[Hiring] Principal Technical Specialist - Vehicle & Connected Cyber Security @Ford

Role Description

Reporting to the Senior Director of Vehicle and Connected Cybersecurity, this position plays a critical role in shaping cybersecurity architecture, influencing platform decisions, mentoring technical teams, and representing the organization with regulatory authorities, business partners, and industry forums.

• Technical Leadership & Strategy
  • Act as the principal technical authority for vehicle, embedded, and connected cybersecurity across all vehicle programs and platforms.
  • Define and evolve cybersecurity architectures and technical standards for ECUs, in-vehicle networks, OTA, cloud backends, mobile apps, and V2X ecosystems.
  • Provide expert guidance on secure-by-design principles and emerging threats affecting automotive and connected systems.
• Product & Engineering Engagement
  • Partner with vehicle, software, and systems engineering teams to integrate cybersecurity requirements throughout the product development lifecycle.
  • Lead or support threat modeling, risk assessments, and security architecture reviews for vehicle platforms and connected services.
  • Influence design decisions to balance security, safety, performance, cost, and customer experience.
• Governance, Risk & Compliance
  • Support compliance with automotive cybersecurity standards and regulations (e.g., ISO/SAE 21434, UNECE R155/R156, NIST).
  • Provide technical input for cybersecurity policies, processes, and audit readiness.
  • Advise leadership on cybersecurity risk posture, residual risks, and mitigation strategies.
• Incident Response & Vulnerability Management
  • Serve as a senior technical advisor during cybersecurity incidents affecting vehicles or connected services.
  • Guide root cause analysis, remediation strategies, and long-term corrective actions.
  • Oversee vulnerability disclosure, penetration testing findings, and coordinated response activities.
• Industry & External Engagement
  • Represent the company in industry working groups, standards bodies, and technical forums.
  • Engage with suppliers and technology partners to assess cybersecurity capabilities and risks.
  • Monitor emerging threats, technologies, and regulatory trends impacting automotive cybersecurity.
• Mentorship & Knowledge Development
  • Mentor and develop cybersecurity engineers and specialists across the organization.
  • Elevate overall cybersecurity maturity through knowledge sharing, best practices, and technical reviews.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Cybersecurity, or a related field (Master’s preferred).
• 10+ years of experience in cybersecurity, with significant focus on embedded, automotive, or IoT systems.
• Deep technical expertise in areas such as embedded security, secure boot, cryptography, PKI, in-vehicle networks (CAN, LIN, FlexRay, Ethernet), OTA updates, and cloud-connected systems.
• Strong understanding of automotive cybersecurity standards and regulatory frameworks.
• Proven ability to influence technical decisions across multiple teams without direct authority.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working at or with an automotive OEM or Tier 1 supplier.
• Familiarity with functional safety (ISO 26262) and its interaction with cybersecurity.
• Hands-on experience with threat modeling methodologies and security architecture design.
• Professional certifications (e.g., CISSP, CISM, CSSLP, GIAC) are a plus.

Key Competencies

• Strategic and systems-level thinking.
• Deep technical credibility and problem-solving ability.
• Strong communication skills for both technical and executive audiences.
• Ability to navigate complex, matrixed organizations.
• High integrity and commitment to safety and customer trust.

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.