System Assurance Manager

Ford • Dearborn, MI

1d • $141,700 - $215,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

Ford Motor Company’s Product Creation and Industrialization organization brings together vehicle, electric, digital, design, and manufacturing teams to deliver vehicles, software, and customer experiences. The System Assurance Manager leads and grows a team responsible for ensuring systems—including netcom, power, and diagnostics—launch successfully across Ford and Lincoln programs. The role aligns requirements with test cases, develops test plans, executes negative testing, and influences test execution and systems teams. Reporting to the Director of FAST (Feature Assurance and Systems Troubleshooting), the position has authority to set team strategies and align them with department goals.

The manager provides strategic leadership for the System Assurance Engineering team and owns system launches across the global vehicle portfolio. The role works with partner teams to establish robust architecture, design, DFMEAs, and requirements, and to integrate hardware and software solutions into program products. It collaborates across product and program management, validation and verification, software, hardware, design, integration, feature, quality, and architecture teams to meet program timelines.

The role provides technical guidance and troubleshooting support, drives launch feedback into system design and architecture, and ensures quality and reliability through evaluative testing and review of verification results. It identifies and mitigates technical risks, improves system development and deployment processes, and communicates status, risks, and opportunities to executive leadership and stakeholders.

This is a hybrid position requiring onsite work four or more days per week. It is leadership level 5, with a salary range of $141,700–$215,000. Visa sponsorship is not available; candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Software Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field.
• At least 10 years of hands-on experience in system engineering, software development, or related technical roles within the automotive industry.
• Deep understanding of automotive software and hardware systems.
• Proven expertise defining, developing, and optimizing secure and safe vehicle systems.
• Comprehensive understanding of system architecture, integration, verification processes, and automotive performance requirements.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills for working with cross-functional teams, external partners, and stakeholders.
• Proven leadership, mentoring, and technical team guidance abilities.
• Ability to foster innovation and deliver high-quality feature systems meeting safety, security, and performance objectives.
• Ability to understand end-to-end systems of systems and apply systemic thinking, critical thinking, and strategic reasoning.
• Ability to identify opportunities, understand complex concerns, develop alternative solutions, and drive strategy from concept through production.
• Comfort with ambiguity and ability to structure approaches to complex problems and clarify solutions.
• Ability to understand and drive innovation and change in processes, engineering excellence, quality, and efficiency.
• System-oriented design and development approach, with a commitment to exceptional execution and continuous improvement.
• Legally authorized to work in the United States.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree in a technical or management field.
• At least 15 years of experience in automotive electrical systems.
• At least 5 years of people management experience.
• Experience launching new vehicles and achieving plant quality targets.
• Mastery of product development deliverables and Ford engineering tools, including AVBOM, WERS, AIMS, 8Ds, eFDVS, Jama, Engineering Sign Off, DFMEA, Six Sigma, Confluence, and Jira.

Responsibilities

• Lead and grow the System Assurance Engineering team, defining strategies and processes to deliver quality systems.
• Align the system assurance rollout plan with system requirements deliverables from requirements teams.
• Provide strategic direction and foster collaboration, innovation, and excellence within the team.
• Design and drive test strategies with cross-organizational teams.
• Design, develop, and execute negative test plans across systems.
• Own the launch of systems across the global vehicle portfolio.
• Ensure partner teams create robust architecture, designs, DFMEAs, and requirements, and integrate hardware and software solutions into program products.
• Collaborate with product and program management, validation and verification, software, hardware, design, integration, feature, quality, and architecture teams to meet program timelines.
• Provide technical guidance and work with feature and software partners to troubleshoot system operation using a vehicle- and system-level perspective.
• Drive launch feedback into execution and partnered system design and architecture teams.
• Ensure design excellence, quality, and reliability through evaluative testing and reviews of verification results.
• Identify and mitigate technical risks and challenges, proactively addressing issues to support successful delivery.
• Improve system development and deployment processes, tools, and methodologies.
• Communicate project status, risks, and opportunities to executive leadership and stakeholders.

Benefits

• Immediate medical, dental, vision, and prescription drug coverage.
• Paid parental leave, new parent ramp-up programs, and subsidized backup childcare.
• Family-building benefits, including adoption and surrogacy expense reimbursement and fertility treatments.
• Vehicle discount program for employees and family members, and management leases.
• Tuition assistance.
• Employee resource groups.
• Paid time off for individual and team community service.
• Vacation time, sick/personal time, and paid holidays, including time between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day.

What This Job Offers

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