Staff Engineer, Ford Pro Intelligence

Ford • ,

3d • $132,800 - $283,500 • Remote

About The Position

We are looking for a visionary Staff Engineer to serve as the technical North Star for our data and AI-driven platforms. In this role, you will be responsible for the evolution of our core architecture, moving us toward a future where real-time data processing and AI are seamlessly integrated into every facet of our product. As our data ecosystem grows in complexity, we need a leader who can navigate the intersection of high-performance backend engineering and modern AI capabilities. You will tackle "unsolved" problems—designing systems that handle petabytes of data with millisecond latency, architecting multi-tenant API ecosystems, and building the infrastructure that delights our customers who are leveraging our AI solutions for their everyday work. You are a "leader of leaders," someone who influences our multi-year technical roadmap and ensures that our engineering standards remain world-class while we innovate at speed on the Google Cloud Platform (GCP).

Requirements

• Expert-level proficiency in Java and Python.
• Strong experience with Kotlin for modern backend services.
• Deep experience with GCP (Google Cloud Platform), specifically BigQuery, Dataflow, Vertex AI, GKE (Google Kubernetes Engine), and IAM.
• Mastery of SQL and data modeling.
• Proven track record of building real-time processing systems at scale and robust batch ETL/ELT pipelines.
• Practical experience deploying AI/ML models in production, prompt engineering, fine-tuning, and working with vector databases (e.g., Pinecone, Weaviate, or Vertex AI Search).
• Expert knowledge of distributed systems, CAP theorem, microservices patterns, and event-driven architecture.
• Ability to look 12–24 months ahead and identify technical debt or opportunities for innovation.
• Ability to explain complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders and executives.
• A "get it done" attitude with the ability to navigate ambiguity and drive projects to completion in a fast-paced environment.
• Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Data Science, or a related field
• 10+ years of professional software engineering experience, with at least 5 years using Python and SQL
• 5 years experience building and consuming APIs to drive complex data integrations across distributed systems.
• 5 years experience migrating or building large-scale architectures on GCP.
• 4+ years in a Senior or Staff capacity, overseeing large-scale distributed systems.
• 2+ years Practical experience using LLM APIs or building GenAI-enabled applications
• Experience in a "Product-led" engineering environment where you have directly influenced product features through technical capability.

Nice To Haves

• Contributions to Open Source projects or a recognized presence in the tech community (talks, blogs, etc.).
• Experience with MLOps frameworks (Kubeflow, MLflow).
• Advanced degree (MS or PhD) in Computer Science, Data Science, or a related field.

Responsibilities

• Architectural Leadership: Design and oversee the implementation of highly scalable, distributed backend systems and microservices using Java, Kotlin, and Python.
• Data Strategy: Define the data architecture and modeling standards for both relational (SQL) and non-relational systems, ensuring data integrity, security, and high availability.
• Streaming & Batch Processing: Lead the design of real-time data pipelines (e.g., using Dataflow, Pub/Sub, or Kafka) and batch processing frameworks to handle petabyte-scale data efficiently.
• AI Integration: Drive the "AI-first" engineering culture by integrating LLMs, machine learning models, and RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) patterns into production workflows using GCP Vertex AI.
• Cloud Excellence: Optimize GCP infrastructure for performance and cost, leveraging GKE, BigQuery, and Cloud Spanner to support global-scale operations.
• API & Ecosystem Design: Set the standard for API development (REST, GraphQL, gRPC), ensuring seamless integration across internal services and external partners.
• Technical Governance: Conduct architecture reviews, define CI/CD best practices, and ensure the team maintains a high bar for code quality, testing, and observability.
• Mentorship: Act as a force multiplier by mentoring Senior Engineers, fostering a culture of continuous learning and technical excellence.

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: Senior