HIL Electrical Systems Engineer

Ford • Dearborn, MI

6d • $99,600 - $192,900 • Hybrid

About The Position

Ford's Research & Advanced Engineering team is defining the next generation of Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) infrastructure, and we're looking for the engineer who will help shape it. You'll collaborate across multiple Ford organizations, from research and advanced engineering to production, working with suppliers to specify, design, and bring to life a platform built to serve Ford's verification and validation needs for years to come. This is a role where you'll shift verification and validation (V&V) left, explore new HIL use cases, and push into capabilities that go well beyond traditional HIL boundaries — all in a flexible, innovative environment where you'll be building capability that does not exist at Ford today.
In this position...
You will be the electrical design authority for these benches: architecting I/O and signal conditioning strategy, designing wire harnesses and custom PCBs, integrating simulator platforms with real ECUs and dynamometer hardware, and bringing new configurations up from bare enclosure to a fully communicating system. Successful candidates will be comfortable moving between schematic capture, an oscilloscope, and a supplier technical review in the same week, and will have a track record of driving hardware projects independently from concept through production.

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Electrical & Computer Engineering, or closely related discipline
• 5+ years' experience designing, building, and validating HIL or embedded electronic test systems
• 3+ years' experience with automotive electronic control systems (powertrain, electrification, or related domain)
• Proficiency in electrical schematic design and wire harness/cable assembly design
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and drive projects from concept through production, including project planning, stakeholder coordination, and delivery across multiple organizations
• Hands-on experience with automotive communication protocols (CAN, CAN-FD, LIN, Automotive Ethernet)
• Hands-on laboratory debugging skills with oscilloscopes, multimeters, bench supplies, and bus analysis tools
• Demonstrated effective communication, documentation, and interpersonal skills in a team environment

Nice To Haves

• Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering or related field
• Hands-on experience with dSPACE, Speedgoat, NI VeriStand, or Vector hardware-in-the-loop platforms and associated software
• PCB design and layout experience: schematic capture, board layout, DFM review, bring-up, and validation
• Experience designing signal conditioning circuits (basic, advanced, and engine I/O) for HIL or rapid prototyping applications
• Experience with Vehicle-in-the-Loop (ViL) or dynamometer (dyno) test environments
• Experience with the creation and execution of test plans, test scripts, and test automation, and the generation of test reports
• Experience with version control and process automation tools (GitHub, Jenkins)
• Knowledge of automotive network analysis tools (CANalyzer, CANoe).
• Experience with calibration and measurement tools like ATI Vision, INCA, ControlDesk.
• Experience with programming languages like C/C++ and python
• Experience using AI assistants such as GitHub Copilot for tooling development, and AI-assisted approaches to test case generation, log analysis, and failure triage
• Familiarity with Ford development and systems engineering processes and tools (GPDS, GTDS, VSEM, Stages).

Responsibilities

• Design and architect new HIL system configurations for powertrain and electrification programs, including enclosure layout, I/O strategy, signal conditioning, power distribution, fault insertion, and interface control documentation
• Author technical requirements, statements of work, and evaluation criteria for HIL hardware and software procurement; support supplier selection and technical design reviews, and coordinate delivery across research, advanced engineering, and production organizations
• Design, build, and validate wire harnesses and electrical cable assemblies connecting HIL simulators to ECUs, sensors, actuators, and powertrain/dynamometer subsystems, and own the supporting electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, and harness documentation from connector and pinout definition through routing, shielding, and continuity verification
• Design, lay out, and validate custom circuits for signal conditioning, load simulation, and interface adaptation used in HIL, Vehicle-in-the-Loop (ViL), Hybrid PowerPack-in-the-Loop (HPiL), and dyno test environments
• Configure and integrate HIL platforms — including dSPACE SCALEXIO, Speedgoat, or NI VeriStand — to support powertrain and electrification test objectives, maintaining backward compatibility across platform migrations so that existing test assets and harnesses remain fully functional through hardware and software transitions
• Implement and validate I/O circuits for analog voltage/current, PWM, frequency, digital I/O, and high-speed automotive communication networks (CAN, CAN-FD, LIN, Automotive Ethernet)
• Perform component-level and system-level debugging across HIL benches, including signal tracing, oscilloscope analysis, CAN/Ethernet protocol analysis, and ECU communication diagnostics
• Support bring-up and commissioning of new bench configurations, including power cycling validation, network bring-up, ECU flashing, and initial communication verification
• Research and evaluate emerging HIL platforms, tools, and simulation methodologies; recommend improvements aligned with Ford's electrification roadmap and Software-Defined Vehicle (SDV) architecture evolution

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