehicleswe 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 the Colour Material and Finishes (CMF) Design Manager you will be a pivotal design leader responsible for managing CMF Design defining CMF product strategy and leading a talented team to deliver new compelling design solutions for our automotive products.

In this role you will guide your team to create curate and deliver CMF solutions that not only influence but also significantly enhance the current automotive landscape. You will oversee all CMF applications for both the exterior and interior of our vehicles ensuring they bring a distinct look and an elevated sensory experience to the automobile.

This position reports directly to the Chief Designer and is based at the Design Studio in Broadmeadows operating on a hybrid schedule with four days in the office.

• Strategic CMF Leadership & Delivery: Lead the creation curation and delivery of innovative and strategic Colour Material and Finish (CMF) solutions for both vehicle exteriors and interiors guiding them from concept through to production readiness.

• Future-Focused CMF Strategy: Identify key opportunities for new colour and material developments by analysing future customer needs and emerging technologies translating these insights into a comprehensive CMF strategic plan for implementation.

• Trend Analysis & Narrative Development: Direct the analysis of future consumer trends to identify brand-relevant CMF narratives that inform and inspire cutting-edge CMF design solutions.

• Conceptual Design & Innovation: Create visionary CMF concepts that embody a strong creative narrative advanced functionality and an innovative user experience.

• Executive Presentation & Collaboration: Coordinate artistic presentations to senior management effectively communicating CMF design intent and strategy. Collaborate actively with the Global CMF Design organization on strategies and processes.

• Feasibility & Validation: Partner with external vendors and internal teams to translate new designs into visual samples rigorously validating feasibility and functionality.

• Digital & Physical CMF Vision: Develop and maintain compelling digital and physical CMF presentations that clearly articulate a future vision of design intent.

• Team Leadership & Development: Build and lead a world-class CMF design team fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration where employees can reach their full potential. Be accountable for the performance and results of direct reports and facilitate training sessions for junior/new team members in the design process.

• Production & Process Excellence: Lead the mastering group coordinating CMF decisions on final production parts. Spearhead functional process improvements that enhance efficiencies and champion overall design goals.

• Experience: Minimum 10 years of industry experience with a strong background in Colour and Material Design.

• Education: Bachelors degree in interaction design industrial design graphic design or a related technical field.

• Leadership & Mentorship: Proven ability to lead mentor and develop CMF design personnel.

• CMF Expertise: Expert knowledge of CMF design and development processes coupled with a deep understanding of exterior/interior manufacturing processes and materials.

• Strategic & Creative Thinking: Demonstrated strategic and creative thinking a clear design vision and a high level of color acuity.

• Communication & Collaboration: Exceptional leadership interpersonal and communication skills enabling effective interaction with diverse disciplines and levels both internally and externally.

• Project & Stakeholder Management: Strong project management skills ability to meet timing requirements and experience managing multiple stakeholders across complex projects.

• Software Proficiency: Proficient in Adobe Creative Suite (e.g. Photoshop Illustrator VRED) and Microsoft Office Suite (e.g. PowerPoint Excel).

• Personal Attributes: Self-motivated adaptable flexible and capable of multi-tasking effectively.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Industry Passion: Passionate about the automotive and mobility industry global trends innovation and customer needs.

• Corporate/Creative Culture Experience: Experience working within large corporate and/or creative cultures.

• Executive Presence: Proven experience presenting to executive audiences.

• Global Trend Awareness: Keen interest and familiarity with design trends across various professions and global cultures (automotive fashion architectural etc.).

A design portfolio (pdf) must be provided upon application to be considered.

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 Sunday 11 January 2026 however please do not delay your application as interviews will 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.Fords 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 Fords privacy policy.