Senior Embedded Controls Engineer, Vehicle Motion

Ford; Palo Alto (CA); Hybrid; USD 139,000 - 233,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Vehicle discount program

Tuition assistance

Paid time off

Job summary

Ford Motor Company is seeking an Embedded Controls Software Engineer in Palo Alto to help define, develop, and deliver centralized vehicle motion control systems. You will work at the intersection of embedded software, electrical systems, vehicle dynamics, functional safety, and systems integration.

The role involves developing control strategies for lateral and longitudinal dynamics, collaborating with teams and suppliers, and contributing to safety analyses and comprehensive test strategies.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in EE/ME/CS or equivalent.
• 5+ years in embedded control systems for chassis/vehicle motion.
• 5+ years with electrical hardware applications and prototype bring-up.
• 5+ years with vehicle networks CAN/LIN/Automotive Ethernet.
• 5+ years with C, Python, Git, Bazel, CANape, and RTOS.
• Strong electrical engineering fundamentals and lab equipment usage.
• 5+ years of embedded networking tools in automotive/aerospace.
• Experience creating component-level test procedures.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement control strategies for vehicle dynamics.
• Design embedded control algorithms translating driver intent into precise vehicle behavior.
• Collaborate to define interfaces for third-party components.
• Lead subsystem design reviews across development phases.
• Support hardware bring-up and validation with labcar testing.
• Debug complex issues across software, hardware, and networks.
• Develop test strategies and verify firmware performance.

Skills

Embedded controls

Vehicle dynamics

C programming

Python scripting

RTOS

CAN/LIN

Hardware bring-up

Functional safety

Test automation

Electrical hardware

Education

Master’s degree

Tools

Bazel

SCons

CMake

CANape

RTOS

Git

Python

Job description

The way a vehicle moves — how it responds to driver intent, how it manages lateral and longitudinal forces, and how naturally it connects the driver to the road — defines its character. It is the DNA of the vehicle.

We are building the next generation of centralized vehicle motion control systems: advanced embedded control software that unifies vehicle dynamics, improves integration across systems, and creates a more intuitive, confident, and engaging driving experience.

We are looking for a highly skilled Embedded Controls Software Engineer to help define, develop, and deliver these next-generation control systems. This role is ideal for an engineer with deep experience in embedded controls, safety-critical systems, vehicle dynamics, and hands‑on development of math- and physics-based control strategies.

You will work at the intersection of embedded software, electrical systems, vehicle dynamics, functional safety, and systems integration — helping shape how future vehicles feel, respond, and perform.

What you'll do...

• Develop and implement control strategies for advanced vehicle motion functions, including lateral and longitudinal vehicle dynamics.
• Design and mature embedded control algorithms that translate driver intent into natural, precise, and predictable vehicle behavior.
• Support the development of a centralized vehicle motion control architecture by consolidating and integrating vehicle dynamic functions across multiple domains.
• Collaborate with internal engineering teams and external suppliers to define functions, interfaces, and requirements for third‑party components.
• Partner with software integration teams to bring up core functions and translate software‑level needs into electrical hardware and system requirements.
• Participate in functional safety analyses for complex vehicle subsystems and apply safety‑critical development principles throughout the design lifecycle.
• Develop comprehensive test strategies and execute validation activities to verify firmware functionality, robustness, stability, and performance across operating conditions.
• Create subsystem block diagrams, define interfaces, and lead subsystem design reviews across all vehicle program development phases.
• Work with system integration leads to capture component‑level requirements, provide technical expertise during sourcing discussions, and review and approve device transmittals.
• Support early‑phase firmware development activities, including hardware validation, labcar testing, prototype bring‑up, and automation framework development for unit, SIL, and HIL testing.
• Debug complex system issues across software, hardware, networks, and vehicle‑level integration environments.

You'll have...

• Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field, or equivalent experience with evidence of exceptional technical ability.
• 5+ years of experience developing embedded control systems for chassis systems, vehicle control modules, vehicle motion control, or similar dynamic control functions.
• 5+ years of experience with electrical hardware applications, prototype bring‑up, and systems development.
• 5+ years of experience with vehicle network protocols such as CAN, LIN, and Automotive Ethernet.
• 5+ years of experience with C, Python, Git, Bazel, CANape, and RTOS
• Strong electrical engineering fundamentals and hands‑on experience using electrical test equipment, including oscilloscopes, digital multimeters, signal generators, and power supplies.
• 5+ years of experience using embedded networking interface tools in automotive, aerospace, or a similarly complex embedded systems environment.
• Working knowledge of systems development, vehicle architecture, diagnostics, network communication, functional safety, and hardware/software integration processes.
• Experience creating and executing component‑level test procedures and owning test results through resolution and release.

Even better, you may have...

• Experience developing vehicle dynamic features such as stability control, anti‑lock braking, hill hold, park assist, cruise control, adaptive cruise control, or related motion‑control functions.
• Strong understanding of vehicle dynamics, control theory, and physics‑based algorithm development.
• Experience with software build tools such as Bazel, SCons, CMake, or similar.
• Experience with PCB‑level hardware components and associated analysis/debug tools.
• Ability to write test automation scripts using Python or similar scripting languages.
• Strong software fundamentals, including software architecture, modular design, maintainability, and code quality.
• Hands‑on experience with hardware bring‑up, system debugging, embedded optimization, and vehicle‑level integration.
• Knowledge of electrical engineering fundamentals, including circuit analysis and design.
• Familiarity with SIL, HIL, labcar, and vehicle validation environments.
• Highly collaborative mindset with the ability to communicate complex technical topics clearly across software, hardware, systems, safety, and supplier teams.

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 8 and ranges from $138,800-$232,700.
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, click here: https://fordcareers.co/GSR

Visa sponsorship is 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. Candidates who are in commuting distance to a Ford hub location may be required to be onsite four or more days per week.