Mechatronic Design and Release Engineer – In-Vehicle Infotainment

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

Benefits offered by this job

Medical coverage

Dental/vision benefits

Vehicle discount program

Tuition assistance

Paid time off

Job summary

Ford Mechatronic Design and Release Engineer is responsible for the development and integration of infotainment and connectivity systems, including IVI ECU, gateway modules, and telematics modem, ensuring robust hardware, power, and thermal performance within the vehicle electrical network.

You will lead test setups, DFMEA, and cross-functional collaboration to meet cybersecurity, functional safety, and EMC requirements, with hybrid onsite work and frequent collaboration with Tier-1 suppliers.

Qualifications

• BSEE or MS in Mechatronics preferred; other disciplines considered with relevant experience.
• 5+ years in automotive design and release or electronic hardware development.
• Experience with MATLAB, LTSpice, and Mathcad.
• Proficient with Vector CANalyzer/CANoe and diagnostic hardware.
• Strong background in mechatronic systems including display/touchscreen hardware, thermal management, and high-speed connector/antenna integration.

Responsibilities

• Support prototype builds, program launches, and service issues related to IVI, gateway, and connectivity hardware and mechatronic integration.
• Develop and execute comprehensive test plans and custom testing tools for bench and vehicle-level validation.
• Perform circuit simulations, power/thermal studies, and hardware analysis using MATLAB, LTSpice, and Mathcad.
• Lead power, thermal, and physical packaging of IVI modules including PCB layout density and EMI shielding.
• Lead integration of systems into the vehicle including mounting, harness routing, and antenna placement for cellular, GNSS, Wi‑Fi, and V2X.
• Support electromechanical integration of displays and touchscreens, including mounting and thermal behavior.

Skills

MATLAB

LTSpice

Mathcad

Vector CANalyzer/CANoe

Oscilloscopes

Thermal imaging

PCB layout

EMI shielding

Education

Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering

Master of Science in Mechatronics Engineering

Tools

Vector CANalyzer/CANoe

Oscilloscopes

High-speed network analyzers

Job description

In this position...

The Mechatronic Design and Release Engineer is responsible for the development and integration of critical infotainment and connectivity systems, including the IVI ECU (with displays and touchscreens), gateway modules, and the telematics modem (cellular 4G/5G, GNSS/GPS, Wi‑Fi, and Bluetooth), as well as antennas, eSIM, and V2X. This role focuses on the electronics, power and thermal performance, packaging, and vehicle integration of these systems, ensuring seamless interface with the vehicle's electrical network and high-speed data networks.

The engineer is accountable for all product deliverables from initial design through production launch, including the design and execution of comprehensive mechatronic test setups and detailed test cases to validate system performance, power and thermal behavior, connectivity, and reliability. This includes both bench-level and vehicle-level validation, often requiring custom tools and methodologies to ensure system robustness, signal integrity, and physical integration into the vehicle.

What you'll do...

• Support all vehicle prototype builds, product launch, and service issues related to IVI, gateway, and connectivity electronic hardware and mechatronic integration.
• Develop and execute comprehensive test plans, including the creation of original test cases and custom testing tools for both bench and vehicle-level validation.
• Perform circuit simulations, power and thermal studies, and hardware-level analysis using tools such as LTSpice and MATLAB to ensure robust electronic design, including thermal management of high-performance SoCs and power stages.
• Lead the power performance, thermal management, and physical packaging of IVI modules, including PCB layout density, enclosure design, EMI shielding, heat dissipation strategy, and power budget/quiescent draw management.
• Lead the integration of these systems into the vehicle, including module mounting, harness routing, thermal interfaces to vehicle structure, and antenna placement and routing for optimal cellular, GNSS, Wi‑Fi, and V2X signal performance.
• Support the electromechanical integration of displays and touchscreens, including mounting, optical bonding, haptic feedback hardware, and thermal behavior of large-format displays.
• Lead the troubleshooting and problem-resolution process using vehicle network tools (Vector CANalyzer/CANoe) and high-speed network analysis tools. Collect and analyze data, review system schematics, and evaluate vehicle EDS as required.
• Collaborate closely with Component, Architecture, Systems Engineering teams to ensure hardware/software compatibility and alignment with vehicle electrical and connectivity requirements.
• Support the development of robust foundation documents, including DFMEA, Design Specifications, D/PVPR, and Worst-Case Circuit Analysis (WCCA).
• Lead technical design reviews for module hardware requirements, thermal/power interfaces, and mechanical/packaging interfaces.
• Manage Tier 1 supplier engineering activities on a case-by-case basis to ensure component delivery meets Ford's rigorous quality and timing standards.
• Lead cross-functional teams to drive timely resolution of program-specific engineering issues using failure detection strategies (Fishbone, 8D, etc.).
• Lead the delivery of all engineering requirements for IVI and connectivity mechatronic components per each development milestone, as defined by the Ford product development process.
• Develop solutions to revise or add features to infotainment and connectivity systems as they impact hardware, thermal/power performance, packaging, and electronic control logic.
• Ensure designs meet cybersecurity (ISO/SAE 21434), functional safety (ISO 26262), and EMC requirements for connected systems

You'll have...

• BSEE (MSEE) or MS in Mechatronics Engineering preferred. Other disciplines may be considered if the candidate has comparable job experience.
• 5+ years of experience in automotive Design and Release (DR) or electronic hardware development.
• Expertise in simulation and analysis tools: MATLAB, LTSpice, and Mathcad.
• Advanced proficiency with Vector tools (CANalyzer, CANoe) and diagnostic hardware (Oscilloscopes, Multimeters, high-speed network/protocol analyzers, Thermal Imaging Cameras).
• Strong background in mechatronic systems, including display/touchscreen hardware, haptics, thermal management, and high-speed connector and antenna integration.
• Experience with power performance, thermal management, and physical packaging of high-performance electronic modules.
• Experience in developing custom test scripts or hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing setups.
• Strong analytical skills (including 8D, 6-Panel, FMEA) and experience with electronic circuit design and board layout.
• Familiarity with high-speed automotive networks and wireless communication, including Automotive Ethernet (100BASE-T1 / 1000BASE-T1) and TSN, CAN FD, LIN, display interfaces (LVDS, MIPI, GMSL, FPD-Link), USB, Wi‑Fi, Bluetooth, cellular (4G/5G), GNSS, and V2X.
• Excellent communication and leadership skills for cross-functional cooperation across the DR community.

Even better, you may have...

• Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering.
• 10+ years of experience in electronic circuit design or connected/infotainment systems within the automotive industry.
• Familiarity with the Production Part Approval Process (PPAP).
• Proficiency with Ford product development system applications (e.g., WERS, FEDEBOM, Team Center, Integrator, 3DX, etc.).
• Proficiency with model-based systems engineering tools (e.g., MagicDraw / SysML).
• Solid understanding of EMC specifications and mitigation techniques, including high-speed signal integrity.
• In-depth knowledge of the automotive product development lifecycle (e.g., Ford GPDS) from concept to mass production.
• Experience with PCB design and manufacturing processes.
• Experience with cybersecurity (ISO/SAE 21434) and functional safety (ISO 26262) for connected systems.

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 and ranges 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. Internal applicants: moving into this role may result in an adjustment to your current compensation based on the posted pay range for this role, taking into consideration your qualifications and other relevant factors.

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.