Principal Technical Specialist – Vehicle & Connected Cyber Security

Ford Motor Company

Principal Technical Specialist overseeing cybersecurity for vehicle systems at Ford. Leading technical authority and collaborating across various teams to enhance security measures.

Posted 5/2/2026full-timeRemote • Missouri • 🇺🇸 United StatesLead💰 $141,700 - $268,300 per yearWebsite

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

CloudCyber SecurityIoT

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Act as the principal technical authority for vehicle, embedded, and connected cybersecurity across all vehicle programs and platforms.
Define and evolve cybersecurity architectures and technical standards for ECUs, in-vehicle networks, OTA, cloud backends, mobile apps, and V2X ecosystems.
Provide expert guidance on secure-by-design principles and emerging threats affecting automotive and connected systems.
Partner with vehicle, software, and systems engineering teams to integrate cybersecurity requirements throughout the product development lifecycle.
Lead or support threat modeling, risk assessments, and security architecture reviews for vehicle platforms and connected services.
Influence design decisions to balance security, safety, performance, cost, and customer experience.
Support compliance with automotive cybersecurity standards and regulations (e.g., ISO/SAE 21434, UNECE R155/R156, NIST).
Provide technical input for cybersecurity policies, processes, and audit readiness.
Advise leadership on cybersecurity risk posture, residual risks, and mitigation strategies.
Serve as a senior technical advisor during cybersecurity incidents affecting vehicles or connected services.
Guide root cause analysis, remediation strategies, and long-term corrective actions.
Oversee vulnerability disclosure, penetration testing findings, and coordinated response activities.
Represent the company in industry working groups, standards bodies, and technical forums.
Engage with suppliers and technology partners to assess cybersecurity capabilities and risks.
Monitor emerging threats, technologies, and regulatory trends impacting automotive cybersecurity.
Mentor and develop cybersecurity engineers and specialists across the organization.
Elevate overall cybersecurity maturity through knowledge sharing, best practices, and technical reviews.

Requirements

What you’ll need

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Cybersecurity, or a related field (Master’s preferred).
10+ years of experience in cybersecurity, with significant focus on embedded, automotive, or IoT systems.
Deep technical expertise in areas such as embedded security, secure boot, cryptography, PKI, in-vehicle networks (CAN, LIN, FlexRay, Ethernet), OTA updates, and cloud-connected systems.
Strong understanding of automotive cybersecurity standards and regulatory frameworks.
Proven ability to influence technical decisions across multiple teams without direct authority.
Experience working at or with an automotive OEM or Tier 1 supplier.
Familiarity with functional safety (ISO 26262) and its interaction with cybersecurity.
Hands-on experience with threat modeling methodologies and security architecture design.
Professional certifications (e.g., CISSP, CISM, CSSLP, GIAC) are a plus.

Benefits

Comp & perks

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.

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Hard Skills & Tools

embedded securitysecure bootcryptographyPKIin-vehicle networksOTA updatescloud-connected systemsthreat modelingsecurity architecture designrisk assessments

Soft Skills

influence technical decisionsmentoringguidancecommunicationcollaborationproblem-solvingleadershipknowledge sharingtechnical advisoryroot cause analysis

Certifications

CISSPCISMCSSLPGIAC