What are the responsibilities and job description for the Field Test Engineer/Automotive Test Engineer position at Vantage Point Consulting Inc.?
Job Title: Field Test Engineer
Locations (Onsite):
- Lewisville, TX (Primary)
- Texas – Denton or Louisville (Client is flexible for the right candidate)
- Renton, Washington (Alternate option for the right candidate)
Employment Type: Full-Time, Permanent
About the Project
You will support the Connected Services Project, focusing on global OTA (Over-the-Air) updates, connected vehicle features, and field testing on customer trucks. The role requires strong hands-on knowledge of CAN, telematics, diagnostic tools, and OTA validation.
Position Overview
The Field Test Engineer (FTE) will perform in-vehicle and bench-level testing of connected features, OTA software updates, firmware, ECU reprogramming, and vehicle telematics for customer field trucks. This position interfaces with cross-functional teams to ensure efficient diagnostics, seamless OTA updates, and successful software release validation.
Key Responsibilities
- Test and validate connected features on benches and customer field trucks, including software updates, firmware updates, and ECU reprogramming.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams to plan OTA test activities aligned with controller/software release timelines.
- Develop and execute test plans for wireless/OTA updates and connected services features.
- Troubleshoot and resolve OTA update failures by working closely with software, backend, and diagnostic teams.
- Identify, log, track, and report defects with appropriate logs in defect tracking systems.
- Use diagnostic tools (e.g., Vector CANoe) to capture, analyze, and interpret communication logs during OTA tests.
- Create OTA test packages and perform remote vehicle diagnostic testing.
- Verify update integrity, rollback mechanisms, and ensure compliance with vehicle safety and performance standards.
- Maintain detailed documentation of test cases, test results, and issues for continuous improvement.
- Participate in defect triage calls and follow up to ensure timely resolution.
- Update ECUs via OBD tools and OTA workflows.
- Utilize knowledge of automotive networks, CAN bus traffic, diagnostic messages, and node acknowledgments.
- Apply strong understanding of telematics controllers and end-to-end OTA processes.
- Execute requirements-based testing with full traceability across requirements, development, testing, and defects.
Key Technical Requirements
Primary (Must-Have):
- Strong, hands-on experience with CAN protocol, including CAN bus communication, DBC files, filtering, and message analysis.
- Proficiency with at least one CAN analysis tool:
- Vector CANalyzer
- Vector CANoe
- Vehicle Spy
- Solid understanding of J1939 and UDS diagnostic standards.
Secondary (Important):
- Experience with telematics, OTA (Over-the-Air) updates, log tracing, and campaign creation.
- Basic scripting skills (no deep coding required).
- Automotive experience strongly preferred; candidates from telecom/other domains may be considered with strong CAN knowledge.
Experience Level
- Ideal: 10–15 years experience
- Candidates with 3–4 years of strong hands-on project experience will be considered.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Automotive Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related STEM field.
- Strong understanding of OTA architecture, vehicle networks (CAN, Ethernet), and automotive protocols (UDS, J1939, etc).
- Hands-on experience with diagnostic tools like Vector CANoe or Vehicle Spy.
- Heavy-duty truck system experience is a plus.
- Strong troubleshooting ability and comfort in a fast-paced field environment.