Software Quality Engineer Job Dearborn area,Michigan USA,Quality Assurance

Software Quality Assurance 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.

Responsibilities

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

Qualifications

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 Assessor Certification
Experience with software process assessments
Experience with automotive software engineering development processes
Experience with Ford GPDS and as a Ford Design & Release Engineer
Experience with Ford eSoW requirements and supplier quality management
Experience with Dev Ops, continuous integration, and automated software testing
Understanding of open-source software compliance and…