As an EDS Design Engineer, you will be at the forefront of defining the "nervous system" for our next-generation electric vehicles. You will be responsible for the end-to-end vehicle-side electrical wire harness design and physical integration, serving as the critical link between architectural theory and vehicle reality.
In this role, you will help realize the vision of a Software-Defined Vehicle (SDV) by optimizing the intersection of electrical connectivity, hardware placement, and mechanical packaging. While your primary focus is the robust physical design and routing of the harness, you will work deeply within the electrical architecture to ensure the system is efficient, manufacturable, and capable of supporting advanced vehicle functions. You will collaborate with cross-functional teams to drive innovation and remain hands-on during vehicle "bring-up" phases to troubleshoot and validate your designs.
ResponsibilitiesWhat you'll do...
- Full Lifecycle Ownership: Own harness families from initial concept through production launch, ensuring all design, engineering, and program milestones are met.
- 3D Design & Integration: Develop vehicle harness designs in 3D CAD, collaborating with cross-functional teams to find innovative routing solutions while optimizing mass, cost, and packaging efficiency.
- Technical Problem Solving: Drive resolution for critical technical issues including EMI, thermal protection, mechanical strain, mechanical cycling (durability), and environmental sealing.
- Design Integrity & Validation: Ensure harness robustness through rigorous packaging reviews and the development and execution of Design Verification Plans and Reports (DVP&R).
- Component & Complexity Strategy: Define harness protection, retention, and complexity management strategies (variant handling) while collaborating on updating new components into the EDS library.
- Manufacturing & Launch Support: Support vehicle and Tier I assembly lines during development phases to resolve build issues, confirm change implementation, and ensure on-time delivery.
- Documentation & Supplier Liaison: Develop and review 2D manufacturing drawings, schematics, and device transmittals to ensure suppliers have accurate data for harness production.
- Innovation & Research: Conduct research to identify and implement the latest trends in wiring technology, such as automated manufacturing, high-speed data transmission, and advanced materials.
You'll have...
- B.S. in Electrical, Mechanical, Electromechanical or Mechatronics Engineering.
- 5+ years of experience designing and developing EDS Designs in an automotive or similar industry (e.g., Aerospace, Medical Device, Robotics).
- Experience using 2D & 3D EDS Tooling (e.g., NX, Mentor Capital, 3DX, CATIA V5, Zuken, etc.).
- Proven experience in a mass-production environment, taking a product from initial concept through Job 1/SOP launch.
Even better, you may have...
- Technical Depth: Strong Electrical Engineering fundamentals and a systems-level approach to design and development.
- Hands-on Experience: Proven track record of building and launching automotive products, vehicle prototyping, and instrumentation of prototype vehicles in a controlled lab environment.
- EDS Component Design: Experience designing EDS components such as brackets and retention/protection hardware in plastic and sheet metal, including familiarity with associated manufacturing processes (e.g., injection molding, stamping) and design-for-manufacturability considerations.
- LV/HV Connection Systems: Familiarity with connector system selection, seals, and terminal retention mechanisms.
- Analytical Trade-offs: Experience deriving cost, manufacturability, reliability, and failure modes (DFMEA) trade-offs based on specific designs.
- Tools & Collaboration: Familiarity with Confluence and Jira for task management in a fast-paced, iterative development cycle.
- Communication: Strong written and verbal communication skills with an eagerness to work cross-functionally in a high-performing, dynamic environment.
- Agile Mindset: A desire and curiosity to strive for exceptional delivery execution and continuous improvement.
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 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.
This position is a salary grade 8 and ranges from $138,800-$232,700.
Final determination of salary grade will be based on candidate's skills and experience, and base salary will be set within the applicable range according to job scope, responsibility and competitive market value.
For more information on salary and benefits, click here: https://fordcareers.co/GSR
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.
This position is hybrid. Candidates who are in commuting distance to a Ford hub location may be required to be onsite four or more days per week. #LI-Hybrid
#LI-SE1 #UEV
Skills Required
- Bachelor’s degree in Electrical, Mechanical, Electromechanical, or Mechatronics Engineering
- 5+ years of EDS design and development experience in automotive or a similar industry
- Experience using 2D and 3D EDS tooling such as NX, Mentor Capital, 3DX, CATIA V5, or Zuken
- Experience in a mass-production environment taking products from concept through Job 1 or SOP launch
- Legal authorization to work in the United States
- Strong electrical engineering fundamentals and systems-level design approach
- Experience building and launching automotive products, prototyping vehicles, and instrumenting prototype vehicles
- Experience designing EDS components such as brackets and retention or protection hardware
- Familiarity with injection molding, stamping, and design for manufacturability
- Familiarity with low-voltage and high-voltage connector systems, seals, and terminal retention mechanisms
- Experience evaluating cost, manufacturability, reliability, and DFMEA trade-offs
- Familiarity with Confluence and Jira
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
Ford Motor Company Compensation & Benefits Highlights
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Healthcare Strength — Eligible employees can access medical, dental, and prescription coverage starting on the first day, with some zero-cost plan options and free mental health support. Benefits materials highlight comprehensive healthcare as a core pillar.
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Retirement Support — Employees can enroll in a 401(k)-style plan from day one, and some salaried plans include a company match of $0.90 per dollar on the first 5% contributed. Official summaries also describe financial-planning support.
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Parental & Family Support — The package includes paid parental leave, fertility, surrogacy, and adoption benefits, plus a ramp-up program for new parents returning to work. Flexible family-care days and other time-off options support caregiving needs.
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Ford is a global company with shared ideals and a deep sense of family. From our earliest days as a pioneer of modern transportation, we have sought to make the world a better place – one that benefits lives, communities and the planet. We are here to provide the means for every person to move and pursue their dreams, serving as a bridge between personal freedom and the future of mobility. In that pursuit, our 186,000 employees around the world help to set the pace of innovation every day.
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