Senior Data Engineer

Ford Motor • Redford, MI

2d • Onsite

About The Position

This is a technical Individual Contributor (IC) role that requires a deep understanding of the full data science lifecycle. You won't just be building models in a vacuum; you will work cross-functionally with Product Managers, Industrial Designers, and Plant Engineers to ensure your solutions are robust, scalable, and integrated into the physical workflow of our factories. You will be a key player in Ford’s transition to a software-defined manufacturing powerhouse.

Requirements

• Requires a bachelor’s or foreign equivalent degree in computer science, information technology or a technology related field
• Master’s degree in Data Science, Computer Science, Statistics, Engineering, or a related quantitative field.
• 5+ years of professional experience in a Data Science role, with a proven track record of deploying models into production environments.
• Proficiency in Python (R and SQL are also highly valued).
• Expertise in machine learning frameworks: PyTorch, TensorFlow, Scikit-learn, XGBoost, and LightGBM.
• Experience working within Google Cloud Platform (GCP) (Vertex AI, BigQuery, Dataflow).
• Previous experience with time-series analysis, industrial IoT data, or manufacturing quality systems.

Nice To Haves

• PhD in a relevant field.
• Experience with Computer Vision (CNNs) for automated inspection or Transformers for complex sequence modeling in sensor data.
• Familiarity with CI/CD for machine learning, containerization (Docker/Kubernetes), and model monitoring tools.
• Ability to explain complex mathematical concepts to non-technical stakeholders (e.g., plant managers and design leads).
• A "product-first" mindset—focusing on the business impact of the model rather than just its accuracy metrics.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement advanced machine learning models for predictive maintenance, anomaly detection, and computer vision-based quality control.
• Architect data pipelines from ingestion (sensor data, PLC logs) to model deployment and monitoring using GCP and Python.
• Apply rigorous statistical methods to identify patterns in manufacturing data that correlate with vehicle quality or equipment downtime.
• Partner with Product and Engineering teams to translate manufacturing pain points into technical requirements and deliver user-centric data products.
• Act as a subject matter expert within ATP, conducting code reviews, mentoring junior scientists, and staying at the forefront of AI/ML research in the industrial space.
• Ensure models are optimized for production environments, moving from localized pilots to global plant-wide deployments.
• Work with data engineering to improve data collection protocols and sensor telemetry quality from the plant floor.

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.
• Visa sponsorship IS available for this position.
• Relocation assistance IS provided for this position.

What This Job Offers

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