Vehicle Software Test & Development Engineer/Operator

Ford Motor Company; Mesa (AZ); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Ford Motor Company is seeking a skilled professional to join their Electric Vehicles, Digital and Design team. This role involves leading vehicle-level software validation and working collaboratively to ensure the readiness of electric vehicle software. Candidates should have extensive experience in embedded development and a strong understanding of automotive systems. The position offers competitive benefits and the opportunity to contribute to a fully electric transportation future.

Benefits

Immediate medical, dental, vision coverage

Flexible family care days and paid parental leave

Tuition assistance

Vehicle discount program for employees

Paid time off for community service

Generous paid holidays

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in vehicle-level software validation.
• Strong proficiency with CAN tools and diagnostic interfaces.
• Hands-on experience working with cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead vehicle-level test planning and execution for software builds.
• Drive development fleet readiness and validate software functionality.
• Support fleet operations and manage vehicle diagnostics.

Skills

Vehicle-level software validation

Systems integration

Embedded development

Debugging complex vehicle-level issues

Operating development vehicles safely

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Automotive Engineering or related field

Tools

CAN tools

Diagnostic interfaces

Log analysis tools

Jira

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.

Qualifications

You'll have...

• 5+ years of experience in vehicle-level software validation, systems integration, or embedded development
• Strong proficiency with CAN tools, diagnostic interfaces, and log analysis for embedded systems
• Demonstrated ability to operate development vehicles safely and confidently in a test environment
• Hands-on experience working with cross-functional teams including SW engineers, technicians, and test operators
• Solid understanding of automotive embedded systems, including body modules, thermal management, and chassis control ECUs
• Proven track record of debugging complex vehicle-level issues

Even better, you may have...

• Bachelor’s degree in Automotive Engineering, Electrical/Mechanical Engineering, or related technical field
• Accredited proving ground driver training
• Experience with electric vehicle platforms and modern vehicle software architecture
• Familiarity with software release tools and test case management systems
• Willingness and ability to travel to remote test sites (including cold weather and high-altitude locations)
• Experience supporting vehicle bring-up, calibration loops, or multi-domain integration testing
• Knowledge of functional safety principles (ISO 26262) or automotive process frameworks (ASPICE)

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 salary grade 8.

For more information on salary and benefits, click here: https://fordcareers.co/GSRSP3

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.

#LI-Remote #LI-MZ1

Responsibilities

• Own and lead vehicle-level test planning and execution for pre-merge and post-merge software builds across multiple domains (chassis controls, body systems, thermal, etc.)
• Drive end-to-end development fleet readiness including software flashing, configuration, instrumentation setup, and release coordination
• Execute defined test routes and driving scenarios to validate software functionality
• Operate and evaluate vehicles in structured and exploratory test routes, validating embedded feature behavior and performance
• Provide detailed feedback on vehicle behavior and support root-cause investigations
• Support fleet operations, including part swaps, basic maintenance coordination, and issue tracking. Partner with technicians and garage teams to manage vehicle setup, diagnostics, and resolution of hardware/software issues
• Lead issue triage and debugging efforts using CAN tools (e.g., CANalyzer, Vehicle Spy), log analysis, and collaboration with engineering owners
• Document, track, and escalate software issues with clear context, reproduction steps, and logs in tools like Jira
• Contribute to the creation and improvement of vehicle-level test processes, test plans, and validation workflows
• Afternoon, weekend, or nighttime testing may be required depending on development needs and test schedules
• Travel as needed to proving grounds (e.g., winter testing), test tracks, and company engineering sites to support vehicle testing and fleet operations

• Provide mentorship to junior engineers and operators on validation best practices and vehicle test procedures