Senior Validation Engineer - DCE

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

Benefits offered by this job

Medical coverage

Dental coverage

Vision coverage

Parental leave

Job summary

Ford is seeking a Senior Hardware Validation Engineer within Advanced EV’s Design Concept Engineering to define validation strategies for complex mechatronic hardware across vehicle lines. You will oversee test environment bring-up and influence design for testability, reliability, and production readiness.

The role requires 4+ years in hardware validation, test equipment architecture, and leadership of multi-family projects, with exposure to ISO standards and MBSE.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, or related field.
• 4+ years of hardware validation, mechatronic system design, or product development.
• Experience in test equipment architecture and automated stations.

Responsibilities

• Define validation requirements and DVP&R strategies across product lines.
• Approve complex test specs and pass/fail criteria for high-reliability hardware.
• Architect scalable test platforms for multiple hardware variants.
• Lead high-complexity test station bring-up and escalate hardware/software issues.
• Collaborate with hardware design teams to influence PCB and mechanical designs for DFT/DFM.
• Perform root-cause analysis using advanced tools.

Skills

Hardware validation

Project leadership

Technical communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, or related field

Tools

Python

LabVIEW

C++

Automotive Ethernet

CAN-FD

PCIe

Job description

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

Product Creation and Industrialization (PC&I) brings together Ford’s vehicle, electric, digital and design teams with our global manufacturing system. Working as one end-to-end organization, we turn ideas into high-quality vehicles, software and experiences across gas, hybrid and electric, designed around what customers need.

In this role

Advanced EV’s Design Concept Engineering team is looking for a Senior Hardware Validation Engineer. In this high-impact role, you will define the validation strategy and technical roadmaps for complex mechatronic hardware across multiple vehicle product lines. You will not only oversee the 'bring-up' of sophisticated test environments but also influence the foundational design for testability (DFT) and reliability across the enterprise. You will bridge the gap between mechanical, electrical, and systems engineering, ensuring that our hardware architectures are robust, scalable, and validated to the highest rigorous standards.

What you’ll do

• Execute the development of validation requirements and DVP&R strategies that span multiple product lines, ensuring consistency and technical excellence across different mechanical-electrical modules.
• Approve complex test specifications, including high-fidelity pass/fail criteria, to ensure long-term reliability in diverse global environments.
• Execute architectural design of scalable test platforms that can be leveraged across multiple hardware variants to increase testing efficiency.
• Spearhead bring-up of high-complexity test stations. Act as the primary technical escalation point for the most challenging hardware/software integration issues.
• Partner with hardware design teams at the architecture phase to influence PCB and mechanical designs, ensuring systems are designed for test (DFT) and manufacturing (DFM), optimized for validation and end-of-line production testing.
• Performing failure mode analysis with advanced detailed analysis tools to drive root cause diagnosis.
• Direct the technical requirements for external Tier 1 suppliers and independent test labs to ensure outsourced validation meets Ford’s stringent internal benchmarks.
• Managing vendors to implement validation tools, plans and infrastructure.
• Business travel (up to 20% domestic and international travel) to support product development is required.

You’ll have

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, or a related field.
• 4+ years of experience in hardware validation, mechatronic system design, or product development.
• 4+ years of experience in test equipment architecture, including the design of custom electrical/mechanical test rigs and automated stations.
• Proven track record of defining test limits and pass/fail criteria for high-reliability hardware.
• Experience leading technical projects that span multiple product families or global platforms.

Even better, you may have

• Master’s degree or PhD in Electrical or Mechanical Engineering.
• Expert-level proficiency in automated test frameworks (Python, LabVIEW, or C++) and hardware communication protocols (Automotive Ethernet, CAN-FD, PCIe).
• Deep understanding of ISO 26262 (Functional Safety), ISO 16750 (Environmental Testing), and EMC/EMI compliance standards.
• Experience with Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) and correlating physical test data with virtual simulations.
• Exceptional communication skills with the ability to distill complex technical risks for executive leadership.

Benefits

• 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.

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 with a requirement to be onsite four or more days per week.