Calibration Engineer

Ford; Dearborn (MI); Hybrid; USD 65,000 - 166,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical coverage

Dental coverage

Vision coverage

Vehicle discount

Tuition assistance

Paid time off

Paid holidays

Vacation purchase option

Job summary

Ford Motor Company is seeking a Senior Calibration Engineer within Vehicle Propulsion Systems Engineering. You will calibrate and optimize powertrain controls across gasoline, diesel, Hybrid, and EV platforms, working with cross-functional teams to meet program milestones.

You will deliver robust calibrations, analyze test data, and drive improvements in efficiency, quality, and process. This hybrid role is based in Dearborn, MI, with onsite requirements four days per week.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related engineering field.
• 2–3 years experience in powertrain, vehicle systems, or calibration.
• Strong fundamentals in control systems and data-based decision making.

Responsibilities

• Own calibration work from planning through development, validation, and signoff.
• Develop and optimize calibrations for performance, drivability, and fuel economy.
• Create and maintain workplans, DVP&R, test requests, data reviews, and signoff evidence.

Skills

Powertrain calibration

Embedded controls

Data analysis

Problem solving

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Tools

ATI Vision

ETAS INCA

Vector CAN tools

Job description

We made history, and now we work to transform the future for our customers, our communities, and our families. You will 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.

At Ford, Vehicle Hardware Engineering (VHE) teams use Design Thinking and User Experience methods to deliver products and services that delight our customers. Our employees bring innovative, sustainable ideas to life across autonomy, electrification, and smart mobility technologies.

In This Position

This position is within Vehicle Propulsion Systems Engineering (VPSE). VPSE calibrates, integrates, and optimizes powertrain control systems for gasoline, diesel, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and battery electric vehicles. These systems include engines, transmissions, drivelines, electric motors, and their associated controls.

We are seeking senior calibration engineers to work alongside feature technical specialists across VPSE. You will combine hands-on calibration delivery with process leadership, using production experience to simplify workflows, improve engineering efficiency, strengthen calibration quality, and deliver program milestones on time.

This role provides broad exposure to propulsion controls while allowing you to build deeper expertise in one or more calibration feature areas. Assignments will be matched to program priorities, candidate experience, and feature-team needs.

What You Will Do

• Partner with feature technical specialists to own calibration work from planning through development, validation, documentation, and signoff.
• Develop and optimize control system calibrations that deliver customer attributes including performance, drivability, fuel economy, emissions, diagnostics, shift quality, thermal performance, hybrid operation, electric driving, and all-wheel-drive operation.
• Build and maintain feature workplans, calibration direction, Design Verification Plans and Reports (DVP&R), test requests, data reviews, and signoff evidence aligned with program milestones.
• Execute calibration development and validation using vehicles, powertrain and chassis dynamometers, hardware-in-the-loop (HIL), software-in-the-loop (SIL), simulation, and analytical environments.
• Analyze test, connected-vehicle, warranty, and field data to identify opportunities, determine root cause, resolve issues, and improve calibration quality.
• Evaluate calibration robustness across temperature, altitude, speed, road grade, trailer use, component variation, and other customer operating conditions.
• Coordinate with controls, software, systems engineering, hardware, test and validation, emissions, OBD, quality, and vehicle program teams to resolve technical issues and deliver calibrations on time.
• Apply scripting, automation, data analytics, modeling, and continuous integration methods to improve development speed, repeatability, and quality.
• Work with feature technical specialists to optimize calibration processes, tools, and standard work for efficiency, quality, and timing; validate improvements through production application.
• Document technical findings, risks, tradeoffs, and recommendations for calibration leads, technical specialists, and program teams.

What You Will Bring

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Systems Engineering, Mechatronics Engineering, Controls Engineering, Software Engineering, or a related technical field, or an equivalent combination of relevant education and experience.
• 2-3 experience in in powertrain, vehicle systems, embedded controls, calibration, testing, data analysis, or a related engineering area.
• Working knowledge of control systems, engineering fundamentals, structured problem solving, and data-based decision making.
• Ability to plan and execute technical work, manage multiple priorities, and deliver to program timing.
• Ability to work as a peer with feature technical specialists while independently owning complex deliverables and driving decisions.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to contribute effectively within a diverse team.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience developing or validating propulsion, engine, transmission, hybrid, electric vehicle, emissions, OBD, thermal, or driveline calibrations.
• Experience with calibration and data acquisition tools such as ATI Vision, ETAS INCA, Vector tools, CAN communication, or equivalent systems.
• Experience with vehicle, powertrain dynamometer, HIL, SIL, simulation, or laboratory testing.
• Experience with Python, MATLAB/Simulink, data analytics, automation, statistical methods, Design of Experiments (DOE), or continuous integration workflows.
• Experience creating workplans, DVP&R documentation, calibration direction, signoff reports, or conformance plans.
• Experience resolving calibration-related quality, warranty, emissions, regulatory, or field issues.
• Demonstrated ability to learn new technical areas, apply standard work, and improve engineering processes.

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 5 to a salary grade 8. Salaries can range from $65,100-$166,200.

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, 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.

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

#VehicleHardwareEngineering #LI-Kh2