Lead Engineering Technician | Vehicle

Job ID: 70610
Location: Palo Alto, California
Category: PD Operations and Quality

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At Ford, you’ll work on ideas that matter, alongside passionate people who want to make a global impact. Together, we’re shaping the next era of transportation—grounded in purpose, driven by progress. Make your move.

Job Type: Full time
Work Type: Hybrid

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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.

Ford’s Electric Vehicles, Digital and Design (EVDD) team is charged with delivering the company’s vision of a fully electric transportation future. EVDD is customer-obsessed, entrepreneurial, and data-driven and is dedicated to delivering industry-leading customer experience for electric vehicle buyers and owners. You’ll join an agile team of doers pioneering our EV future by working collaboratively, staying focused on only what matters, and delivering excellence day in and day out. Join us to make positive change by helping build a better world where every person is free to move and pursue their dreams.

In this position...
The Lead Engineering Technician is responsible for performing vehicle instrumentation, test setup, and test execution alongside a team of technicians. In addition to completing technical work, this role will coordinate daily assignments, provide technical guidance, and partner with Engineering to translate immediate test needs into executable work.

This position will support testing in the garage, on road, and at test facilities, including fault injection, vehicle dynamics, braking, handling, durability, thermal, NVH, and other vehicle development activities.

What you'll do...

Perform vehicle and subsystem instrumentation, data acquisition system setup, test preparation, troubleshooting, and test support alongside the technician team.
Lead daily activities by assigning and prioritizing work based on test schedules, vehicle availability, Engineering needs, and established program priorities.
Partner directly with Engineering to understand test objectives, instrumentation requirements, timing, and expected deliverables.
Install, configure, validate, troubleshoot, and remove sensors, instrumentation wiring, data loggers, and related test equipment.
Configure DAQ and verify sensors, data acquisition channels, and vehicle-network signals to ensure accurate and reliable test data.
Prepare and support vehicles for vehicle dynamics, braking, handling, durability, thermal, NVH, road, and proving-ground testing.
Participate in hands on test execution, including pre test inspections, system checks, system troubleshooting, and teardown.
Verify sensor operation, calibration status, signal quality, and vehicle configuration, before releasing vehicles for testing.
Troubleshoot instrumentation and data-quality issues in partnership with Engineering.
Provide technicians with technical instruction while working alongside them to resolve complex installations, test setups, and system issues.
Review completed work and maintain accurate documentation on instrumentation records, calibration information, channel lists, issues, and deviations.
Communicate vehicle readiness, work status, test findings, risks, and blockers to Engineering and management.
Track assignments, test requests, issues, and deliverables using Jira and other Atlassian tools.
Identify tooling, equipment, material, vehicle, or workspace constraints and escalate them to management.

You'll have...

Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering or equivalent combination of relevant education and experience.
Proficiency in vehicle instrumentation, sensors, data acquisition, vehicle networks, and test support.
Ability to lead while contributing to the work, setting priorities, guiding technicians, and maintaining accountability.
Ability to translate engineering requirements, drawings, schematics, and procedures into executable work.
Strong judgment, communication, organization, and problem-solving skills in a changing environment.
Ability to communicate and document work status, findings, risks, configurations, and open issues.
Ability to work safely and maintain an organized, efficient work environment.
Even better, you may have...
Ability to serve as a working lead in an automotive test, prototype, motorsports, aerospace, or similar development environment.
Proficiency with vehicle instrumentation, data-acquisition, and dynamics-measurement systems.
Knowledge of high-voltage electric vehicles, electrical safety, vehicle software flashing, and module or data-logger configuration.
Familiarity with Linux, scripting, technical documentation, configuration control, and engineering workflow tools.
Ability to develop and improve instrumentation standards, test procedures, and data-quality processes.

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
• 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
• 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
• A generous schedule of paid holidays, including the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day
• Paid time off and the option to purchase additional vacation time.
This position is a salary grade 7 and ranges from $95,300-$159,400.
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: https://fordcareers.co/GSR

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.

This position is hybrid with a requirement to be onsite four or more days per week. #LI-Hybrid #LI-JD2 #UEV

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Change the world with your ideas.

Speak up. We’re listening. At Ford, we believe the right ideas, and the people behind them, can move an entire industry. Here, you'll work with teams who value your voice, push bold ideas forward, and leave a mark that lasts.

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Support designed to go the distance.

From day one, Ford invests in you with medical benefits built to help you plan for what’s next. You’ll also get support for you and your family that meets you at every step, so you can move forward with confidence.

Health and Wellness

Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, mental health, and unique wellness perks keep you and your family supported every step of the way.
Financial and Retirement Programs

Build a strong financial future with robust retirement contributions, savings programs, and free personalized financial planning tools.
Flexible Vacation and Holidays

Enjoy your time away from work with generous vacation, holidays, and flexible family leave designed to help you balance life and work with ease.
Vehicle Discount Program

The best thing about building great products is driving them! The second-best thing: sharing your discount with family and friends so they can drive them, too.
Family Growth and Support

Grow your family confidently with fertility, surrogacy, and adoption assistance, paid parental leave, and a supportive new-parent ramp-up program.
Additional Programs

Enjoy unexpected extras like pet insurance, legal services, identity protection, and access to convenient health and wellness services.

Ford gives me the space to innovate, to lead, and to serve — all while staying true to who I am as an engineer, educator, and parent. It’s not just a career; it’s a community that drives change.

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Lead Engineering Technician | Vehicle

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Change the world with your ideas.

Support designed to go the distance.

Health and Wellness

Financial and Retirement Programs

Flexible Vacation and Holidays

Vehicle Discount Program

Family Growth and Support

Additional Programs

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Lead Engineering Technician | Vehicle