System Assurance Manager

Ford Motor • Dearborn, MI

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

Ford Motor Company’s Product Creation and Industrialization organization connects vehicle, electric, digital, design, and manufacturing teams to develop 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. The manager has authority to set team strategies aligned with department goals and reports to the Director of FAST (Feature Assurance and Systems Troubleshooting).

The position provides strategic leadership for the System Assurance Engineering team and owns system assurance strategy, rollout planning, and launch execution across the global vehicle portfolio. It brings together hardware and software solutions and partners with teams responsible for architecture, design, DFMEAs, and requirements. The role works across product and program management, validation and verification, software, hardware, design, integration, feature, quality, and architecture teams to meet program timelines.

The manager provides technical guidance, supports vehicle- and system-level troubleshooting, and drives launch feedback into system design and architecture. The role also oversees evaluative testing, reviews verification results, identifies and mitigates technical risks, improves development processes and tools, and communicates status, risks, and opportunities to executive leaders and stakeholders.

This is a hybrid position requiring onsite work four or more days per week. The stated salary range is $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 systems engineering, software development, or related technical roles within the automotive industry.
• Deep understanding of software and hardware systems.
• Expertise in defining, developing, and optimizing secure and safe vehicle systems, including system architecture, integration, verification processes, and automotive performance requirements.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills for engaging cross-functional teams, external partners, and stakeholders.
• Proven leadership abilities, including mentoring and guiding technical teams and delivering feature systems that meet safety, security, and performance objectives.
• Ability to understand end-to-end systems of systems and apply systemic thinking, critical thinking, and strategic reasoning to identify opportunities, understand complex concerns, provide 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 drive innovation and change in processes, engineering excellence, quality, and efficiency.
• Continuous-improvement mindset and interest in system-oriented design and development and exceptional delivery execution.

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 a track record of 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 leadership, fostering collaboration, innovation, and excellence.
• Design and drive test strategies across cross-organizational teams.
• Design, develop, and execute negative test plans across systems.
• Own system launches across the global vehicle portfolio, ensuring partner teams create robust architecture, designs, DFMEAs, and requirements and integrate hardware and software solutions for program products.
• Collaborate with product and program management, validation and verification, software, hardware, design, integration, feature, quality, and architecture teams to deliver to program timelines.
• Provide technical guidance in system areas and work with feature and software partners to troubleshoot system operation using a cross-functional 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 review of verification results.
• Identify and mitigate technical risks and challenges, proactively addressing issues to support successful delivery.
• Drive continuous improvement of 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 child care.
• 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 the period between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day.

What This Job Offers

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