Staff Hardware Validation Engineer

Ford-Motor-Company; Palo Alto (CA); Hybrid; USD 147,000 - 277,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

Parental leave

Vehicle program for employees

Tuition assistance

Paid time off & holidays

Job summary

Ford Motor Company seeks an experienced hardware validation engineer to define robust validation strategies for mechatronic platforms across vehicle lines.

You will bridge mechanical, electrical, and systems engineering to ensure robust, scalable hardware architectures validated to the highest standards. The role includes designing scalable test platforms and leading the bring-up of complex test stations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or equivalent.
• 5+ years in hardware validation, mechatronics, or product development.
• 5+ years in test equipment architecture and automated stations.
• Proven track record defining test limits and pass/fail criteria for high-reliability hardware.
• Experience leading cross-functional hardware projects spanning multiple product families.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development of validation requirements and DVP&R strategies across product lines.
• Define and approve complex test specifications with high-fidelity pass/fail criteria.
• Lead architectural design of scalable test platforms for multiple hardware variants.
• Spearhead bring-up of high-complexity test stations and act as escalation point for HW/SW issues.
• Collaborate with hardware design teams to influence PCB and mechanical designs for DFT/DFM and production testing.
• Perform failure mode analyses with advanced tools to drive root cause diagnosis.
• Direct technical requirements for external suppliers and labs to meet internal benchmarks.
• Manage vendors to implement validation tools, plans, and infrastructure.
• Travel up to 20% domestically and internationally to support development.

Skills

Hardware validation

Mechatronic design

Test equipment architecture

Python

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering

Master’s degree in Electrical or Mechanical Engineering

PhD in Electrical or Mechanical Engineering

Tools

Python

LabVIEW

C++

CAN/ Automotive Ethernet

Job description

In this position... 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

• Lead the development of validation requirements and DVP&R strategies that span multiple product lines, ensuring consistency and technical excellence across different mechanical-electrical modules.
• Define and approve complex test specifications, including high-fidelity pass/fail criteria, to ensure long-term reliability in diverse global environments.
• Lead 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 escalations 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 equivalent combination of relevant education and experience.
• 5+ years of experience in hardware validation, mechatronic system design, or product development.
• 5+ 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.

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 6 and ranges from $146,520-276,600.

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.