HIL Electrical Systems Engineer

Jobtailor

Dearborn (MI, MO)

On-site

USD 120,000 - 170,000

Full time

3 days ago

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Job summary

Ford Motor Company is seeking an experienced electrical engineer to lead HIL bench design and integration for powertrain and electrification programs. You will architect I/O strategies, wire harnesses, and PCB layouts, ensuring seamless simulator-to-ECU communications and robust test environments.

You will author requirements, support supplier reviews, and maintain compatibility across platform migrations, while utilizing tools such as dSPACE SCALEXIO, Speedgoat, and NI VeriStand.

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or closely related field.
5+ years designing, building, and validating HIL or embedded test systems.
3+ years experience with automotive ECUs (powertrain/electrification).
Proficiency in electrical schematic design and wire harness design.
Ability to drive projects from concept to production and coordinate stakeholders.
Hands-on experience with CAN, CAN-FD, LIN, Automotive Ethernet.
Lab/debugging skills with scopes, multimeters, and bus analyzers.
Strong communication and teamwork; U.S. work authorization is required.
Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.
Master’s degree (EE) is a plus.
Experience with dSPACE, Speedgoat, NI VeriStand, or Vector hardware-in-the-loop tools.
PCB design and layout experience is a plus.
Experience with Vehicle-in-the-Loop or dynamometer test environments is a plus.
Experience with test plans, scripts, automation, and reporting is a plus.
Experience with GitHub and Jenkins is a plus.
CANalyzer, CANoe familiarity is a plus.
Familiarity with Ford development processes (GPDS, GTDS, VSEM) is a plus.

Responsibilities

Serve as the electrical design authority for HIL benches and architect I/O and signal conditioning strategies.
Design and architect HIL system configurations including enclosure layout and interfaces.
Author requirements, SOWs, and evaluation criteria for HIL procurement.
Support supplier selection and technical reviews across research, engineering, and production.
Design, build, and validate wire harnesses and electrical cable assemblies connecting HILs to ECUs and subsystems.
Own electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, and harness documentation from connector definition to routing and testing.
Configure and integrate HIL platforms (DSPACE SCALEXIO, Speedgoat, NI VeriStand).
Maintain backward compatibility across platform migrations for reusable test assets.
Research emerging HIL platforms and report improvements aligned with electrification roadmap.

Skills

HIL System Design

Electrical Schematic Design

Signal Conditioning

CAN/CAN-FD/LIN

Automotive Ethernet

C/C++ Programming

Python Programming

PCB Design

GitHub

Jenkins

Education

Bachelor's in Electrical Engineering

Master's in Electrical Engineering

Tools

DSPACE SCALEXIO

Speedgoat

NI VeriStand

CANalyzer

CANoe

ATI Vision

INCA

ControlDesk

GitHub

Jenkins

Job description

Serve as the electrical design authority for HIL benches, architecting I/O and signal conditioning strategy, designing wire harnesses and custom PCBs, integrating simulator platforms with real ECUs and dynamometer hardware, and bringing new configurations from bare enclosure to fully communicating system
Design and architect new HIL system configurations for powertrain and electrification programs, including enclosure layout, I/O strategy, signal conditioning, power distribution, fault insertion, and interface control documentation
Author technical requirements, statements of work, and evaluation criteria for HIL hardware and software procurement
Support supplier selection and technical design reviews, coordinating delivery across research, advanced engineering, and production organizations
Design, build, and validate wire harnesses and electrical cable assemblies connecting HIL simulators to ECUs, sensors, actuators, and powertrain/dynamometer subsystems
Own electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, and harness documentation from connector and pinout definition through routing, shielding, and continuity verification
Design, lay out, and validate custom circuits for signal conditioning, load simulation, and interface adaptation used in HIL, ViL, HPiL, and dyno test environments
Configure and integrate HIL platforms including dSPACE SCALEXIO, Speedgoat, or NI VeriStand
Maintain backward compatibility across platform migrations so existing test assets and harnesses remain functional
Implement and validate I/O circuits for analog voltage/current, PWM, frequency, digital I/O, CAN, CAN-FD, LIN, and Automotive Ethernet
Perform component-level and system-level debugging across HIL benches, including signal tracing, oscilloscope analysis, CAN/Ethernet protocol analysis, and ECU communication diagnostics
Support bring-up and commissioning of new bench configurations, including power cycling validation, network bring-up, ECU flashing, and initial communication verification
Research and evaluate emerging HIL platforms, tools, and simulation methodologies and recommend improvements aligned with Ford's electrification roadmap and Software-Defined Vehicle architecture evolution

Requirements

Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Electrical & Computer Engineering, or closely related discipline
5+ years' experience designing, building, and validating HIL or embedded electronic test systems
3+ years' experience with automotive electronic control systems (powertrain, electrification, or related domain)
Proficiency in electrical schematic design and wire harness/cable assembly design
Demonstrated ability to work independently and drive projects from concept through production, including project planning, stakeholder coordination, and delivery across multiple organizations
Hands-on experience with automotive communication protocols (CAN, CAN-FD, LIN, Automotive Ethernet)
Hands-on laboratory debugging skills with oscilloscopes, multimeters, bench supplies, and bus analysis tools
Demonstrated effective communication, documentation, and interpersonal skills in a team environment
Visa sponsorship is not available for this position
Must be legally authorized to work in the United States
Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering or related field (even better)
Hands-on experience with dSPACE, Speedgoat, NI VeriStand, or Vector hardware-in-the-loop platforms and associated software (even better)
PCB design and layout experience (even better)
Experience designing signal conditioning circuits (even better)
Experience with Vehicle-in-the-Loop or dynamometer test environments (even better)
Experience creating and executing test plans, test scripts, test automation, and test reports (even better)
Experience with GitHub and Jenkins (even better)
Knowledge of CANalyzer and CANoe (even better)
Experience with ATI Vision, INCA, or ControlDesk (even better)
Experience with C/C++ and Python (even better)
Experience using GitHub Copilot and AI-assisted approaches to test case generation, log analysis, and failure triage (even better)
Familiarity with Ford development and systems engineering processes and tools (GPDS, GTDS, VSEM, Stages) (even better)

Core Competencies

Demonstrates expertise in electrical design for HIL systems, including proficiency in electrical schematic design, wire harness assembly, and automotive communication protocols. Capable of leading projects from concept to production while ensuring effective communication and collaboration across teams.

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