Staff Software Developer – IVI Test Infrastructure

Ford

Palo Alto (CA)

Hybrid

USD 146,520 - 276,600

Full time

14 days+

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Benefits offered by this job

Immediate medical, dental, vision coverage

Family building benefits

Tuition assistance

Paid time off for community service

Vehicle discount program

Job summary

A major automotive manufacturer in Palo Alto is seeking a Staff Software Developer to lead the IVI Test Infrastructure. This role involves designing and building scalable systems that support developers and QA teams in validating software for electric vehicles. Candidates should have extensive experience in software development and test automation, delivering robust and efficient solutions. Competitive compensation and a hybrid work model are offered.

Qualifications

7+ years of experience in software development, test automation, or infrastructure engineering.
Proven ability to architect scalable test systems that serve multiple teams.
Hands-on experience with UI automation frameworks.

Responsibilities

Architect, develop, and maintain scalable test infrastructure.
Build and optimize frameworks for automation and continuous integration.
Partner with teams to improve test coverage, speed, and reliability.

Skills

Proficiency in Python

Experience with test automation

Collaboration and communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Tools

Kubernetes

Docker

Google Cloud Platform

pytest

Appium

Job description

Staff Software Developer – IVI Test Infrastructure

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.

Responsibilities

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.

Qualifications

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.

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 leadership level 6 and ranges from $146,520‑276,600.

For more information on salary and benefits: https://fordcareers.co/LL6SP4

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 or remote for non‑local candidates. #LI-Hybrid #LI-Remote #LI-JD2 #UEV

Job Info