Field Quality Engineer

Ford Motor Company

Field Quality Engineer investigating vehicle concerns and ensuring product quality for Ford. Collaborating with dealer technicians and engineering teams to solve real-world vehicle issues.

Posted 7/1/2026full-timeChicago • Illinois • 🇺🇸 United StatesMid-LevelSeniorWebsite

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

Python

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Travel to dealerships, fleet locations, and customer sites to investigate vehicle concerns firsthand (GEMBA)
Validate customer concerns by observing real-world conditions and confirming failure modes prior to repair or part replacement
Capture operating environments, usage patterns, and contributing factors impacting vehicle performance
Collect and document detailed technical data, including photos, videos, and service observations.
Vehicle data logs (CAN, diagnostics, system data) and information from dealer equipment (alignment, tester data, etc).
Physical parts when required
Develop formal technical reports that clearly describe: Failure conditions, Reproduction steps, Environmental and usage factors, Initial observations and engineering hypotheses.
Provide clear and actionable inputs to Product Development engineering teams
Partner directly with PD engineering teams to support: Root cause investigation, Failure replication with first hand insights into field conditions
Development of corrective actions
Support structured problem solving (8D / 14D) by supplying high-quality field data and evidence
Accelerate issue resolution by bridging the gap between data signals and real-world validation
Utilize outputs from Ford systems (warranty triggers, VOQ trends, and internal analytics tools) to:
Identify issues requiring deep technical investigation
Support prioritization of emerging concerns
Work closely with: Dealer technicians and service managers, Customers and fleet operators.
Collect Voice of Customer (VOC) insights and ensure accurate problem definition
Provide real-time feedback to Product Development regarding: Emerging quality issues, Gaps in validation or test conditions, Customer usage differences vs design assumptions
Influence improvements to: Design robustness and recurrence prevention, validation strategies, Design standards, Customer experience

Requirements

What you’ll need

Bachelor’s degree in: Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Automotive Engineering, Computer or Software Engineering, or related technical field
3+ years of strong technical experience in vehicle systems and diagnostics
Ability to travel regularly (50%+ to dealer, fleet, customer visits)
Dealership service or vehicle testing environments
Strong problem-solving skills and experience with structured methods (8D / 14D), Red X or similar training / certification
Excellent technical communication and report writing skills
Valid driver’s license
Experience with embedded automotive software systems and ECU architectures
Ability to capture and analyze vehicle network data (CAN, Ethernet)
Experience using diagnostic and data acquisition tools (e.g., CANalyzer, CANoe)
Understanding of software-driven vehicle behavior (ADAS, infotainment, connectivity, controls)
Ability to differentiate between software, hardware, and integration-related issues.
Basic scripting or data analysis (Python, MATLAB) preferred
Familiarity with: OTA updates, Diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs), Calibration and software validation processes

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.

ATS Keywords

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Hard Skills & Tools

Vehicle Systems DiagnosticsTechnical Report WritingData Analysis (Python, MATLAB)Embedded Automotive Software SystemsUnderstanding Of ECU Architectures

Soft Skills

Excellent Technical CommunicationStructured Problem-Solving

Certifications

Red X Training / Certification