Senior Validation Engineer - DCE at Ford® in Palo Alto, CA

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. Product Creation and Industrialization (PC&I) brings together Ford’s vehicle, electric, digital and design teams with our global manufacturing system. Working as one end-to-end organization, we turn ideas into high-quality vehicles, software and experiences across gas, hybrid and electric, designed around what customers need. In this role... Advanced EV’s Design Concept Engineering team is looking for a Senior Hardware Validation Engineer. In this high-impact role, you will define the validation strategy and technical roadmaps for complex mechatronic hardware across multiple vehicle product lines. You will not only oversee the "bring-up" of sophisticated test environments but also influence the foundational design for testability (DFT) and reliability across the enterprise. You will bridge the gap between mechanical, electrical, and systems engineering, ensuring that our hardware architectures are robust, scalable, and validated to the highest rigorous standards. What you'll do... • Execute the development of validation requirements and DVP&R strategies that span multiple product lines, ensuring consistency and technical excellence across different mechanical-electrical modules. • Approve complex test specifications, including high-fidelity pass/fail criteria, to ensure long-term reliability in diverse global environments. • Execute architectural design of scalable test platforms that can be leveraged across multiple hardware variants to increase testing efficiency. • Spearhead bring-up of high-complexity test stations. Act as the primary technical escalation point for the most challenging hardware/software integration issues. • Partner with hardware design teams at the architecture phase to influence PCB and mechanical designs, ensuring systems are designed for test (DFT) and manufacturing (DFM), optimized for validation and end-of-line production testing. • Performing failure mode analysis with advanced detailed analysis tools to drive root cause diagnosis. • Direct the technical requirements for external Tier 1 suppliers and independent test labs to ensure outsourced validation meets Ford’s stringent internal benchmarks. • Managing vendors to implement validation tools, plans and infrastructure • Business travel (up to 20% domestic and international travel) to support product development is required You'll have... • Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, or a related field. • 4+ years of experience in hardware validation, mechatronic system design, or product development. • 4+ years of experience in test equipment architecture, including the design of custom electrical/mechanical test rigs and automated stations. • Proven track record of defining test limits and pass/fail criteria for high-reliability hardware. • Experience leading technical projects that span multiple product families or global platforms. Even better, you may have... • Master’s degree or PhD in Electrical or Mechanical Engineering. • Expert-level proficiency in automated test frameworks (Python, LabVIEW, or C++) and hardware communication protocols (Automotive Ethernet, CAN-FD, PCIe). • Deep understanding of ISO 26262 (Functional Safety), ISO 16750 (Environmental Testing), and EMC/EMI compliance standards. • Experience with Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) and correlating physical test data with virtual simulations. • Exceptional communication skills with the ability to distill complex technical risks for executive leadership. 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