RAE Software Engineer

In this position...

Ford is seeking a Senior Software Engineer to lead development of core software infrastructure for next-generation Augmented Reality (AR) Head-Up Display (HUD) systems.

This role focuses on low-level systems engineering, platform architecture, hardware and software integration, vehicle data ingestion, and real-time AR rendering pipelines. The engineer will work across the stack from vehicle interfaces and sensor inputs to rendering integration and system validation to help transition advanced prototypes toward production-intent systems.

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. Product Development uses design thinking & user experience methods to deliver breakthrough products and services that delight our customers. We bring innovative, exciting, and sustainable ideas to life. We have opportunities around the world for you to contribute to advancements in autonomy, electrification, smart mobility technologies, and more!

What you'll do...

• Design and develop low-level, high-performance C++ software supporting AR HUD pipelines, building and maintaining modular platform infrastructure enabling including rendering pipelines, sensor/camera ingestion, and vehicle signal integration while debugging and optimizing memory for threading, and real-time performance constraints.
• Integrate platform software with real-time AR rendering stacks (e.g., Qt / OpenGL / Vulkan), supporting multi-view / autostereoscopic rendering pipelines while ensuring synchronization between rendering outputs and sensor inputs (eye tracking, cameras).
• Interface with vehicle data pipelines (CAN/Ethernet) to ingest ADAS signals, navigation and localization data, vehicle state information, and sensor inputs such as LiDAR.
• Translate vehicle signals into real-time AR visualization inputs and support integration and debugging in vehicle and bench environments.
• Collaborate with lab and prototype teams to stabilize demo and test systems.
• Define and execute validation strategies for latency, timing behavior, and sensor-to-render synchronization.
• Maintain stability under real-world conditions (thermal, vibration, sunlight) and identify and resolve system-level bottlenecks.
• Act as a technical owner across software and hardware boundaries, working closely with optics experts, camera experts, the ADAS team, and suppliers to drive technical decisions, evaluate tradeoffs, and mitigate technical risks.
• Leverage AI-assisted coding tools (e.g., GitHub Copilot, LLM-based code assistants) to accelerate C++ development, refactoring, and unit test generation for performance-critical systems.
• Leverage 3D rendering engine coding experience (e.g., Unity, Unreal Engine, or custom rendering engines) to inform shader development, scene composition, and real-time rendering optimizations within the Qt/OpenGL/Vulkan AR HUD pipeline.

What you'll do...

• Design and develop low-level, high-performance C++ software supporting AR HUD pipelines, building and maintaining modular platform infrastructure enabling including rendering pipelines, sensor/camera ingestion, and vehicle signal integration while debugging and optimizing memory for threading, and real-time performance constraints.
• Integrate platform software with real-time AR rendering stacks (e.g., Qt / OpenGL / Vulkan), supporting multi-view / autostereoscopic rendering pipelines while ensuring synchronization between rendering outputs and sensor inputs (eye tracking, cameras).
• Interface with vehicle data pipelines (CAN/Ethernet) to ingest ADAS signals, navigation and localization data, vehicle state information, and sensor inputs such as LiDAR.
• Translate vehicle signals into real-time AR visualization inputs and support integration and debugging in vehicle and bench environments.
• Collaborate with lab and prototype teams to stabilize demo and test systems.
• Define and execute validation strategies for latency, timing behavior, and sensor-to-render synchronization.
• Maintain stability under real-world conditions (thermal, vibration, sunlight) and identify and resolve system-level bottlenecks.
• Act as a technical owner across software and hardware boundaries, working closely with optics experts, camera experts, the ADAS team, and suppliers to drive technical decisions, evaluate tradeoffs, and mitigate technical risks.
• Leverage AI-assisted coding tools (e.g., GitHub Copilot, LLM-based code assistants) to accelerate C++ development, refactoring, and unit test generation for performance-critical systems.
• Leverage 3D rendering engine coding experience (e.g., Unity, Unreal Engine, or custom rendering engines) to inform shader development, scene composition, and real-time rendering optimizations within the Qt/OpenGL/Vulkan AR HUD pipeline.