Do you want to drive business strategy and define products for software and digital experiences? Enterprise Connectivity Business Operations team translates those strategic choices into tangible business propositions. We represent the voice of the customer as we build distinctive, always-on connected vehicle technologies and services that transform the ownership experience. At Ford, the Vehicle Hardware Engineering teams are using Design Thinking & User Experience methods to deliver breakthrough products and services that will delight our customers. Our employees are laser-focused on bringing innovative, exciting, and sustainable ideas to life. From autonomy and electrification to smart mobility technologies, our teams around the world are working together with excitement to make smart vehicles for a smart world. https://www.linkedin.com/company/ford-next-llc/ is the venture studio division of Ford Motor Company. Ford Next is focused on rapidly incubating & launching new vehicle-adjacent businesses to create long-term value for the company beyond the wheel. Ford Next team members are flexible, with a startup mindset -- this is a group that thrives on moving quickly and growing through change.
In this position... Lead a global team of engineers responsible for the development, integration, launch and field quality of vehicle radio frequency (RF), access and security systems. The supervisor will guide both core and application engineering activities across the product lifecycle, balancing technical excellence, regulatory compliance, customer experience, quality and cost.
What you'll do... This role requires a hands-on technical leader who can develop people, prioritize competing demands, resolve complex cross-functional issues and communicate effectively with suppliers and senior management. Team leadership and execution
- Lead, coach and develop a geographically dispersed team of engineers, fostering collaboration, technical ownership and data-driven problem-solving.
- Assign work, manage team capacity and prioritize hardware and software requests based on customer impact, risk, program timing and business value.
- Develop engineers through technical assignments, hands-on testing, cross-functional projects and opportunities to present to management.
- Promote accountability for engineering quality, timely decisions and effective issue resolution.
Product development and program delivery
- Oversee core and application engineering for vehicle access and security components, which may include key fobs, NFC readers and cards, door handle sensors and immobilizer systems.
- Guide the development and integration of hardware, software and system requirements across vehicle programs and architectures.
- Lead or support design reviews with suppliers and internal stakeholders, including Vehicle Operations, human factors, manufacturing and program teams.
- Ensure component designs address RF performance, packaging, manufacturability, assembly and customer usage.
- Oversee design verification plans and signoffs, including bench, hardware-in-the-loop and vehicle testing aligned with program milestones.
- Guide engineering releases and program deliverables, including WERS, parts lists, buildability reviews and other applicable documentation.
- Support supplier sourcing, design reviews, APQP and PPAP activities, as applicable.
- Support vehicle launches by directing issue resolution, communicating risks and driving timely closure.
Quality, warranty and field service
- Lead the investigation and resolution of launch, warranty and field issues using quality trends, claim data, returned parts and manufacturing information.
- Direct field service action execution when required, including containment, corrective actions, service communications, part sorting and prevent-recurrence activities.
- Present issue status, technical findings, risks and recommendations to management and relevant review forums.
- Establish and improve warranty return and analysis processes, and work with suppliers and service partners to improve repair effectiveness.
- Ensure lessons learned and preventive actions are incorporated into test plans, design rules, requirements and processes across applicable programs.
Regulatory compliance and certification
- Coordinate with Automotive Safety Office, legal and technical specialists to interpret and address applicable vehicle safety and security requirements, including FMVSS 114.
- Oversee global RF certification and homologation activities, including submission tracking, compliant part markings and owner’s manual regulatory disclosures.
- Help ensure regulatory requirements are properly cascaded, verified and signed off by the appropriate technical experts.
- Support inquiries involving vehicle security and potential theft methods through technical investigation and cross-functional collaboration.
Engineering excellence and continuous improvement
- Guide DFMEA development and updates, including evaluation of severity, occurrence and detection.
- Ensure changes are appropriately reviewed, tested, documented and signed off, including changes that may initially appear minor.
- Identify and eliminate waste while assessing proposed cost reductions at the system level, including potential effects on quality and customer satisfaction.
- Improve engineering processes, requirements cascades and signoff practices to prevent recurrence of issues across the department.
You'll have...
- Bachelor of Science in Engineering or equivalent
- 8+ years of experience developing, integrating, testing or launching automotive electrical or electronic systems, including hardware, software and system interfaces.
- Experience leading technical projects or teams and coordinating work across functions and suppliers.
- Ability to travel to supplier facilities and Ford assembly plants as needed.
Even better, you may have...
- Masters in Engineering, Electrical or Equivalent
- Experience with automotive RF, wireless, access, immobilizer or vehicle security systems.
- Experience supervising or mentoring engineers across multiple locations.
- Experience with vehicle safety requirements, global RF certification or homologation.
- Experience leading field service actions, warranty investigations or vehicle launch issue resolution.
- Familiarity with DFMEA, design verification, APQP and PPAP.
- Experience with tools and processes such as CANalyzer, FEDE, JIRA and WERS.
- Demonstrated ability to investigate complex technical issues, drive corrective actions and communicate recommendations to management.
- Strong organizational, prioritization, communication and coaching skills.
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
- 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
- Generous vacation time, sick/personal time, and paid holidays, including between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day
This position is leadership level 6 and ranges from $132,800-$250,800. 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. Internal applicants: moving into this role may result in an adjustment to your current compensation based on the posted pay range for this role, taking into consideration your qualifications and other relevant factors.
For more information on salary and benefits, click here: https://fordcareers.co/LL6 Visa sponsorship is not 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. #VehicleHardwareEngineering
