Joel Pittenger
Technical Specialist Connection Systems
Ford

I have been working in the automotive electrical connector/EDS harnesses industry since 2000. In 2004 I received my bachelor’s degree from the Oakland University in Mechanical Engineering. I started my career with Molex Automotive as an engineering intern working in the test lab and product engineering department.

In 2012 I started working for Ford Motor Company as a Design and Release Engineer and in 2024 I took my current role as the Technical Specialist for low voltage connection systems at Ford Motor Company.

During my career I have enjoyed working in many different areas of this commodity. I started at the ground floor prepping samples for engineering test requests; I then moved into concepting and engineering new designs per customer requirements. Midway through my career I entered the EDS harness industry learning about harness design, assembly processes and integration into vehicles. More recently I have been focused on connector, terminal and specialty connection system and cable design. I am the inventor of multiple patents with focus on how product designs can solve customer problems. Currently I am transitioning into a more technical specification role updating and changing standards specifications to improve gaps identified in today’s complex vehicle systems. I enjoy working with the USCAR EWCAP partnership to progress the industry further.