Software Quality Engineer

We made history and now we work to transform the future – for our customers, our communities and our families. You'll see your work on the road every day, helping people move freely and pursue their dreams. At Ford, you can build more than vehicles. Come build what matters.

Do you want to drive business strategy and define products for software and digital experiences? Enterprise Connectivity Business Operations team translates those strategic choices into tangible business propositions. We represent the voice of the customer as we build distinctive, always-on connected vehicle technologies and services that transform the ownership experience.

The Software Quality Assurance Engineer is responsible for applying advanced quality methodologies and tools to proactively identify, analyze, and eliminate potential defects throughout the product lifecycle. This role champions a "shift-left" approach, embedding prevention strategies into every stage of software and product development.

You will translate quality principles and defect prevention vision into concrete action — acting as a trusted technical partner to cross-functional stakeholders and collaborating closely with engineering teams to embed robust, systemic defect prevention practices across our automotive platforms.

What you'll do...

• Facilitate Root Cause Analysis (RCA) of identified issues, collaborating with cross-functional engineering disciplines
• Employ structured problem-solving methodologies (e.g., 8D, 3-Legged 5 Whys, PDCA) to identify true underlying causes rather than symptoms
• Document RCA findings, clearly capturing contributing factors and systemic weaknesses
• Define robust Prevent Recurrence Actions (PRAs) with relevant teams to eliminate root causes
• Establish and maintain a systematic tracking mechanism for PRAs, monitoring progress to closure
• Verify implemented actions achieve the desired quality improvement without introducing new issues
• Document identified non-conformances and potential issues
• Collaborate with responsible teams to resolve non-conformances, track progress, and verify corrective measure effectiveness
• Plan, schedule, and perform quality audits across processes and products
• Identify non-compliance, risks, and improvement opportunities
• Generate audit reports, communicate findings to stakeholders, and drive timely closure; escalate as needed to resolve open findings
• Establish and maintain data collection processes for key quality measures
• Apply statistical methods to monitor quality metrics and identify trends
• Partner with cross-functional teams to implement targeted actions, bringing processes and product quality back within control limits
• Synthesize Software Quality Assurance (SWQA) data and activities into clear, actionable summaries
• Develop and maintain dashboards, newsletters, executive summaries, and formal presentations to communicate SWQA status, KPIs, risks, and improvement initiatives to both engineering teams and executive leadership
• Collaborate with supplier quality management teams to ensure externally sourced components meet Ford eSoW requirements and support overall defect prevention
• Conduct software design reviews to ensure compliance with architectural and quality standards
• Participate in engineering joint reviews to reinforce best practices in software development
• Coach and train engineering teams on software quality best practices, including ASPICE compliance

You'll have...

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field
• 10+ years of software engineering experience in the automotive industry, with a strong focus on software quality and defect prevention (root cause analysis, corrective/preventive action management, quality audits). Experience in verification & validation is a plus but is not a substitute for direct defect prevention/quality engineering experience.
• Proven expertise in software defect prevention methodologies, including within embedded software systems
• Hands-on experience with structured problem-solving tools (8D, 5 Whys, Root Cause Analysis facilitation, PDCA)
• Experience conducting quality audits and managing non-conformance resolution
• Strong background in Failure Mode Avoidance (FMA) for software systems
• Strong embedded software development expertise
• Experience applying statistical methods to monitor and improve quality metrics
• Excellent communication, coaching, and training skills to drive cultural and technical improvements
• Experience working within a software quality organization highly desired

Even better, you may have…

• ASPICE