Director of Engineering – Forward Deploy AI

Ford

About The Position

Whiteboard AI solutions to business challenges and work with a team of engineers to rapidly move to production Lead, mentor, and grow a high-performing team of forward-deployed AI engineers, managing workload distribution and providing guidance on complex technical challenges. Drive the architectural design and development of scalable and resilient AI agentic systems, with a strong emphasis on the Google Cloud Platform (GCP) and its AI/ML services like Vertex AI, Vertex Agent Engine, and Agentspace. Oversee the entire lifecycle of AI development, from initial concept and requirements gathering to deployment, maintenance, and continuous improvement Develop and implement robust governance frameworks for non-deterministic AI systems to ensure ethical, secure, and reliable operation. Stay current with the latest advancements in generative AI, large language models (LLMs), and agentic architectures, and drive the integration of new technologies into the team's solutions. Partner with technical teams, including data science, platform engineering, and cybersecurity, to ensure seamless integration and interoperability of AI solutions. Help define, build and track key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the impact and effectiveness of deployed AI agents across the organization. Manage departmental budgets and ensure resources are allocated effectively to achieve strategic goals. Handle talent management responsibilities, including recruitment, performance reviews, and professional development for the AI Agents team. Established and active employee resource groups

Requirements

Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field
A minimum of 10 years of experience in software engineering or a related field, with at least 5 years in a leadership role.
Proven experience in building and deploying generative AI and machine learning solutions in a production environment.
Deep understanding of generative AI, large language models (LLMs), AI agents, and agentic system capabilities.
Expertise in & passion for coding assistants (e.g., Claude Code, Gemini CLI, Google CodeAssist, GH CoPilot)
Experience in building with agent development kits (e.g., ADK, LangGraph, CrewAI)
Understanding of robotic process automation.
Extensive hands-on experience with the Google Cloud Platform (GCP), particularly with services like Vertex AI, BigQuery, and Apigee.
Strong background in solutions architecture and experience with system integration and API development.
Familiarity with non-deterministic systems and the principles of AI governance and ethics.
Experience with process mapping and business process analysis.
Demonstrated ability to lead and develop a technical team in a fast-paced, innovative environment.

Nice To Haves

A Master's Degree in computer science, artificial intelligence specialization is preferred

Responsibilities

Lead, mentor, and grow a high-performing team of forward-deployed AI engineers, managing workload distribution and providing guidance on complex technical challenges.
Drive the architectural design and development of scalable and resilient AI agentic systems, with a strong emphasis on the Google Cloud Platform (GCP) and its AI/ML services like Vertex AI, Vertex Agent Engine, and Agentspace.
Oversee the entire lifecycle of AI development, from initial concept and requirements gathering to deployment, maintenance, and continuous improvement
Develop and implement robust governance frameworks for non-deterministic AI systems to ensure ethical, secure, and reliable operation.
Stay current with the latest advancements in generative AI, large language models (LLMs), and agentic architectures, and drive the integration of new technologies into the team's solutions.
Partner with technical teams, including data science, platform engineering, and cybersecurity, to ensure seamless integration and interoperability of AI solutions.
Help define, build and track key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the impact and effectiveness of deployed AI agents across the organization.
Manage departmental budgets and ensure resources are allocated effectively to achieve strategic goals.
Handle talent management responsibilities, including recruitment, performance reviews, and professional development for the AI Agents team.