In-Vehicle Network Architect

Ford Motor • Dearborn, MI

18d • Hybrid

About The Position

In‑Vehicle Ethernet Network Architect 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. We are seeking an In‑Vehicle Ethernet Network Architect to help define and evolve the communication architecture for next‑generation vehicles. This role will lead the design and optimization of Ethernet‑based in-vehicle networks, including topology, protocols, timing architecture, and traffic performance. This role serves as a technical authority for in-vehicle Ethernet architecture , influencing network design decisions across vehicle platforms and collaborating across system architecture, ECU software teams, and platform engineering. The ideal candidate has deep expertise in Ethernet networking and distributed systems and is passionate about designing scalable, high‑performance communication architectures. We welcome candidates with networking experience from automotive, datacenter networking, telecom, industrial networking, robotics, aerospace, defense, or IoT environments .

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or related field, or equivalent practical experience
• 3+ years of experience working with Ethernet‑based distributed systems in automotive, telecom, industrial networking, aerospace, datacenter networking, or similar domains
• 2+ years experience designing or analyzing network architecture, topology, and communication protocols
• Strong understanding of Ethernet networking fundamentals , including Layer 2/Layer 3 communication, switching, VLANs, and TCP/IP
• 2+ years experience analyzing network behavior using packet capture or network analysis tools
• 2+ years experience developing software, firmware, or tooling for distributed networked systems

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or related field
• Experience with Automotive Ethernet architectures and in‑vehicle communication networks
• Experience with Time‑Sensitive Networking (TSN) standards such as IEEE 802.1Qbv, 802.1AS, or related technologies
• Experience with MACsec (IEEE 802.1AE) or other network security technologies
• Familiarity with AUTOSAR Classic or Adaptive communication frameworks
• Experience performing network modeling, simulation, or traffic analysis
• Experience designing communication architectures for large distributed embedded systems

Responsibilities

• Architect and define the in‑vehicle Ethernet network topology as part of the overall vehicle communication architecture.
• Define network communication strategies including protocol selection, traffic flows, bandwidth allocation, and quality of service (QoS) policies.
• Design and optimize network communication to meet latency, throughput, determinism, and reliability requirements across distributed vehicle systems.
• Lead evaluation and adoption of Ethernet technologies including Time‑Sensitive Networking (TSN), VLAN, TCP/IP, and time synchronization protocols .
• Define communication interfaces and data exchange patterns between ECUs and distributed vehicle systems.
• Collaborate with cross‑functional teams to standardize communication attributes across Ethernet, CAN, and LIN networks within the vehicle architecture.
• Analyze network traffic and system performance to identify opportunities for optimization and efficiency improvements .
• Ensure network architecture aligns with cybersecurity and functional safety requirements .
• Support the development of tools, simulations, and validation processes used to verify network architecture and communication performance.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship on Ethernet networking technologies and best practices across the engineering organization.

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: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees