# Staff Digital Key Software Engineer

**Company**: Ford Motor Company
**Location**: Palo Alto, CA
**Work arrangement**: hybrid
**Experience**: staff
**Job type**: full-time
**Salary**: $150,200-$283,500
**Category**: Engineering
**Industry**: Automotive
**Wikidata**: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q44294

**Apply**: https://efds.fa.em5.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/CX_1/job/71347?utm_source=yubhub.co&utm_medium=jobs_feed&utm_campaign=apply
**Canonical**: https://yubhub.co/jobs/job_924e105e-76c

## Description

Ford's Electric Vehicles, Digital and Design (EVDD) team is seeking a Staff Digital Key Software Engineer to take full functional ownership of the vehicle access authentication path and customer-facing vehicle functions built on top of it.

The ideal candidate will help drive this stack from architecture through vehicle bring-up and post-launch support, working with wireless and embedded technologies including Bluetooth, UWB, NFC, and RF connectivity.

Responsibilities:

- Own implementation of one or more components of the vehicle access authentication path, including transaction authorization, lock/unlock, start authorization, and/or remote functions across Digital Key and Key Card.

- Architect and develop embedded software for Vehicle Access systems running on ECUs and real-time embedded platforms.

- Design, implement, and maintain Digital Key functionality based on Car Connectivity Consortium (CCC) standards, alongside Key Card authentication flows.

- Develop software supporting vehicle access features utilizing Bluetooth, Ultra-Wideband (UWB), NFC, and RF communication technologies.

- Lead collaboration with systems, hardware, validation, cybersecurity, and mobile application teams to deliver end-to-end vehicle access and vehicle function solutions.

- Write and enhance embedded software in C, leveraging Python for automation, testing, and validation activities.

- Define software architecture, interfaces, and communication frameworks between vehicle systems, key credentials (Digital Key and Key Card), and external devices.

- Support vehicle integration, debugging, and bring-up activities on prototype and production vehicles.

- Diagnose complex software, connectivity, and RF-related issues across vehicle and mobile ecosystems.

- Use AI-assisted development tools to accelerate coding, code review, debugging, documentation, and test-case generation.

Qualifications:

- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or related field.

- 8+ years of professional experience developing embedded software.

- Strong proficiency in Embedded C programming.

- Strong Python scripting and automation experience.

- Hands-on experience with complex embedded software projects, such as Vehicle Access systems, Digital Key, or Key Card technologies.

- Experience working with complex industry standards, e.g., Car Connectivity Consortium (CCC) standards.

- Understanding of Bluetooth, UWB, NFC, RF communication, and wireless connectivity architectures.

- Experience developing software for automotive ECUs and embedded real-time systems.

- Demonstrated ability to own a system end-to-end, from architecture through post-launch support, with minimal supervision.

Benefits:

- 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.

## Skills

### Required
- Embedded C
- Python
- Bluetooth
- UWB
- NFC
- RF communication
- Car Connectivity Consortium (CCC) standards
- Vehicle Access systems
- Digital Key
- Key Card technologies

### Nice to have
- Automotive experience
- CCC Digital Key vehicle access technology
- Key Card authentication systems
- Body Control Modules (BCM)
- Vehicle Access ECUs
- Cybersecurity concepts
- CAN
- Automotive Ethernet
- diagnostics
- vehicle communication protocols

---

Source: [Apply at efds.fa.em5.oraclecloud.com](https://efds.fa.em5.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/CX_1/job/71347?utm_source=yubhub.co&utm_medium=jobs_feed&utm_campaign=apply)