Director Prototype Design Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

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.

Ford's Electric Vehicles, Digital and Design (EVDD) team is charged with delivering the company's vision of a fully electric transportation future. EVDD is customer-obsessed, entrepreneurial, and data-driven and is dedicated to delivering industry-leading customer experience for electric vehicle buyers and owners. You'll join an agile team of doers pioneering our EV future by working collaboratively, staying focused on only what matters, and delivering excellence day in and day out. Join us to make positive change by helping build a better world where every person is free to move and pursue their dreams.

In this position... 
As a Prototype Development Engineer, you will be the bridge between conceptual design and physical reality. You will own the design, build, integration, commissioning, and maintenance of critical electrical test assets, including advanced Labcars, HIL (Hardware-in-the-Loop) benches, test fixtures, prototype support equipment, and related EV development assets. This is a high-impact, hands-on role where you will collaborate with cross-functional engineering teams and technicians to ensure our next-generation electric vehicle (EV) architectures can be built, tested, validated, and iterated quickly. You will not just maintain hardware; you will develop test assets from the ground up, including CAD/layout, BOM creation, purchasing support, technician-ready build documentation, electrical test integration, debug, commissioning and final documentation.

You'll have...

Bachelor's Degree in Electrical, Mechanical, Mechatronics, Computer, Software Engineering or equivalent combination of relevant education and experience.

Experience: 5+ years of hands-on experience in hardware development, test asset design, test equipment build, prototype development, HIL/lab systems, board bring-up, vehicle systems engineering, or manufacturing test environments.

Test Asset Ownership: Demonstrated experience designing, building, commissioning, or supporting physical test assets such as fixtures, racks, carts, panels, enclosures, benches, HIL systems, Labcars, lab systems, or automated test equipment.

CAD / Layout: Experience with CAD or layout tools such as CATIA, 3DEXPERIENCE, SolidWorks, NX, Creo, Inventor, AutoCAD, EPLAN, or similar.

BOM / Procurement: Experience creating BOMs, identifying parts, supporting sourcing or purchasing, managing alternates, and preparing builds for execution.

Electrical Test Integration: Experience integrating electrical test equipment such as DAQ, power supplies, electronic loads, instrumentation, signal conditioning, wiring, harnessing, or safety interlocks.

Network Expertise: Experience with vehicle or embedded communication protocols such as CAN, LIN, Automotive Ethernet, or similar networked systems.

Tooling: Experience using embedded networking interface or diagnostic tools such as CANalyzer, CANoe, Wireshark, VSPY3, or similar.

Technical Skills: Proficiency in reading and interpreting complex electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, mechanical layouts, harness documentation, and PCB assemblies.

Test Discipline: Experience writing and executing formal test plans with clear go/no-go criteria.

Technician / Build Support: Experience directing or working closely with technicians during fabrication, assembly, wiring, commissioning, troubleshooting, or lab build activities.

Documentation Discipline: Ability to create and maintain build records, commissioning results, maintenance instructions, configuration status, and clear technical documentation.

Travel: Ability to travel 0-15% to support vehicle builds, test asset deployment, modifications, off-site testing, and prototype support activities.

Even better, you may have...

Advanced Knowledge: Advanced vehicle architecture or experience with EV prototype development, Labcars, HIL benches, and vehicle-level electrical integration.

Specialized EV Experience: Working knowledge of battery management systems (BMS), motor calibration, OBD diagnostics, functional safety (ISO 26262), HV/LV electrical systems, and prototype electrical safety practices.

Data Acquisition: Experience instrumenting sensor systems and using DAQ tools for high-fidelity data analysis.

Prototype Development & Technical Skills: Hands-on support in prototype development, including CAD, PCB design or review (Altium or similar), HV/LV test asset design, harness fabrication/debugging, scripting (Python or similar), LabVIEW/C#/SCPI/VISA, NI/PXI/cDAQ, and test automation.

Build-to-Print / Repeatability: Experience converting one-off lab or prototype equipment into documented, repeatable build packages that can be maintained, repaired, or rebuilt by others.

Commissioning & Maintenance: Experience developing commissioning procedures, calibration procedures, maintenance procedures, troubleshooting guides, and operating instructions for test assets.

Soft Skills: A systems-thinking mindset with a passion for continuous improvement; strong verbal and written communication skills to lead design reviews and technical demos; ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment with evolving priorities.

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 salary grade 7 and ranges from $118,700-$198,500., 

This position is a salary grade 8 and ranges from $138,800-$232,700.  

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 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-BB1 #UEV

What you'll do...

Test Asset Design & Build: Own the development of physical electrical test assets from concept through commissioning, including fixtures, racks, carts, panels, enclosures, brackets, harness routing, and lab/test hardware packaging. 

CAD / Layout Ownership: Create CAD layouts, mechanical packaging concepts, drawing packages, and build-to-print documentation using CATIA, 3DEXPERIENCE, SolidWorks, NX, Creo, Inventor, AutoCAD, EPLAN, or similar tools. 

BOM, Purchasing & Build Readiness: Develop complete BOMs, identify parts and alternates, support sourcing and purchasing, coordinate vendors or internal procurement processes, and ensure parts are available to support build timing. 

Electrical Test Integration: Integrate power supplies, electronic loads, DAQ, NI/PXI/cDAQ hardware, oscilloscopes, meters, signal conditioning, instrumentation, safety interlocks, wiring, harnessing, and electrical interfaces into physical test assets. 

Asset Bring-Up: Support the development, commissioning, and maintenance of Labcars, HIL benches, prototype vehicles, and related EV test assets. 

Technical Execution: Perform and oversee component installation, complex wiring, harness fabrication/debugging, module software flashing, and network debugging (CAN, LIN, Automotive Ethernet). 

System Diagnostics: Troubleshoot and triage complex electrical, mechanical packaging, software integration, wiring, signal, communication, grounding, and hardware issues during build events and commissioning. 

Strategic Testing & Validation: Develop comprehensive test strategies to validate full-system functionality; perform regression testing to ensure system stability and performance consistency across hardware and software iterations. 

Technician Direction: Direct technicians during fabrication, wiring, assembly, installation, and commissioning; inspect builds against design intent; capture redlines and drive design changes required after first build. 

Cross-Functional Collaboration: Interface with Systems Integration, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Prototype Operations, technicians, purchasing, and vendors to identify design changes between build phases and support iterative development cycles. 

Field Support: Provide hands-on support during prototype build events, test asset deployment, fleet management activities, and off-site testing (requires travel). 

Documentation: Maintain rigorous records of module status, hardware revisions, BOM maturity, installed components, configuration status, commissioning results, operating instructions, maintenance information, and integration maturity to provide clear visibility to stakeholders.