Automotive Field Service Engineer Jobs in California

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.

In this position... 

As a Field Service Engineer, you'll be the go-to technical expert and trusted advisor for Ford and Lincoln dealerships in your assigned Tech Zone. This is a highly visible, hands-on role where you'll diagnose the toughest vehicle concerns, improve dealership service processes, and help ensure customers have an excellent ownership experience.

You'll have...

Minimum

• Bachelor's degree
• 2+ years of automotive dealership diagnosis and repair experience.
• Ability to attain/maintain Ford Sr. Master Certification within 24 months of hire.  
• Valid, unrestricted driver's license.
• Ability to operate manual transmission vehicles.
• Ability and willingness to travel with overnight stays on a weekly basis.
• 2+ years of experience using Microsoft 365 (e.g., Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to:
  • Command respect in the shop and the boardroom
  • Influence without direct authority
  • Navigate difficult conversations with dealership leaders, technicians, and customers
  •  

Even better, you may have...

Preferred

• Bachelor's degree in automotive-related field, such as (but not limited to):
  • Automotive Technology
  • Automotive Technology Management
  • Field Service Operations
  • Advanced Vehicle Systems
  • Automotive Engineering
  • Automotive Engineering Technology
  • Automotive Service Technology
  • Automotive Industry Management
• Ford-specific Automotive Repair Technical Training, including heavy trucks and diesel.
• Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certifications in one or more of the following:
  • A, C, E, G, H, L, T, X series
• 5+ years of Hands-on vehicle diagnosis and repair experience (dealership or independent), especially with Ford and/or Lincoln brands.
• Proven ability to independently plan, organize, reorganize, prioritize, and problem-solve in a dynamic field environment.
• Strong professionalism and customer-facing skills, including:
  • Service and customer interface experience
  • Comfort working with dealership leadership, customers, and cross-functional Ford teams
  •  

If you love solving complex technical problems, enjoy being in the field, and are excited by the chance to influence both repair quality and dealership operations, this Field Service Engineer role offers a unique opportunity to make a visible impact every day.

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 range of salary grades 6-8 and ranges from $63,480-$166,200.

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 not 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-TS3 

What You'll Do

You'll spend about 4 days per week in Ford and Lincoln dealerships, focusing on three primary areas:

1. Routine Dealership Visits & Service Performance

• Visit assigned dealerships on a regular (approximately 30-day) cadence.
• Meet with the General Manager and Dealer Principal to review:
  • Overall health of the service department
  • Repeat repair trends
  • Fixed Right the First Time and Repeat Repair performance
  • Warranty compliance
  • Technical Training Competencies 
• Provide insights and recommendations to improve repair quality, efficiency, and customer satisfaction.

2. Technical & Repair Assistance

• Provide in-dealership repair assistance for properly escalated technical hotline cases.
• Lead diagnosis and repair strategy on "difficult to repair" vehicles through to resolution in a timely, expedited manner.
• Offer clear diagnostic guidance and coaching to dealership technicians to strengthen their long-term capabilities.

3. Legal, Customer Relations & Dispute Resolution Support

• Support Ford legal counsel, executive liaison, and dispute resolution teams.
• Perform vehicle inspections and, when needed, complete final repair attempts.
• Serve as a technical expert in depositions, arbitrations, and trials, representing Ford's repair standards and technical position.

Consultative & Process Improvement Initiatives

Beyond repair support, you'll play a key consultative role with dealership leadership:

• Technician Training & Development
  • Help dealerships create and maintain technician training plans that match skill levels and growth goals.
  • Ensure technicians understand their development path and that management actively supports it.
  • Make sure dealership leadership understands the training requirements needed to improve repair capability and technical competence.
• Root Cause & Process Analysis
  • Analyze why Field Service Engineer involvement was needed on difficult-to-repair vehicles.
  • Identify dealership process gaps that may have contributed to repair challenges.
  • Present consultative, practical solutions to General Managers and Dealer Principals and track follow-up actions and results.
• Warranty & Service Process Optimization
  • Partner with service departments to improve repair processes that support appropriate Ford Motor Company warranty expenditures.
  • Help dealerships drive better outcomes in quality, cost, and customer satisfaction.
• Tools, Equipment & Technician Programs
  • Ensure dealerships maintain a robust and complete inventory of Essential Service Tools and Equipment.
  • Promote Ford's technician entry, recognition, and retention programs.
  • Coach dealership management on leveraging these programs to recruit, develop, and retain top technician talent.