Senior Technical Program Manager

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 the movers of the world and the makers of the future. We get up every day, roll up our sleeves and build a better world -- together. At Ford, we’re all a part of something bigger than ourselves. Are you ready to change the way the world moves? 

In this position... 

We are seeking an experienced Senior Technical Program Manager with a strong background in Automotive Engineering and Issue Resolution Management. The ideal candidate will bring expertise in managing the full software release lifecycle for automotive ECUs, troubleshooting complex software issues, and leading cross-functional teams to drive timely product launches and resolution of critical issues. Candidate will be pivotal in ensuring high-quality releases, issue resolution, and continuous process improvement in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.

Key Responsibilities:

Design & Release Engineering:

• Experience with design and release process of ECU software within automotive projects, ensuring compliance with industry standards and customer requirements.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams (hardware, software, validation, dealer service etc.) to ensure successful ECU software releases.
• Oversee technical documentation, design reviews, and change management throughout the product lifecycle.
• Interface with software development teams to ensure robust integration and performance of ECU software, identifying and resolving any software-related issues.
• Manage the launch of new automotive products, ensuring seamless integration of ECU software into final products.

Issue Resolution Management:

• Manage the lifecycle of JIRA tickets, ensuring necessary information is captured, prioritized, and routed to appropriate teams, and track progress using established metrics like MTTR and Time to Acknowledge.
• Analyze CAN logs, bug reports, DTCs, QUIP logs, and other data to uncover root causes of software issues, providing timely resolutions.
• Lead cross-functional collaboration with engineers, development teams, D&Rs, system engineers, and others to drive effective issue resolution.
• Conduct JIRA audits (e.g., cancellation audits, priority changes) and identify trends to continuously improve the issue resolution process.
• Identify bottlenecks in issue resolution workflows, suggesting and implementing improvements to optimize MTTR.

Cross-Functional Collaboration:

• Liaise with internal and external stakeholders to ensure alignment on software requirements, design updates, and testing schedules.
• Chair meetings, lead initiatives, and work to create a collaborative problem-solving environment across engineering teams.
• Drive continuous improvement within the team, sharing best practices and lessons learned from previous releases and troubleshooting efforts.

Process Improvement:

• Constantly seek ways to optimize workflows and improve the issue resolution process, using data-driven insights and metrics to enhance efficiency.
• Suggest improvements in ticket management processes, helping to streamline the lifecycle of JIRA tickets and reduce resolution times.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Automotive Engineering, or a related field.
• Minimum of 5-7 years of experience in automotive engineering, specifically in Design & Release, ECU software management, and issue resolution.
• Proven experience with the full software release lifecycle within automotive systems (ECU, embedded systems).
• Strong knowledge of system engineering processes, functional safety standards (ISO 26262), and automotive architectures.
• Experience with program management, issue tracking systems (e.g., JIRA), and technical troubleshooting (CAN logs, bug reports, DTCs, QUIP logs).
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• Experience in leading cross-functional teams, managing launches, and resolving complex issues in automotive software development.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with coding/scripting (Python, Machine learning) to automate tasks, analyze data, and enhance tooling development.
• Previous experience in launch engineering or managing product launches within the automotive sector.
• Familiarity with automotive development tools and systems (e.g., CAN bus, embedded systems, DTCs).

You may not check every box, or your experience may look a little different from what we've outlined, but if you think you can bring value to Ford Motor Company, we encourage you to apply!

As an established global company, we offer the benefit of choice. You can choose what your Ford future will look like: will your story span the globe, or keep you close to home? Will your career be a deep dive into what you love, or a series of new teams and new skills? Will you be a leader, a changemaker, a technical expert, a culture builder…or all of the above? No matter what you choose, we offer a work life that works for you, including:

• Immediate medical, dental, vision and prescription drug coverage
• Flexible family care days, paid parental leave, new parent ramp-up programs, subsidized back-up childcare 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. 

This position is a salary grade 1.

For more information on salary and benefits, click here: https://fordcareers.co/GSR-HTHD 

This position is a range of salary grades GSR 6-8. 

Visa sponsorship is available for this position. 

Candidates for positions with Ford Motor Company must be legally authorized to work in the United States. Verification of employment eligibility will be required at the time of hire.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, age, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status or protected veteran status. In the United States, if you need a reasonable accommodation for the online application process due to a disability, please call 1-888-336-0660.

Onsite work of up to three days per week may be required for candidates within commuting distance of a Ford hub location.

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