Senior Principal Diagnostics Engineering Manager

Why Ford?

For a century, we've been a driving force across Australia, building a legacy that truly speaks for itself. Leading the way, the Ranger continues its rein as Australia's No. 1 Selling Vehicle and our iconic Mustang proudly holds its position as Australia's No. 1 Sports Car.

These remarkable achievements are a testament to our unwavering commitment to innovation and a customer-focused approach that has delivered success across our entire lineup, giving us so much to be excited about! But we believe we do more than just build award-winning vehicles-we build careers.

• Discounted lease car options.
• Multiple Employee Resource Groups - Ford Pride, Women of Ford and Ford Empowering Diverse Abilities.
• Flexible Work Arrangements.
• Growth and development opportunities via internal and external training.
• Paid parental leave from day 1.
• Comprehensive Employee Assist Program.
• Wellness Programs including Free Flu Vaccinations and Health Checks.
• Paid volunteer days.

About the Role

As the Senior Principal Diagnostics Engineering Manager, you will lead the strategy, development, launch, and continuous improvement of manufacturing diagnostics and end-of-line (EOL) testing capabilities for next-generation Ford vehicles.

Operating at the intersection of regional execution and global strategy, you will drive the operational readiness of all EOL test tools across our Africa and Asia Pacific assembly plants. Additionally, you will collaborate with and influence US-based engineering teams to ensure global feature development aligns with regional requirements and plant constraints, ultimately securing high-quality vehicle validation and manufacturing performance

Reporting directly to the Manufacturing Technology Development Manager in the US, this new created position is based at our IMG Product Development Centre in Broadmeadows, Melbourne. This role operates under a hybrid work arrangement, requiring four days on-site.

About you

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Automotive Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related technical field.
• 15+ years in automotive diagnostics, manufacturing test, end-of-line testing, or related vehicle validation environments.
• Proven leadership in defining and implementing complex diagnostic or manufacturing test solutions in high-volume automotive production settings.
• Deep understanding of automotive manufacturing processes, vehicle electrical systems, and end-of-line validation requirements.
• Strong experience with diagnostic tools, flashing processes, test equipment, and fault isolation methods used in vehicle assembly and final verification.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional collaboration across manufacturing, quality, service, product development, and program management teams.
• Proven expertise in root cause analysis, issue resolution, and structured problem solving in plant or launch environments.
• Experience supporting new vehicle launches, plant implementation, and production ramp activities.
• Experience working across global or regional manufacturing organizations, with the ability to balance central standards with local operational requirements.
• Strong knowledge of diagnostic performance metrics and manufacturing KPIs, with the ability to drive measurable improvements in test effectiveness, quality, and throughput.
• Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and leadership skills, with the ability to influence decisions across technical and operational teams.

Highly Desirable

• Experience with automotive diagnostic protocols and standards such as UDS, OBD-II, CAN, LIN, and ISO 14229.
• Experience with end-of-line test stations, calibration verification, module flashing, network validation, and vehicle functional testing.
• Familiarity with manufacturing plant systems, production test workflows, and launch readiness processes.
• Understanding of vehicle quality systems, service diagnostics, and the relationship between plant diagnostics and downstream customer issue prevention.
• Experience working in fast-paced launch or advanced manufacturing environments supporting new architectures or emerging vehicle technologies.
• Experience supporting operations in Africa and Asia Pacific regions, including adaptation of global solutions to local plant and market needs.
• Experience influencing centrally developed tools or platforms to address regional business, operational, or regulatory requirements.

Equal Opportunity

Ford Australia is inclusive employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment.

If you require any support or adjustments to the recruitment process, please contact our Talent and Inclusion Lead Sarah at [email protected].

To be considered for this role, you must be legally authorised to work in Australia (verification required upon hire). Please note that the successful candidate will also be required to complete a pre-employment background and national police check.

---Applications will close on Sunday 28 June 2026---

Please note due to the high numbers of applications we will only be able to contact shortlisted candidates.

*Ford Motor Company of Australia Pty Limited ACN 004 116 223 (Ford) is collecting your personal information in order to consider you for a role at Ford. Ford may also collect personal information about you from third parties such as refereess and recruitment agencies for this purpose. Ford may disclose your personal information to its related companies and third party service providers for purposes such as screening and background checks, aptitude testing and health and safety and human resources management activities. Ford's privacy policy (available at www.ford.com.au) states how you can seek to access or correct any personal information Ford holds about you, how to complain about a privacy breach by Ford and how Ford will deal with a privacy complaint. You can contact Ford at 13 FORD (13 36 73) or via the contact details set out in Ford's privacy policy

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and deployment of manufacturing diagnostic strategies and end-of-line test processes for new vehicle programs.
• Drive launch readiness and operational strategy for all EOL test tools across the Africa and Asia Pacific regions.
• Ensure EOL test tools are implemented and supported in a way that reflects regional manufacturing requirements, plant operating models, and local constraints.
• Define requirements for plant diagnostic tools, test sequences, flashing processes, and validation methods used during vehicle assembly and final verification.
• Partner with manufacturing, quality, program, and engineering teams to ensure diagnostic and EOL solutions are aligned with production needs, launch milestones, and plant capability.
• Influence US-based feature development and product roadmaps to ensure regional requirements and operational constraints are built into future EOL test tool capability.
• Act as the key bridge between regional plant needs and central development teams, translating operational challenges into clear feature, process, and capability requirements.
• Drive readiness for vehicle launches by ensuring diagnostic tools, test stations, and plant processes are prepared, validated, and supported.
• Support issue triage and root cause analysis for plant, launch, and production concerns related to diagnostics, flashing, and end-of-line testing.
• Identify gaps in test coverage and diagnostic capability, and develop improvements that enhance defect detection, manufacturing quality, and plant efficiency.
• Standardize best practices for diagnostics and end-of-line testing across programs and plants, improving consistency, scalability, and operational effectiveness.
• Collaborate with service, quality, and engineering teams to ensure diagnostic strategies support both manufacturing needs and downstream vehicle supportability.
• Monitor and improve key performance indicators such as first-time-through rates, test effectiveness, downtime reduction, failure detection, and manufacturing yield.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to engineering and plant teams supporting diagnostics and end-of-line test operations.
• Support supplier and partner coordination related to diagnostic equipment, test systems, and manufacturing integration.
• Drive continuous improvement in diagnostic processes, test methods, tool usability, and problem-solving practices across the organization.