Software Quality Engineer

Ford-Motor-Company; Dearborn (MI); Hybrid; USD 99,000 - 166,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical coverage

Flexible benefits and time-off

Tuition assistance

Vehicle discount program

Job summary

Ford Motor Company is seeking a Software Quality Assurance Engineer to apply advanced quality methodologies and embed defect prevention across the software lifecycle. You will partner with engineering to implement systemic defect prevention across automotive platforms and drive continuous quality improvements.

The role emphasizes RCA, PRAs, audits, and data-driven dashboards to communicate SWQA status to engineering teams and leadership.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field.
• 10+ years of software engineering experience in the automotive industry with a focus on software quality and defect prevention.
• Experience with embedded software defect prevention methodologies and structured problem-solving tools (8D, 5 Whys, RCA) preferred.

Responsibilities

• Facilitate Root Cause Analysis (RCA) of identified issues with cross-functional engineering teams.
• Apply problem-solving methodologies (8D, 3-Legged 5 Whys, PDCA) to identify underlying causes.
• Document RCA findings, capturing contributing factors and systemic weaknesses.
• Define Prevent Recurrence Actions (PRAs) and track progress to closure.
• Verify implemented actions achieve quality improvement without introducing new issues.
• Conduct software design reviews to ensure compliance with architectural and quality standards.
• Coach and train engineering teams on software quality best practices, including ASPICE compliance.

Skills

Root Cause Analysis

PDCA

8D

Statistical methods

Embedded software

Software quality

Coaching & training

ASPICE

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science/Software Engineering

Tools

Ford GPDS

Ford eSoW

DevOps

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.

Do you want to drive business strategy and define products for software and digital experiences? Enterprise Connectivity Business Operations team translates those strategic choices into tangible business propositions. We represent the voice of the customer as we build distinctive, always-on connected vehicle technologies and services that transform the ownership experience.

The Software Quality Assurance Engineer is responsible for applying advanced quality methodologies and tools to proactively identify, analyze, and eliminate potential defects throughout the product lifecycle. This role champions a 'shift-left' approach, embedding prevention strategies into every stage of software and product development.

You will translate quality principles and defect prevention vision into concrete action — acting as a trusted technical partner to cross-functional stakeholders and collaborating closely with engineering teams to embed robust, systemic defect prevention practices across our automotive platforms.

What you’ll do…

• Facilitate Root Cause Analysis (RCA) of identified issues, collaborating with cross-functional engineering disciplines
• Employ structured problem-solving methodologies (e.g., 8D, 3-Legged 5 Whys, PDCA) to identify true underlying causes rather than symptoms
• Document RCA findings, clearly capturing contributing factors and systemic weaknesses
• Define robust Prevent Recurrence Actions (PRAs) with relevant teams to eliminate root causes
• Establish and maintain a systematic tracking mechanism for PRAs, monitoring progress to closure
• Verify implemented actions achieve the desired quality improvement without introducing new issues
• Document identified non-conformances and potential issues
• Collaborate with responsible teams to resolve non-conformances, track progress, and verify corrective measure effectiveness
• Plan, schedule, and perform quality audits across processes and products
• Identify non-compliance, risks, and improvement opportunities
• Generate audit reports, communicate findings to stakeholders, and drive timely closure; escalate as needed to resolve open findings
• Establish and maintain data collection processes for key quality measures
• Apply statistical methods to monitor quality metrics and identify trends
• Partner with cross-functional teams to implement targeted actions, bringing processes and product quality back within control limits
• Synthesize Software Quality Assurance (SWQA) data and activities into clear, actionable summaries
• Develop and maintain dashboards, newsletters, executive summaries, and formal presentations to communicate SWQA status, KPIs, risks, and improvement initiatives to both engineering teams and executive leadership
• Collaborate with supplier quality management teams to ensure externally sourced components meet Ford eSoW requirements and support overall defect prevention
• Conduct software design reviews to ensure compliance with architectural and quality standards
• Participate in engineering joint reviews to reinforce best practices in software development
• Coach and train engineering teams on software quality best practices, including ASPICE compliance

You’ll have…

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field
• 10+ years of software engineering experience in the automotive industry, with a strong focus on software quality and defect prevention (root cause analysis, corrective/preventive action management, quality audits). Experience in verification & validation is a plus but is not a substitute for direct defect prevention/quality engineering experience.
• Proven expertise in software defect prevention methodologies, including within embedded software systems
• Hands-on experience with structured problem-solving tools (8D, 5 Whys, Root Cause Analysis facilitation, PDCA)
• Experience conducting quality audits and managing non-conformance resolution
• Strong background in Failure Mode Avoidance (FMA) for software systems
• Strong embedded software development expertise
• Experience applying statistical methods to monitor and improve quality metrics
• Excellent communication, coaching, and training skills to drive cultural and technical improvements
• Experience working within a software quality organization highly desired

Even better, you may have…

• ASPICE Assessor Certification
• Experience with software process assessments
• Experience with automotive software engineering development processes
• Experience with Ford GPDS and as a Ford Design & Release Engineer
• Experience with Ford eSoW requirements and supplier quality management
• Experience with DevOps, continuous integration, and automated software testing
• Understanding of open-source software compliance and cybersecurity best practices

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 $99,100-$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.

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. Candidates who are in commuting distance to a Ford hub location may be required to be onsite four or more days per week. #LI-Hybrid