System Software Integration and Validation Engineer

Socket.dev; Dearborn (MI); Hybrid; USD 95,000 - 165,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical coverage

Dental coverage

Vision coverage

Rx coverage

Family care days

Parental leave

Tuition assistance

Vehicle discount

Paid time off

Holidays

Job summary

Ford Motor Company is seeking a System Software Integration and Validation Engineer to design, develop, and execute verification activities ensuring safety and performance of automotive software. You’ll lead automation, collaborate across hardware, software, and systems teams, and travel up to 20% as needed.

The role emphasizes test benches, V&V planning, and cross-functional teamwork to uphold Ford’s engineering excellence across EV programs and vehicle platforms.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical or Mechanical Engineering or equivalent.
• 6+ years in automotive or relevant industry.
• Experience with automotive testing instrumentation and tools.
• Proficiency in automotive communication protocols CAN, LIN, Ethernet, FlexRay.
• Familiarity with IDLs like DBC, LDF, ARXML and related frameworks.
• Experience with HIL test benches (dSPACE/Vector VT).
• Strong collaboration across hardware, software and systems teams.

Responsibilities

• Design, build and maintain automotive system test benches with a focus on automation.
• Develop verification and validation plans for automotive software systems and features.
• Create and execute test cases/scripts to verify functionality, performance and safety.
• Develop automation scripts/tools to improve testing efficiency.
• Integrate hardware and software components for reliable test environments.
• Lead debugging with cross-functional teams to identify root cause and prevent regressions.
• Collaborate with software, controls and systems engineers to define V&V strategies.
• Prepare reports on verification activities and results for stakeholders.

Skills

Automotive testing

System validation

Root-cause analysis

Cross-functional collaboration

V&V strategy

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical/Mechanical Eng

Tools

CAN

LIN

Ethernet

FlexRay

DBC/LDF/ARXML

HIL benches

dSPACE

Vector VT

ARXML

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.

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...
As a System Software Integration and Validation Engineer, you will play a critical role in ensuring the quality and reliability of our automotive systems. 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. Your expertise will be vital in driving the success of our projects and maintaining our reputation for excellence.

Responsibilities

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.
• Review warranty data to identify emerging trends and develop corrective actions
• Willingness to travel – up to 20% domestic/international travel required

Qualifications

You'll have...

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or equivalent combination of relevant education and experience.
• 6+ 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...

• Masters or PhD degree in a relevant engineering field.
• 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 salary grade 6 and ranges from $85,400-$143,200.,

This position is a salary grade 7 and ranges from $99,600-$166,600.,

This position is a salary grade 8 and ranges from $115,000-$192,900.

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 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 with a requirement to be onsite four or more days per week. #LI-Hybrid #LI-BB1 #UEV