Staff Software Developer – IVI Test Infrastructure

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

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision coverage

Family care benefits and parental leav

Vehicle discount program

Tuition assistance

Paid time off and holidays

Job summary

Ford Motor Company's EVDD team seeks an experienced lead software test infrastructure engineer to design, build, and scale test infrastructure across embedded, Android, and cloud environments. You will guide automation frameworks, CI/CD integration, and cloud-based execution to enable reliable EV software delivery.

The role requires 7+ years in software development or test infrastructure, strong Python and pytest skills, experience with Appium, Kubernetes, Docker, and cloud platforms (GCP

Qualifications

• 7+ years experience in software development, test automation, or infrastructure engineering.
• Strong proficiency in Python and frameworks such as pytest.
• Architect scalable test systems that serve multiple teams.
• Hands-on experience with Appium (or similar UI automation frameworks for Android/iOS).
• Deep knowledge of Linux systems, shell scripting, and system-level debugging.
• Experience with Kubernetes, Docker, and cloud platforms (GCP preferred, AWS/Azure acceptable).
• Strong background in CI/CD pipelines, build systems, and test orchestration.
• Experience working with Android systems and SDKs.
• Excellent collaboration and communication skills; able to work cross-functionally with developers, QA, and integration engineers.

Responsibilities

• Architect, develop, and maintain scalable test infrastructure supporting developers, integration, and QA for the next-gen EV platform.
• Build and optimize frameworks for automation, validation, and continuous integration across embedded, Android, and cloud environments.
• Partner with developers and QA to improve test coverage, speed, and reliability across mobile apps, in-vehicle systems, and backend services.
• Integrate automated testing into CI/CD pipelines (Jenkins, GitHub Actions, or similar) with support for containerized and cloud-based execution.
• Develop and extend tooling for pytest (Python), Appium, and service-level test frameworks.
• Scale infrastructure in Kubernetes and Google Cloud Platform (GCP) to support distributed and parallel test execution.
• Improve test observability with dashboards, reporting, and alerting for failures and system health.
• Act as a technical mentor for engineers across QA, integration, and development teams.
• Build towards an automation-first culture and continuous improvement in software quality.

Skills

Python

pytest

Appium

Linux

Shell scripting

CI/CD pipelines

Android systems

Collaboration

Test automation

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Tools

Kubernetes

Docker

Google Cloud Platform

AWS

Job description

We are the movers of the world and the makers of the future. We get up every day, roll up our sleeves and build a better world -- together. At Ford, we're all a part of something bigger than ourselves. Are you ready to change the way the world moves?

Ford's Electric Vehicles, Digital and Design (EVDD) team is charged with delivering the company's vision of a fully electric transportation future. EVDD is customer-obsessed, entrepreneurial, and data-driven and is dedicated to delivering industry-leading customer experience for electric vehicle buyers and owners. You'll join an agile team of doers pioneering our EV future by working collaboratively, staying focused on only what matters, and delivering excellence day in and day out. Join us to make positive change by helping build a better world where every person is free to move and pursue their dreams.

In this position...

In this role, you will design, build, and scale the test infrastructure that developers, integration engineers, and QA teams rely on to validate software across vehicles, mobile, and cloud. This is a hands-on IC lead role where you'll define infrastructure, guide adoption of best practices, streamline developer tools, and help shape the future of how Ford delivers reliable, secure, and high-quality EV software.

What you'll do...

• Architect, develop, and maintain scalable test infrastructure supporting developers, integration, and QA for the next-gen EV platform.
• Build and optimize frameworks for automation, validation, and continuous integration across embedded, Android, and cloud environments.
• Partner with developers and QA to improve test coverage, speed, and reliability across mobile apps, in-vehicle systems, and backend services.
• Integrate automated testing into CI/CD pipelines (Jenkins, GitHub Actions, or similar) with support for containerized and cloud-based execution.
• Develop and extend tooling for pytest (Python), Appium, and service-level test frameworks.
• Scale infrastructure in Kubernetes and Google Cloud Platform (GCP) to support distributed and parallel test execution.
• Improve test observability with dashboards, reporting, and alerting for failures and system health.
• Act as a technical mentor for engineers across QA, integration, and development teams.
• Build towards an automation-first culture and continuous improvement in software quality.

You’ll have...

Bachelor's or equivalent combination of relevant education and experience.

• 7+ years experience in software development, test automation, or infrastructure engineering.
• Strong proficiency in Python and frameworks such as pytest.
• Proven ability to architect scalable test systems that serve multiple teams.
• Hands-on experience with Appium (or similar UI automation frameworks for Android/iOS).
• Deep knowledge of Linux systems, shell scripting, and system-level debugging.
• Experience with Kubernetes, Docker, and cloud platforms (GCP preferred, AWS/Azure acceptable).
• Strong background in CI/CD pipelines, build systems, and test orchestration.
• Experience working with Android systems and SDKs.
• Excellent collaboration and communication skills; able to work cross-functionally with developers, QA, and integration engineers.

Even better, you may have...

• Experience with automotive, embedded systems, or IoT platforms.
• Familiarity with vehicle testing frameworks, CAN/LIN, or HIL/SIL setups.
• Knowledge of cloud-native monitoring and logging (e.g., Prometheus, Grafana, ELK).
• Prior experience leading initiatives in large-scale software organizations.

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 (onsite four days per week) for candidates who are in commuting distance to a Ford hub location.