In-Vehicle Software Architect – Networking

Ford Motor Company

In-Vehicle Software Architect designing innovative networking solutions for Ford Motor Company. Leveraging advanced engineering practices to deliver scalable and reliable vehicle communication systems.

Posted 7/27/2026full-timeAllen Park • Minnesota • 🇺🇸 United StatesJunior💰 $102,190 - $192,900 per yearWebsite

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Lead end-to-end design and delivery of optimized distributed system network architectures and inter-system communication across multiple platforms, using a structured systems engineering approach to meet tight timelines.
Define scalable, future-proof architectures and module placement to ensure capacity for new components and long-term platform reliability.
Improve network efficiency and reduce congestion by offloading traffic, reconfiguring topology, and strategically relocating components to optimize network segments.
Reduce system complexity by removing unused/redundant components and minimizing potential failure points through principled simplification.
Strengthen security with secure communications and migration of critical components to protected network domains.
Apply quantitative methods and modeling to component allocation and inter-system communication analysis, optimizing topology and achieving measurable resource savings.
Develop and maintain a global component architecture library with standardized modeling terminology, including detailed elements, ports, and communication methods.
Author, validate, and maintain network architecture specifications, requirements, and test cases with high test coverage across components and protocols; manage timely architecture releases and optimizations.
Lead domain architecture and physical integration reviews to ensure compliance with standards, and deliver training on complexity assessment techniques while sharing findings at internal/external forums.

Requirements

What you’ll need

Master’s degree or foreign equivalent in Mechanical Engineering, Systems Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science or a related field and 1 year of experience in the job offered or a related occupation.
Alternatively, employer will accept a Bachelor’s degree or foreign equivalent in Mechanical Engineering, Systems Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science or a related field and 3 years of experience in the job offered or a related occupation.
1 year of experience with each of the following skills is required:
1. Lead Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) using SysML to capture requirements, functional architectures, and interfaces; maintain lifecycle artifacts and drive requirements-based testing and change impact analysis.
2. Perform complexity analyses and system-of-systems trade studies across 10+ product lines to reduce variants, quantify tradeoffs, and propose scalable, cost-favorable architecture changes.
3. Invent and apply advanced mathematical modeling and optimization (multi-objective and constrained) to model interactions and optimize latency, power, reliability, and cost; validate with test data and refine algorithms.
4. Build, validate, and interpret dynamic (time-domain) simulation models to evaluate real-world system behavior; identify failure modes, tune controllers, and verify performance and safety targets.
5. Translate modeling results into actionable requirements, verification plans, and test procedures; drive cross-functional reviews and handoffs to software, hardware, test, and manufacturing.
6. Lead technical research, author papers/patents, and present results; leverage findings to improve engineering practices and strengthen the company's IP portfolio.
7. Ensure reliable mechanical/electrical/software integration by coordinating packaging locations and interfaces with hardware teams to guarantee compatibility and manufacturability.

Benefits

Comp & perks

Immediate medical, dental, and prescription drug coverage**
Flexible family care, parental leave, new parent ramp-up programs, subsidized back-up child care 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.