Staff Audio Test Automation Engineer

Ford’s Electric Vehicles, Digital and Design (EVDD) team is seeking an experienced Staff Audio Test Automation Engineer to lead the automated validation of next-generation In-Vehicle Infotainment (IVI) audio systems.

In this role, you will design, build, and maintain scalable test suites using Python and pytest to validate multi-channel audio routing, DSP pipelines, external sound systems (AVAS), hands-free calling, and onboard amplifier performance.

Responsibilities:

• Framework Development: Develop and scale automated test libraries in Python (pytest) running on Linux/Ubuntu to interface with multi-channel audio hardware.
• Audio Analysis & DSP Validation: Implement signal-processing algorithms to validate frequency response, channel separation, ducking, mixing, and dynamic gain control.
• Feature & Platform Testing: Validate IVI media playback across multi-channel vehicle configurations, Acoustic Vehicle Alerting Systems (AVAS) pitch/frequency modulation tied to vehicle telemetry, Hands-Free Profile (HFP/VoIP) voice quality, downlink/uplink routing, and acoustic behavior.
• Execute platform-level amplifier and DSP stress tests, monitoring diagnostics, clipping, and fault handling.
• HIL Bench Integration: Setup, calibrate, and maintain bench-level audio hardware, signal routing, gain staging, and electrical isolation.
• CI/CD Integration: Integrate audio test suites into automated build and regression pipelines.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Audio Engineering, Acoustics, or related field.
• Familiarity with AVAS (UN ECE R138 / FMVSS 141) acoustic safety regulations.
• Test Automation: 3+ years of professional experience building automated test frameworks in Python using pytest.
• Audio Signal Processing: Strong theoretical and practical foundation in digital signal processing (DSP) using Python scientific libraries.
• Audio Hardware & Instrumentation: Hands-on experience with multi-channel audio interfaces, line-output converters, microphone/speaker calibration, and gain staging.
• Audio Metrics: Deep familiarity with core acoustic and audio measurements.

Benefits:

• Immediate medical, dental, vision and prescription drug coverage
• Flexible family care days, paid parental leave, new parent ramp-up programs, subsidized back-up childcare 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.