Senior Netcom Engineer

About Us

Lead. Grow. Transform.

Ford Australia is constantly evolving and innovating, committed to delivering smarter, more connected vehicles for all Australians, now and for generations to come. 

Looking ahead, Ford is excited about the future. With an expanding vehicle lineup, growing digital services, and a strong dealer network, they are well-positioned to support Australian businesses in new ways. 

As Australia’s largest automotive OEM employer, we proudly have around 1,500 talented engineers, designers, and specialists working across five Victorian sites. Crucially, Australia is a key global development hub for Ford, and their local design and engineering team lead the creation of vehicles including the Ranger, Ranger Raptor, and Everest – models sold in around 180 markets worldwide. 

Complementing this technical network, Ford Australia’s National Sales Company (NSC) located in Richmond, is the central hub for commercial and customer engagement activities across the country. 

Why Ford?

For a century, we've been a driving force across Australia, building a legacy that truly speaks for itself. Leading the way, the Ranger continues its rein as Australia's No. 1 Selling Vehicle and our iconic Mustang proudly holds its position as Australia’s No. 1 Sports Car. 

These remarkable achievements are a testament to our unwavering commitment to innovation and a customer-focused approach that has delivered success across our entire lineup, giving us so much to be excited about! But we believe we do more than just build award-winning vehicles—we build careers. 

• Discounted lease car options. 
• Multiple Employee Resource Groups – Ford Pride, Women of Ford and Ford Empowering Diverse Abilities. 
• Flexible Work Arrangements.
• Growth and development opportunities via internal and external training. 
• Paid parental leave from day 1.  
• Comprehensive Employee Assist Program. 
• Wellness Programs including Free Flu Vaccinations and Health Checks. 
• Paid volunteer days.

About the Role

As the Senior Network Communications (Netcom) Engineer, you will lead the diagnostic triage, issue resolution, and quality assurance across our vehicle platforms. In this critical role, you will diagnose complex communication failures (across CAN, LIN, and Ethernet), manage Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) resolution, and own the Netcom Health Chart dashboard to ensure software readiness. Serving as a central hub, you will drive the JIRA triage process, align network databases (NID), and partner closely with design and manufacturing teams to resolve anomalies and deliver successful product launches.

Reporting directly to the Internal Market Group (IMG) Electrical systems and Netcom Supervisor, in the Connectivity Vehicle Software team. This position operates under a hybrid work arrangement, based at our IMG Product Development centre in Campbellfield, Victoria. 

• DTC Triage, Root Cause Analysis, DTC mask list and Resolution Process: You will own the end-to-end Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) triage and resolution process for all network-related faults in DCV. Utilizing your deep understanding of vehicle network protocols (CAN, LIN, Ethernet, UDS), you will analyse diagnostic data, trace root causes of communication failures, and establish robust resolution pathways. You will define and optimize the triage process itself, ensuring that DTC faults are identified, documented, and resolved before they can impact downstream vehicle testing or manufacturing quality.

• JIRA Triage and Issue Lifecycle Management: You will serve as the central gateway for all issues raised by the JIRA triage process. This involves reviewing incoming tickets, performing initial technical assessments, and routing them to the appropriate Design & Release (D&R) engineers, software developers, or system architects. 

• Netcom Health Chart Ownership and Monitoring: You will be responsible for building, maintaining, and updating the Netcom Health Chart, which serves as the single source of truth for the communication stability and software and hardware readiness of our communication in the vehicle platforms. By tracking key metrics—such as CAN software, reviews HW reviews and overall node status—you will provide leadership and cross-functional teams with a clear, data-driven dashboard of network health, proactively flagging risks before they impact vehicle quality.

• NID (Network Integration Design) Process Resolution: You will lead the resolution of discrepancies and anomalies within the NID database. You will ensure that network databases are perfectly aligned with design specifications and that any database-level communication conflicts are quickly resolved. By bridging the gap between database design and actual ECU requests, you will ensure seamless communication compatibility across all Electronic Control Units (ECUs).

• Cross-Functional Stakeholder Alignment and Quality Assurance: You will act as the primary liaison for network communication issues, working flexibly with diverse stakeholders across Product Development, Quality, and Plant Launch teams. When network anomalies or DTC spikes arise, you will quickly assess the stakeholder's immediate needs, communicate technical solutions clearly, and coordinate cross-functional resolution efforts. Your meticulous oversight of network health and issue resolution serves as a critical quality gate, directly preventing vehicle diagnostic issues and safeguarding first-time-through quality.

• Education & Experience: Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Systems, or a related technical field—or 5+ years of progressive, relevant experience in automotive product development or systems engineering.

• Automotive Networks & Diagnostics: Deep technical understanding of vehicle electrical architectures, multiplex communication protocols (CAN, LIN, Automotive Ethernet), and diagnostic standards (UDS/ISO 14229).

• Tooling & Specifications: Proven experience working with Ford-specific diagnostic specifications, paired with advanced proficiency in network analysis tools such as Vector CANalyzer or CANoe.

• Technical Leadership & Collaboration: Demonstrated ability to lead technical reviews and act as a strategic liaison bridging the gap between Product Development (Design & Release Engineers, Feature Owners) and Manufacturing/Plant Operations.

• Troubleshooting & Logic: Strong background in designing, analyzing, and debugging complex vehicle configuration parameters and diagnostic logic.

• Quality & Precision: Meticulous attention to data integrity, with a proven track record of executing rigorous quality control processes and managing high-risk, high-precision deliverables.

• Influence & Stakeholder Management: Exceptional communication skills with the ability to influence without formal authority, aligning diverse, cross-functional teams toward unified release and validation goals.

• Log & Code Analysis: Ability to interpret software source code, system logs, and network traces to accelerate root-cause analysis and issue resolution.

• Agile & Documentation Tools: Hands-on experience with defect management systems (e.g., Jira) and collaborative documentation platforms (e.g., Confluence).

• Modern Workflows & Automation: Experience leveraging AI assistants, prompt engineering, and modern automation tools to optimize engineering workflows and drive administrative efficiency.