Electrical Engineer Vehicle Systems

About the Role

Forterra is looking for a hands-on Electrical Engineer to join the Emerging Tech team in Clarksburg MD. You will be responsible for designing and building the electrical systems that turn conventional vehicles into autonomous platforms with a primary focus on drive-by-wire integration.

Your week will split between the bench and the vehicle bay. Some days you will be at a workstation designing wire harness schematics selecting connectors and specifying actuator power requirements. Other days you will be under a hood routing harnesses terminating connectors commissioning CAN bus networks and validating that your I/O intercept systems behave correctly when the vehicle is running. The work is tangible: you will see your designs go from schematic to installed hardware within the same sprint.

This role sits at the center of Forterras vehicle integration effort. The electrical systems you build are what allow our autonomy software to physically control steering throttle braking and transmission on platforms that were never designed for it. Getting this right is essential to everything downstream.

What Youll Do

Drive-by-Wire Electrical Integration

• Design and build vehicle interface wire harnesses that power actuators for steering throttle braking and transmission control
• Develop I/O intercept systems that interface between Forterras autonomy hardware and the existing vehicle electrical architecture
• Route terminate and validate harness assemblies on vehicle platforms ensuring reliable operation under vibration temperature extremes and field conditions
• Create and maintain wiring diagrams pinout documentation and harness build specifications

CAN Bus & Vehicle Communications

• Integrate CAN bus networks to distribute commands between Forterras compute systems and vehicle actuators
• Decode monitor and troubleshoot CAN traffic to validate command and feedback paths
• Interface with OEM vehicle CAN networks identifying and mapping signals required for autonomous control

Power Systems & Distribution

• Design power distribution systems that supply Forterras compute sensor and actuator hardware from vehicle electrical systems
• Specify fusing relay logic and voltage regulation for added electrical loads without degrading vehicle reliability
• Troubleshoot power quality issues including ground loops voltage drops and EMI from actuator switching

Vehicle Integration & Testing

• Support hands-on integration of electrical systems on vehicle platforms in the Clarksburg shop
• Develop and execute test procedures for harness continuity insulation resistance CAN communication and actuator response
• Diagnose and resolve electrical issues during vehicle integration and initial drive testing
• Collaborate with mechanical software and systems engineers to ensure electrical designs meet packaging thermal and functional requirements

What Were Looking For

Hands-On Builder - You are most productive when you can go from schematic to physical harness to installed system in the same week. You dont need a detailed work order for every task. You see what needs to happen next grab the tools and build it. At Forterra the distance between design and hardware is short and we need engineers who thrive in that environment.

Vehicle-Systems Thinker - You understand that a wire harness doesnt exist in isolation. It connects to actuators that move real steering columns throttle bodies and brake systems on vehicles that weigh thousands of pounds and operate in unpredictable conditions. You think about the full signal chain from the software command through the CAN bus through the connector through the actuator and you troubleshoot with that whole picture in mind.

Comfortable with Ambiguity - We are integrating drive-by-wire on vehicle platforms that were never designed for it. There is no integration manual. You will need to reverse-engineer OEM electrical systems figure out what signals to intercept and design solutions that work reliably without full manufacturer documentation. If that sounds exciting rather than frustrating tis is the right role.

Rigorous Where It Counts - When you terminate a connector or commission a CAN network you do it right. You check your work. You label your wires. You document your pinouts. Sloppy electrical work on an autonomous vehicle is a safety issue and you bring the discipline to make sure what you build is trustworthy.

Mission-Driven - The systems you build will operate in real missions supporting national defense. You care about that outcome and hold yourself to the standard it demands. You dont cut corners because the work matters.

Minimum Qualifications

• 3 years of experience in electrical engineering vehicle electrical systems or electromechanical integration
• Hands-on experience designing and building wire harnesses for vehicles mobile equipment or ruggedized systems
• Working knowledge of CAN bus protocols (J1939 OBD-II or proprietary CAN) including message decoding and network troubleshooting
• Experience with power distribution design for 12V/24V vehicle electrical systems
• Proficiency with electrical schematics wiring diagrams and standard EE tools (multimeters oscilloscopes CAN analyzers)
• Bachelors degree in Electrical Engineering Mechatronics or equivalent hands-on experience
• Must be a U.S. Person (U.S. citizen or permanent resident)
• Must be eligible to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance (Secret or higher)

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with drive-by-wire systems actuator control or by-wire conversion of conventional vehicles
• Familiarity with automotive ECUs vehicle gateway modules and OEM diagnostic tools
• Experience with EMI/EMC considerations for vehicle electrical systems
• PCB design experience (KiCad Altium or similar) for interface boards or breakout boards
• DoD military or defense industry experience
• Active U.S. security clearance (Secret or higher)
• Experience working in rapid-prototype or hardware startup environments

US Salary Range
$120000$170000

The salary range for this role is an estimate and is based on a wide variety of compensation factors. The salary offered to candidates will vary based on a variety of factors including (but not limited to) relevant work experience education specialized training critical expertise training and more. Equity in Forterra is included in most of our full-time high-demand roles and is therefore considered part of Forterras overall compensation addition to base salary and equity Forterra offers competitive benefits for full-time employees including:

• Premium Healthcare Benefits: Three plan options including an HSA-eligible plan with Forterra covering 80% of the plan premium for you and your dependents.
• Basic Life/AD&D short and long-term disability insurance plans 100% covered by Forterra plus the option to purchase additional life insurance for you and your dependents.
• Extremely generous company holiday calendar including a winter break in December.
• Competitive paid time off (PTO) offering 20 days accrued per year.
• A minimum of 7 weeks fully paid parental leave for birth/adoption.
• A $9k annual tuition reimbursement or professional development stipend.
• Fully stocked beverage refrigerators with all the Celsius your little heart desires.
• 401(k) retirement savings plan including traditional Roth 401(k) and after-tax deferral with company match up to 4%.

Your recruiter will be able to share more information about our salary and benefits offering during the hiring process.

Forterra is an equal-opportunity employer providing and promoting equal employment opportunity in accordance with local state and federal laws. Forterrans are unique talented individuals who are united through a shared passion to deliver autonomous systems that enable national resilience and a robust supply chain. All qualified applications will receive equal consideration for employment.

Required Experience:

IC