Director, Test Architecture

Ford Motor Company • Dearborn, MI

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About The Position

The Director, Test Architecture is a senior individual contributor leadership role responsible for defining the future technical direction of Verification & Validation test architecture. This role will serve as the principal technical authority for AI-Assisted and AI-Led testing innovation, test framework architecture, and next-generation V&V operating models across on-board and off-board software products. Working through technical influence rather than direct people management, this person will architect scalable test frameworks, reusable automation assets, AI-assisted test design patterns, intelligent regression strategies, and closed-loop analytics that transform V&V from a reactive execution function into a predictive, automation-first, data-driven, software first engineering capability. The ideal candidate is self-driven, deeply technical, and future-facing—able to look beyond immediate process gaps and define how Ford should model, optimize, and scale testing operations around AI. This includes leading AI-Assisted value stream mapping for human-in-the-loop analysis and AI-Led operating-model design for autonomous optimization, identifying high-value intervention points across the V&V lifecycle, and translating emerging AI/ML capabilities into practical architecture, standards, governance, and measurable quality outcomes. This role will partner across V&V, software engineering, systems engineering, DevSecOps, data analytics, simulation, lab infrastructure, and product teams to establish a common AI-Led test architecture that improves coverage, cycle time, defect detection effectiveness, traceability, reuse, and release confidence.

Requirements

• Senior individual contributor leadership role.
• Deeply technical and future-facing.
• Ability to look beyond immediate process gaps and define how to model, optimize, and scale testing operations around AI.
• Experience partnering across V&V, software engineering, systems engineering, DevSecOps, data analytics, simulation, lab infrastructure, and product teams.

Responsibilities

• Defining the future technical direction of Verification & Validation test architecture.
• Serving as the principal technical authority for AI-Assisted and AI-Led testing innovation, test framework architecture, and next-generation V&V operating models.
• Architecting scalable test frameworks, reusable automation assets, AI-assisted test design patterns, intelligent regression strategies, and closed-loop analytics.
• Leading AI-Assisted value stream mapping for human-in-the-loop analysis.
• Leading AI-Led operating-model design for autonomous optimization.
• Identifying high-value intervention points across the V&V lifecycle.
• Translating emerging AI/ML capabilities into practical architecture, standards, governance, and measurable quality outcomes.
• Establishing a common AI-Led test architecture that improves coverage, cycle time, defect detection effectiveness, traceability, reuse, and release confidence.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed