IVI System Architecture Technical Leader

Ford; Dearborn (MI); Hybrid; USD 141,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

Dental & vision coverage

Parental leave

Vehicle discount program

Tuition assistance

Paid time off

Holiday schedule

Job summary

Ford is seeking a Senior Manager of IVI Systems Engineering Architecture to unite concept and deployment, translating vehicle product intent and UX into actionable IVI requirements. You will oversee cross-stack integration across ECUs, cloud, and IVI, while driving modular platform evolution and strict governance of technical decisions.

The role emphasizes Functional Safety (ISO 26262), cybersecurity by design, and leadership of a team of systems thinking experts to deliver high-quality,

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required in a technical field.
• 7+ years in automotive systems engineering or embedded architecture.
• Mastery of systems engineering principles and interface management.
• Deep understanding of embedded software, Android architectures, and cloud interactions.
• Proven track record delivering complex software architectures for vehicle programs.

Responsibilities

• Define end-to-end architecture for IVI features across cockpit displays and cloud services.
• Translate product intent and UX requirements into detailed technical specs and tasks.
• Assess feasibility and risks; drive cross-functional alignment to mitigate.
• Ensure cross-stack quality and interfaces between ECUs, cloud, and IVI.
• Drive platform evolution to modular, scalable architectures across programs.
• Govern architectural decisions via design-review sessions and Product Truth.
• Incorporate Functional Safety and ISO 26262 requirements into core architecture.
• Embed security and privacy by design across the architecture.
• Maintain visibility into feature dependencies and delivery milestones.
• Lead and mentor systems thinkers and architects, promoting rigor and integrity.

Skills

Architectural leadership

Systems thinking

Requirement decomposition

Cross-stack integration

Technical governance

Functional safety

Cybersecurity & privacy

Strategic influence

Advanced degree preference

Leadership of managers

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or Systems Engineering

Master's degree in Systems Engineering or Engineering Management

Job description

The Senior Manager of IVI Systems Engineering Architecture serves as the 'technical glue' that defines and executes the delivery path for IVI features from initial concept through deployment. This strategic leader is responsible for translating vehicle product intent and UX requirements into IVI HW/Systems/SW actionable technical requirements, ensuring cross-stack quality and architectural feasibility. By managing complex dependencies across ECU and cloud interactions, this role bridges the gap between visionary design and embedded implementation, ensuring that the next generation experiences are technically sound, safe, and delivered with zero field failures.

What you'll do...

• Architectural Strategy: Define the end-to-end architecture for IVI features, ensuring a cohesive integration across cockpit displays and cloud services.
• Requirement Decomposition: Lead the translation of high-level product intent and UX requirements into detailed, actionable technical specifications and implementation tasks.
• Feasibility & Risk Management: Conduct deep-dive feasibility assessments for complex features, identifying technical risks early and driving cross-functional alignment to mitigate them.
• Cross-Stack Integration: Ensure seamless communication and quality across the entire software stack, managing the critical interfaces between other ECU's, cloud and IVI.
• Platform Evolution and Adaptability:Drive the transition from feature-based delivery to a modular, platform-centric architecture that enables rapid scaling across multiple vehicle programs, global markets, and price-points.
• Technical Governance: Act as the primary authority for architectural decisions, utilizing 'Product Truth' sessions to align Design, Systems, and Development teams on technical execution.
• Functional Safety & Compliance: Integrate safety constraints and Functional Safety (FuSa) requirements into the core architecture, ensuring all features meet rigorous ASO standards.
• Cybersecurity and Privacy: Integrate security and privacy requirements into the core architecture, ensuring all the architecture is “secure by design,” protects user data, and prevents unauthorized access to vehicle systems.
• Lifecycle Visibility: Maintain end-to-end visibility into feature dependencies and delivery milestones, ensuring high-quality software is ready for every program milestone.

• Organizational Leadership: Scale technical excellence by coaching a team of systems thinkers and architects, fostering a culture of rigor, agility, and high-integrity people leadership.

You'll have...

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Systems Engineering, or a related field.
• Experience: 7+ years in automotive systems engineering or embedded architecture, specifically within the Digital Experience or ADAS/IVI/HMI domain.
• Systems Thinking: Mastery of systems engineering principles, including requirement decomposition, interface management, and architectural modeling.
• Technical Breadth: Deep understanding of embedded software, Android architectures, and the interaction between vehicle ECUs and cloud environments.
• Program Execution: Proven track record of delivering complex software architectures for major vehicle programs.
• Leadership: Demonstrated experience leading managers and senior architects, with a focus on talent development and technical mentorship.
  
• Even better, you may have...
• Data-Driven Design: Experience using DTUX analytics or telemetry to inform architectural trade-offs and prioritization.
• Safety Expertise: Advanced knowledge of ISO 26262 and experience with Functional Safety Architecture.
• Cybersecurity and Privacy: Advanced knowledge of ISO/SAE 21434 Cybersecurity in application to vehicle software architecture.
• Strategic Influence: Proven ability to influence senior stakeholders and drive consensus in 'Product Truth' or design-review environments.
• Advanced Degree: Master's degree in Systems Engineering or Engineering Management.

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 leadership level 5 and ranges from $141,000 - $210,000.

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.

This position is hybrid (onsite four days per week).