Calibration Engineer

Ford Motor • Dearborn, MI

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

Ford's Vehicle Hardware Engineering (VHE) teams utilize Design Thinking and User Experience methods to deliver products and services that delight customers. Our employees bring innovative, sustainable ideas to life across autonomy, electrification, and smart mobility technologies. This position is within Vehicle Propulsion Systems Engineering (VPSE), which calibrates, integrates, and optimizes powertrain control systems for various vehicle types (gasoline, diesel, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and battery electric). These systems encompass engines, transmissions, drivelines, electric motors, and their associated controls. We are looking for senior calibration engineers to collaborate with feature technical specialists within VPSE. The role involves hands-on calibration delivery and process leadership, leveraging production experience to streamline workflows, enhance engineering efficiency, improve calibration quality, and ensure timely delivery of program milestones. This position offers broad exposure to propulsion controls while enabling the development of deeper expertise in specific calibration feature areas. Assignments will be tailored to program priorities, candidate experience, and feature-team requirements.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Systems Engineering, Mechatronics Engineering, Controls Engineering, Software Engineering, or a related technical field, or an equivalent combination of relevant education and experience.
• 2-3 years of experience in powertrain, vehicle systems, embedded controls, calibration, testing, data analysis, or a related engineering area.
• Working knowledge of control systems, engineering fundamentals, structured problem solving, and data-based decision making.
• Ability to plan and execute technical work, manage multiple priorities, and deliver to program timing.
• Ability to work as a peer with feature technical specialists while independently owning complex deliverables and driving decisions.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to contribute effectively within a diverse team.

Nice To Haves

• Experience developing or validating propulsion, engine, transmission, hybrid, electric vehicle, emissions, OBD, thermal, or driveline calibrations.
• Experience with calibration and data acquisition tools such as ATI Vision, ETAS INCA, Vector tools, CAN communication, or equivalent systems.
• Experience with vehicle, powertrain dynamometer, HIL, SIL, simulation, or laboratory testing.
• Experience with Python, MATLAB/Simulink, data analytics, automation, statistical methods, Design of Experiments (DOE), or continuous integration workflows.
• Experience creating workplans, DVP&R documentation, calibration direction, signoff reports, or conformance plans.
• Experience resolving calibration-related quality, warranty, emissions, regulatory, or field issues.
• Demonstrated ability to learn new technical areas, apply standard work, and improve engineering processes.

Responsibilities

• Partner with feature technical specialists to own calibration work from planning through development, validation, documentation, and signoff.
• Develop and optimize control system calibrations that deliver customer attributes including performance, drivability, fuel economy, emissions, diagnostics, shift quality, thermal performance, hybrid operation, electric driving, and all-wheel-drive operation.
• Build and maintain feature workplans, calibration direction, Design Verification Plans and Reports (DVP&R), test requests, data reviews, and signoff evidence aligned with program milestones.
• Execute calibration development and validation using vehicles, powertrain and chassis dynamometers, hardware-in-the-loop (HIL), software-in-the-loop (SIL), simulation, and analytical environments.
• Analyze test, connected-vehicle, warranty, and field data to identify opportunities, determine root cause, resolve issues, and improve calibration quality.
• Evaluate calibration robustness across temperature, altitude, speed, road grade, trailer use, component variation, and other customer operating conditions.
• Coordinate with controls, software, systems engineering, hardware, test and validation, emissions, OBD, quality, and vehicle program teams to resolve technical issues and deliver calibrations on time.
• Apply scripting, automation, data analytics, modeling, and continuous integration methods to improve development speed, repeatability, and quality.
• Work with feature technical specialists to optimize calibration processes, tools, and standard work for efficiency, quality, and timing; validate improvements through production application.
• Document technical findings, risks, tradeoffs, and recommendations for calibration leads, technical specialists, and program teams.

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
• 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.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior