Student Worker Program – Vehicle Access System Engineering

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?

Join our Advanced EV Development (ADVEV) team for a 6-month Student Worker Program and help build the future of mobility! Immerse yourself in Ford's center of innovation and growth, working alongside top engineering, design, and software talent to create groundbreaking EVs and contribute to key technologies like batteries, charging, and recycling. This is your chance to gain hands-on experience and make a real impact on the automotive industry.

The ADVEV Systems Engineering designs and coordinates distributed functionality across the vehicle’s software and hardware. You’ll collaborate with product owners, software developers, and validation teams to bring complex features to life. Systems engineers are architects, documentarians, and requirements authors who define system structures, write requirements, create test cases, and guide debugging. They’re strong coordinators and communicators, translating customer needs into actionable plans and aligning work across disciplines. As modern electrical architectures distribute software across the vehicle, we depend on system engineers to help us deliver reliably delightful experiences. 

This is a 6-month program

Role overview

This student worker role is focused on improving how our system engineering documentation is created, kept current, and consumed across teams.Your mission will be to build lightweight, practical “documentation generation” and “documentation verification” tools that reduce manual effort and help teams quickly find accurate, up-to-date system information—primarily by deriving documentation from existing sources of truth. You’ll work closely with a systems engineering mentor to define a scoped project, iterate with real users, and deliver something that can be adopted by engineers.

This is a great fit for someone who enjoys turning messy real-world information into clear, navigable views (static sites, diagrams, reports) and who is motivated to make tools that others actually use.

What you’ll do...

• Build a documentation generator that produces consistent artifacts from existing engineering sources  

• Prototype and implement auto-generated system views such as:

 – System/block diagrams derived from interface inputs/outputs and component relationships

 – A static HTML documentation site that lets engineers browse the latest interfaces and related metadata

• Create a repeatable pipeline for generating documentation (e.g., runnable locally and/or in CI) with clear instructions for use and contribution

• Integrate navigation and “traceability-style” links where feasible (for example, linking interface documentation to related Jira/Jama items or other references)

• Build verification/auditing utilities that detect inconsistencies in design artifacts and documentation

• Talk with systems engineers to understand how they search for system info today, then adjust the tooling to match how they work

• Document your work clearly: how the tool works, how to run it, how to extend it, and what conventions teams should follow going forward

• Present a demo and recommended next steps at the end of the program 

You’ll have...

Required / strongly preferred

• Currently pursuing a BS or MS in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, Data Science, or similar

• Comfort writing code in at least one general-purpose language used for tooling (e.g., Python, TypeScript/JavaScript, or similar)

• Experience with Git and GitHub workflows (branches, pull requests, code reviews)

• Interest in developer tooling, automation, documentation systems, and/or data visualization

• Ability to take an ambiguous problem, propose a plan, and iterate independently while communicating progress and risks

• Clear written communication skills—your output will be used by engineers who were not involved in building the tool

Nice to have (not required)

• Familiarity with static site generation concepts (Markdown pipelines, docs-as-code, search indexing, etc.)

• Experience parsing and transforming structured text formats (JSON/YAML/XML/IDLs), building CLIs, or writing code generators

• Familiarity with UML/PlantUML, diagram generation, Graphviz, or similar

• Exposure to requirements or work-tracking tools (Jama, Jira) and/or “traceability” concepts

• Interest in human-centered design for engineering tools: usability, information architecture, and adoption 

Why this matters

Ford builds complex distributed systems. When documentation is inconsistent, outdated, or hard to find, teams lose time and confidence. By auto-generating and validating documentation from sources of truth, we can improve alignment and understanding without adding ongoing manual burden—making it easier to build reliable, high-quality vehicle experiences.

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!What you’ll receive in return: As part of this exciting program, you’ll enjoy a high level of involvement with an exceptional team of industry innovators and visionaries. You’ll contribute in a meaningful way to our important, breakthrough work. And you’ll develop the skills that will give you a significant edge in your future career pursuits. If you have what it takes to help us redefine the future of mobility, we’d love to have you join us.

This position is a salary grade 5. 

For more information on salary and benefits, click here: Click here to find out more about available programs and benefits: https://fordcareers.co/supplemental 

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.

Candidates who are in commuting distance to a Ford hub location may be required to be onsite four or more days per week. #LI-Hybrid    #LI-NJ2