Field Quality Engineer

Job Overview

We are seeking highly technical, hands-on engineers who thrive in dynamic environments and are passionate about solving real-world problems to build this new team. This position involves traveling to dealerships, fleet locations, and customer sites to investigate vehicle concerns firsthand (GEMBA), validating customer concerns by observing real-world conditions and confirming failure modes prior to repair or part replacement, collecting and documenting detailed technical data, developing formal technical reports, partnering directly with Product Development engineering teams, identifying issues requiring deep technical investigation, supporting structured problem solving, and providing real-time feedback to Product Development regarding emerging quality issues.

Location Strategy

These roles will be deployed in close proximity to key Ford manufacturing facilities across Michigan, Kentucky, Illinois, and Missouri. Positioning Field Quality Engineers near these hubs enables rapid response to dealer-reported concerns in regions with strong Ford vehicle population, while also providing direct exposure to manufacturing processes.

Field Investigation & Technical Validation

• Travel to dealerships, fleet locations, and customer sites to investigate vehicle concerns firsthand (GEMBA)
• Validate customer concerns by observing real-world conditions and confirming failure modes prior to repair or part replacement
• Capture operating environments, usage patterns, and contributing factors impacting vehicle performance

Technical Data Collection & Reporting

• Collect and document detailed technical data, including photos, videos, and service observations
• Develop formal technical reports that clearly describe: Failure conditions, Reproduction steps, Environmental and usage factors, Initial observations and engineering hypotheses

Engineering Collaboration & Problem Solving

• Partner directly with PD engineering teams to support: Root cause investigation, Failure replication with first hand insights into field conditions
• Development of corrective actions
• Support structured problem solving (8D / 14D) by supplying high-quality field data and evidence
• Accelerate issue resolution by bridging the gap between data signals and real-world validation

Issue Identification & Prioritization

• Utilize outputs from Ford systems (warranty triggers, VOQ trends, and internal analytics tools) to identify issues requiring deep technical investigation and support prioritization of emerging concerns

Dealer & Customer Engagement

• Work closely with: Dealer technicians and service managers, Customers and fleet operators
• Collect Voice of Customer (VOC) insights and ensure accurate problem definition

Product Feedback & Continuous Improvement

• Provide real-time feedback to Product Development regarding: Emerging quality issues, Gaps in validation or test conditions, Customer usage differences vs design assumptions
• Influence improvements to: Design robustness and recurrence prevention, validation strategies, Design standards, Customer experience

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in: Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Automotive Engineering, Computer or Software Engineering, or related technical field
• 3+ years of strong technical experience in vehicle systems and diagnostics
• Ability to travel regularly (50%+ to dealer, fleet, customer visits)
• Dealership service or vehicle testing environments
• Strong problem-solving skills and experience with structured methods (8D / 14D), Red X or similar training / certification
• Excellent technical communication and report writing skills
• Valid driver’s license

Additional Qualifications

• Experience with embedded automotive software systems and ECU architectures
• Ability to capture and analyze vehicle network data (CAN, Ethernet)
• Experience using diagnostic and data acquisition tools (e.g., CANalyzer, CANoe)
• Understanding of software-driven vehicle behavior (ADAS, infotainment, connectivity, controls)
• Ability to differentiate between software, hardware, and integration-related issues
• Basic scripting or data analysis (Python, MATLAB) preferred
• Familiarity with: OTA updates, Diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs), Calibration and software validation processes

Benefits

• 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
• Vehichle 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