Technical Specialist - NetCom Hardware

Ford’s Research and Advanced Engineering team takes new ideas from theory to reality. Every day, we develop advanced energy management and propulsion technologies, create cutting‑edge materials and manufacturing processes, and curate world‑class cabin experiences that redefine what it means to drive a Ford.

Join us in shaping the future of Ford Motor Company, as part of a global organization with exceptional colleagues in world‑class facilities. As part of Ford Design, you’ll be at the cutting edge of Ford’s most strategically critical work, designing people and society’s needs into the heart of our next generation of products, services, and experiences.

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.

In this position...

The Technical Specialist – Network Communications Hardware is a senior, hands‑on individual contributor responsible for the technical direction, electrical robustness, and production readiness of Ford’s in‑vehicle network hardware.

This role will provide global technical authority for physical‑layer (L1) and its data‑link‑layer (L2) interfaces across CAN, LIN, Automotive Ethernet, and SerDes networks and its associated electronic circuits, transceivers, protection components, wiring and connectors interfaces.

The Technical Specialist will own and improve Ford corporate NetCom hardware requirements, lead high‑risk design reviews, assess design deviations, guide new networking technologies into production, and resolve complex prototype, launch, production, and field issues. This role works across Ford engineering organizations, vehicle programs, suppliers, validation teams, and industry standards organizations. It also builds organizational capability through mentoring, technical training, reusable engineering methods, and knowledge transfer.

What you'll do...

• Serve as Ford’s global technical authority for in‑vehicle networks hardware. Establish technical direction for CAN, LIN, Automotive Ethernet, SerDes, GMSL, FPD‑Link, and emerging communication technologies.
• Provide guidance on transceiver selection, circuit implementation, termination, protection components, grounding, PCB layout, connectors, cables, wiring topologies, and vehicle integration.
• Act as the technical escalation point for significant NetCom hardware decisions and issues. Advise engineering and management on design maturity, deviations, product risk, and production readiness, particularly when requirements, supplier conclusions, simulations, and physical test results conflict.
• Author, own, interpret, and improve Ford NetCom hardware requirements, specifications, design rules, and validation methods. Develop clear, testable electrical requirements for new technologies using engineering fundamentals, simulation, laboratory measurements, vehicle investigations, and lessons learned.
• Lead technical design reviews for high‑risk and complex network‑hardware designs. Identify weaknesses early, assess deviations, and recommend actions to prevent prototype failures, late engineering changes, launch delays, and field concerns.
• Lead signal‑integrity analysis of complete in‑vehicle communication channels, including transceivers, protection devices, PCBs, connectors, cables, wiring harnesses, and termination networks. Define performance budgets, technical limits, and acceptance criteria for existing and emerging technologies.
• Guide simulation, laboratory testing, and vehicle‑level correlation to evaluate signal integrity, EMC, electrical robustness, and design margin. Ensure test methods represent relevant vehicle electrical and environmental conditions.
• Develop custom test hardware, breakout devices, fixtures, harnesses, models, and measurement methods when standard approaches are insufficient to validate a design or determine root cause.
• Lead the technical assessment and qualification of transceivers, protection devices, connectors, cables, and other network components.
• Serve as the technical lead for critical NetCom hardware issues during prototype development, launch, production, and post‑launch quality support (stop‑ship, warranty, recall, and other business‑critical concerns).
• Identify, evaluate, and guide the production introduction of next‑generation communication technologies. Lead technical studies and develop proof‑of‑concept hardware, simulations, test methods, and vehicle demonstrations.
• Provide technical direction to semiconductor, module, connector, cable, and test‑equipment suppliers.
• Evaluate supplier designs, test methods, technical evidence, and proposed corrective actions.
• Collaborate with industry standards organizations and technical committees to reduce cost and improve interoperability, network robustness, and test efficiency. Represent Ford’s technical interests in relevant forums.
• Mentor engineers in network physical layers, circuit design, signal integrity, EMC, laboratory methods, requirements, and technical decision‑making. Build a sustainable pipeline of qualified NetCom hardware reviewers and future technical leaders.

You'll have...

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering or a related technical discipline
• 10+ years of automotive electronic‑hardware experience, including high‑speed digital and mixed‑signal design.
• 8+ years of experience designing and testing vehicle communication hardware.
• 8+ years of experience investigating complex problems, work with suppliers and able to explain recommendations clearly.
• 5+ years of experience leading technical reviews and mentoring engineers.
  8+ years of experience authoring technical & business requirements, leading design reviews, assessing deviations, resolving complex issues and working with suppliers
• 5+ years of demonstrated ability to communicate technical risks and recommendations to engineering teams and management, and to mentor engineers across disciplines.

Even better, you may have...

• Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering or a related field.
• Fifteen or more years of relevant automotive electronic‑hardware experience.
• Demonstrated expertise in network physical layers, signal integrity, EMC, electrical robustness, and vehicle‑level integration.
• Experience with CAN, CAN FD, LIN, Automotive Ethernet, and SerDes hardware; knowledge of 10BASE‑T1S, 100/1000BASE‑T1, Multi‑Gigabit Ethernet, GMSL, or FPD‑Link.
• Strong knowledge of transmission‑line theory, S‑parameters, impedance, crosstalk, eye diagrams, and automotive EMC requirements, including FMC1278, ISO 7637, and CISPR 25.
• Proficiency with signal‑integrity simulation and PCB design‑analysis tools, supported by hands‑on laboratory experience using oscilloscopes, vector network analyzers, time‑domain reflectometers, network or protocol analyzers, bit‑error‑rate testing, and PCB rework.
• Broad technical experience across electronic control units, vehicle networks, wiring, connectors, semiconductors, sensors, EMC, validation, manufacturing, and vehicle integration.
• Enterprise‑level ownership of network‑hardware specifications, validation methods, or technical signoff processes.
• Experience developing custom electronic hardware, test fixtures, breakout devices, harnesses, channel models, or measurement methods.
• Experience introducing new vehicle‑network technologies or topologies into production.
• Experience with product‑development methods and documents, including DFMEA, SCCAF, P-diagrams, boundary diagrams, worst‑case circuit analysis, and design verification plans.
• Experience collaborating with global engineering teams and suppliers across multiple regions and time zones.
• Patents, publications, technical awards, or active participation in relevant industry standards organizations.
• Recognition as an internal or external subject‑matter expert in automotive electronics or network physical layers, with a record of developing other technical leaders.

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.

For more information on salary and benefits, click here:

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 View phone number on click.appcast.io.

This position is hybrid with a requirement to be onsite four or more days per week. #LI-Hybrid #VehicleHardwareEngineering #LI-KD1