Release Train Engineer, Systems and Core Architecture

Ford • Dearborn, MI

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

This role operates across the full Systems and Core Architecture (SCA) domain, with the EPM team supporting: In-vehicle networking, including CAN, LIN, Ethernet, interfaces, communication layers, and related software stacks; Diagnostics, including diagnostic data, DTCs, parsed data, prognostics, and related vehicle diagnostic capabilities; Power controls and management; Cross-domain and vertical feature delivery that depends on strong systems and architecture coordination; Current and next-generation vehicle architectures, including FNV3.x delivery and next-generation platform planning. This role carries dual accountability — for the health and performance of the SCA Agile Release Train and for the people on the EPM team delivering within it. You will influence how Ford executes across systems, software, and architecture at scale, while directly developing the next generation of technical program leaders within SCA. You will work closely with: Your EPM team to coach, develop, and support execution across SCA delivery domains; Tech Platform teams to align the ART to platform cadence and manage cross-ART program dependencies; Tech Strategy teams to connect ART execution to longer-term architectural direction and SDV roadmap priorities; Engineering and validation teams to drive technical delivery from design through release at the ART level; Supplier partners to extend ART execution capacity and coordinate delivery across key technical domains; Other RTEs and similar leaders to maintain enterprise agile alignment and contribute to broader SAFe maturity at Ford.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related technical field
• 8+ years of experience leading complex technical program or product delivery across hardware, software, and/or services
• 3+ years of people leadership experience, with demonstrated ability to coach, develop, and retain technical program management talent
• 3+ years of experience as a Release Train Engineer or equivalent role in a SAFe or scaled agile environment
• Strong working knowledge of SAFe principles and practices, including PI Planning, ART ceremonies, program metrics, and Inspect and Adapt
• Experience driving execution across multiple cross-functional teams through the full product lifecycle, including validation, launch, and post-launch support
• Experience managing ART-level schedules, dependencies, risks, scope, and stakeholder communications in a fast-paced development environment
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to tailor messaging from engineering teams to executive leadership audiences
• Demonstrated ability to build alignment and drive decisions across large, matrixed organizations

Nice To Haves

• SAFe RTE certification (SA, RTE, or SPC) or equivalent demonstrated experience
• Experience with automotive systems, embedded systems, or Software Defined Vehicle platforms
• Experience with vehicle networking, diagnostics, electrical architecture, or platform software
• Experience working across both hardware and software organizations in a systems-responsible environment
• Experience coordinating with supplier partners as part of large-scale technical program execution
• Experience supporting programs from architecture definition through validation, launch, OTA updates, and lifecycle support
• Familiarity with tools such as JIRA, Azure DevOps, and PI Planning facilitation platforms
• Experience operating in a multi-ART environment and partnering with a Lean-Agile Center of Excellence (LACE)
• Experience leading through organizational change or operating model transformation in a technology-driven environment

Responsibilities

• Lead and Develop a Small Team of Engineering Project Managers
• Directly manage a team of Engineering Project Managers supporting critical SCA domains including diagnostics, in-vehicle networking, power controls, and cross-domain architecture delivery.
• Provide coaching, feedback, and career development support to help EPMs grow their technical program management capabilities and cross-functional influence.
• Set clear expectations for delivery quality, stakeholder communication, and program health across each EPM's portfolio.
• Model and reinforce strong program management practices — including planning rigor, dependency management, risk identification, and leadership communication — across the team.
• Build a strong team culture rooted in accountability, continuous improvement, collaboration, and trust.
• Partner with SCA leadership on staffing, role scoping, and organizational design as the team evolves.
• Own the SCA Agile Release Train
• Own the operating model and delivery health of the SCA Agile Release Train, aligning to SAFe principles and Ford's evolving SDV execution framework.
• Facilitate PI Planning events across the SCA ART, helping teams define program increments, identify dependencies, surface risks, and commit to realistic, coordinated execution plans.
• Lead ART-level ceremonies including System Demos, Inspect and Adapt (I&A) workshops, ART Syncs, and Scrum-of-Scrums, ensuring these events drive real alignment and decision-making rather than status reporting.
• Track and communicate ART-level metrics including Program Predictability Measure (PPM), feature flow, PI objectives completion, and risk burn-down.
• Serve as the primary escalation path for cross-team impediments and systemic risks that the team cannot resolve independently.
• Coach teams on SAFe practices, agile delivery principles, and continuous improvement — adapting approaches as Ford's SDV operating model matures.
• Partner with the LACE (Lean-Agile Center of Excellence) and other RTEs across Ford's broader ART ecosystem to maintain alignment, share practices, and contribute to enterprise agile maturity.
• Drive ART-Level Delivery and Architecture Execution
• Translate SCA strategy into coordinated, multi-team delivery plans across hardware, embedded software, platform software, validation, and supplier workstreams.
• Maintain visibility into ART-level dependencies, program risks, scope changes, and milestone commitments across all domains.
• Connect the SCA ART to adjacent trains, Tech Platform teams, and Tech Strategy teams to ensure cross-ART alignment on shared architecture, platform cadence, and long-term SDV roadmap execution.
• Support delivery from architecture definition and system design through implementation, validation, launch, OTA evolution, and lifecycle support.
• Ensure that near-term FNV3.x delivery and next-generation architecture planning remain coordinated and mutually informed across the ART.
• Manage Risk, Scope, and Systemic Impediments at Scale
• Identify systemic risks and cross-team impediments early, develop mitigation strategies, and escalate to SCA and program leadership when needed to protect timing, quality, and business outcomes.
• Establish clear risk management practices across the team, ensuring consistency in how risks are identified, tracked, communicated, and resolved.
• Maintain an ART-level program risk register with clear ownership, mitigation plans, and escalation criteria.
• Manage the impact of scope changes at the ART level, assessing effects on PI commitments, engineering capacity, validation readiness, and release plans.
• Use Data to Drive Decisions and Transparency
• Define and maintain ART-level delivery metrics, KPIs, and program health indicators that surface execution trends, dependency health, and quality signals.
• Build and maintain dashboards and review mechanisms that give SCA leadership, stakeholders, and partners real-time visibility into ART performance.
• Coach the EPM team on how to define, track, and communicate metrics effectively within their own domains.
• Communicate ART-level progress, risks, tradeoffs, and delivery health clearly and concisely to SCA and program leadership.
• Improve the SCA Operating Model
• Lead Inspect and Adapt workshops and retrospectives at the ART level, ensuring insights translate into concrete process improvements.
• Contribute to the evolution of Ford's SCA delivery model as the organization advances its SDV execution maturity.
• Help define scalable delivery practices that can be adopted across the broader SCA organization and Ford's ART ecosystem.
• Serve as a thought leader and change agent on how Ford executes foundational architecture work in the SDV era.

Benefits

• Immediate medical, dental, vision and prescription drug coverage
• Flexible family care days, paid parental leave, new parent ramp-up programs, subsidized back-up child care and more
• Family building benefits including adoption and surrogacy expense reimbursement, fertility treatments, and more
• Vehicle discount program for employees and family members and management leases
• Tuition assistance
• Established and active employee resource groups
• Paid time off for individual and team community service
• A generous schedule of paid holidays, including the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day
• Paid time off and the option to purchase additional vacation time.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager