Vehicle Software Updates Systems Engineering Manager

Ford • Dearborn, MI

13d • $141,700 - $268,300 • Hybrid

About The Position

We made history and now we work to transform the future – for our customers, our communities and our families. You'll see your work on the road every day, helping people move freely and pursue their dreams. At Ford, you can build more than vehicles. Come build what matters.
At Ford, the Vehicle Engineering teams are using Design Thinking & User Experience methods to deliver breakthrough products and services that will delight our customers. Our employees are laser-focused on bringing innovative, exciting, and sustainable ideas to life. From autonomy and electrification to smart mobility technologies, our teams around the world are working together with excitement to make smart vehicles for a smart world.
In this position...
As the Vehicle Software Updates Systems Engineering Manager you will lead a highly skilled Systems Engineering team responsible for building and evolving Ford's industry-leading Vehicle Software Release and Over-the-Air (OTA) Update capabilities. As a technical leader at the intersection of embedded systems, cloud operations, and manufacturing, you'll shape the architecture and strategy behind how software moves from the factory floor to service bays to vehicles on the road. Driving the transformation of Ford's Software Factory into a modern, scalable, and resilient release pipeline. This is a high-visibility role for someone who thrives at the crossroads of deep technical expertise and cross-functional leadership, translating complex engineering challenges into clear strategy for both your team and executive stakeholders.
This role is hybrid in-office 4 days per week in Dearborn Michigan.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, systems engineering, computer science, or a related technical field.
• Minimum 10 years of experience in Software Engineering, Systems Engineering, or Embedded Systems Development or related fields.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in a formal or informal leadership or management role, leading cross-functional technical teams through complex product lifecycles.
• Deep understanding of the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) and Software Factory toolchains (e.g., GitHub, GCP, Jenkins).
• Proven ability to translate complex business requirements into technical system-level architectures for both Embedded and Cloud domains.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree in engineering or business administration (MBA).
• Direct experience in Automotive OTA (Over-the-Air) update technology or large-scale distributed systems.
• Familiarity with the Ford in-house IVS/SWCM/SRP/VRP systems to drive Software Release transformation
• Technical mastery of automotive communication protocols (CAN, Ethernet/SomeIP) and cybersecurity principles for software deployment.
• Exceptional communication skills, with a demonstrated ability to abstract technical material for executive-level presentations (LL5+).
• Experience creating and managing big picture roadmaps across complex projects and multiple development teams to drive Macro-level project progress across cross-functional domains.
• Background in the Aerospace, Defense, or Automotive industries with a focus on safety-critical software integration.
• Demonstrated "Product Mindset" with ownership of the end-to-end product lifecycle (strategy, development, launch, and post-launch support).

Responsibilities

• Lead the architectural design and evolution of Ford's next-generation Software Factory release and deploy pipeline.
• Define the strategy for how software is released and deployed across the entire vehicle lifecycle from initial assembly in the plant to service diagnostics and over-the-air (OTA) updates.
• Recruit, mentor, and develop a diverse team of Systems Engineers.
• Foster a culture of technical excellence, continuous improvement, and agile delivery, specifically focused on high-integrity software release practices.
• Oversee the creation and standardization of system-level requirements and specifications.
• Establish rigorous quality gates and validation standards to ensure software integrity across all delivery channels (Plant, Service, and OTA).
• Optimize and automate processes for software release and deployment activities.
• Lead triaging and resolution efforts for complex integration and field issues.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for Software Release and Deploy transformation at Ford (including SRP/VRP transformation) for senior leadership and global stakeholders across Manufacturing/Plant Operations, Service Engineering, Embedded ECU Development, and Cloud Operations.
• Coordinate between multiple teams to ensure the "Software Factory" toolchain seamlessly integrates with vehicle hardware, ensuring a consistent and reliable pipeline to release high-quality Software Release Packages and Vehicle Release Packages while managing migration of legacy systems to the modernized systems.
• Drive "War Room" sessions and executive reviews to resolve critical path blockers for vehicle launches (Job 1) and major software feature rollouts, ensuring zero-defect delivery.

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: Manager