Staff System Software Integration and Validation Engineer

Ford; Palo Alto (CA); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision coverage

Parental leave

Tuition assistance

Vehicle discount program

Paid time off

Job summary

Ford in Palo Alto seeks a Senior System Software Integration and Validation Engineer to design and execute verification and validation activities ensuring software safety and performance in automotive systems.

You will build test benches, develop plans, write test cases, and drive automation while collaborating with hardware, software and controls teams to deliver robust validation results.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in automotive or related field.
• Strong understanding of automotive systems, embedded software and control systems.
• Experience with automotive testing instrumentation and tools.
• Proficiency in automotive communication protocols (CAN, LIN, Ethernet, FlexRay).
• Working knowledge of IDLs and related frameworks (DBC, LDF, ARXML).
• Experience with HIL test benches (dSPACE/Vector VT) and automated/manual tests.
• Deep expertise in EE architecture and cross-domain integration.
• Proven ability to collaborate with large cross-functional teams across hardware, software and systems engineering.
• Strong understanding of the software development lifecycle and automotive testing methodologies.
• Experience in system-level debugging across software and hardware boundaries.

Responsibilities

• Design, build and maintain automotive system-level test benches to validate systems with automation.
• Develop verification and validation plans for automotive software systems and features.
• Design and execute test cases and scripts to verify functionality, performance and safety.
• Develop and implement automation scripts and tools to improve testing efficiency.
• Integrate hardware and software components to create scalable test environments.
• Lead debugging with cross-functional teams to identify root causes and prevent regressions.
• Collaborate with software, controls and systems engineers to define V&V strategies.
• Continuously improve testing processes and tools to boost efficiency and effectiveness.
• Prepare and present detailed verification reports to stakeholders.

Skills

Automotive systems

Embedded software

Control systems

Test automation

System-level debugging

Root-cause analysis

Cross-functional collaboration

Software development lifecycle

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or Mechanical Engineering

Tools

dSPACE

Vector VT

HIL test benches

IDLs (DBC/LDF/ARXML)

Job description

In this position...
You will be responsible for designing, developing, and executing verification and validation activities to ensure that our software meets the highest standards of safety and performance.
As a Senior System Software Integration and Validation Engineer, you will play a critical role in ensuring the quality and reliability of our automotive systems

Your expertise will be vital in driving the success of our projects and maintaining our reputation for excellence.

What you'll do

• Design, build and maintain complex automotive system level test benches to validate automotive systems with a focus on automation.
• Develop comprehensive verification and validation plans for automotive software systems and features.
• Design and execute test cases and test scripts to verify system functionality, performance, and safety.
• Develop and implement automation scripts and tools to enhance testing efficiency and accuracy.
• Integrate hardware and software components to create reliable and scalable test environments.
• Lead debug of any issues encountered working with cross functional teams across the organization on identifying root cause, confirming fixes and providing guidance on how we can protect against future regressions
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including software developers, controls engineers, and systems engineers to define and implement V&V strategies.
• Continuously improve testing processes and tools to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.
• Prepare and present detailed reports on verification activities and results to stakeholders

You'll have

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or equivalent combination of relevant education and experience.

• 5+ years of experience in the automotive or relevant industry
• Strong understanding of automotive systems, embedded software, and control systems.
• Demonstrated experience with automotive testing instrumentation and tools.
• Proficiency in automotive communication protocols such as CAN, LIN, Ethernet, and FlexRay.
• Working knowledge of IDLs such as DBC, LDF, ARXML, and work with internal IDLs and frameworks.
• Experience with automotive or aerospace HIL test benches, particularly with dSPACE, Vector VT, or similar platforms
• Experience writing and executing automated and manual tests.
• Deep expertise in the EE architecture and integration of complex automotive systems, including interactions across multiple domains (e.g., body, powertrain, chassis, ADAS) and ECUs.
• Proven track record of collaborating with large, cross-functional teams across hardware, software, and systems engineering.
• Deep understanding of software development lifecycle and automotive testing methodologies.
• Experience in system-level debugging and root-cause analysis across software and hardware boundaries.
• Proficiency in understanding wiring and logical schematics, network diagram and harness drawings.
• Ability to define and drive system validation plan from concept to production.

Even better, you may have

• Familiarity with safety-critical software development and industry standards like ISO 26262.
• Proficiency in programming languages such as C/C++, Python, or MATLAB.
• Experience testing fully electric vehicles.

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.

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. #LI-Hybrid

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