Staff Platform Software Engineer

Ford Motor • Dearborn, MI

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

Ford is a global technology leader where data is the engine of our transformation. We are a data-centric organization that makes data-driven decisions at every level, leveraging the power of AI to solve complex cost and quality challenges at a massive scale. Within the Enterprise Data Platform (EDP), we aren't just managing data; we are building intelligent systems that will define the future of mobility. If you want to work in an environment where your code directly impacts the efficiency and quality of millions of vehicles, Ford is the place for you. We are seeking a Staff Platform Software Engineer who is both a visionary thought leader and a battle-tested, hands-on technologist. In this role, you will be the technical cornerstone of our Governance and Services portfolio, solving our most significant data platform challenges. You will serve as a "technical multiplier" – not only delivering elite-level architecture and code but also raising the collective bar of the organization by teaching, guiding, and providing technical performance feedback to people leaders. This role is for a practitioner who remains at the forefront of industry trends, possessing the intellectual agility to rapidly bridge knowledge gaps and establish subject matter expertise in emerging domains whenever the mission requires it.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related technical field.
• 10+ years of professional software development experience, with significant experience in a Staff or Principal level role.
• Expertise in Java and Python (backend) and Angular or React (frontend).
• Deep proficiency in Big Data technologies, specifically BigQuery and advanced SQL.
• Proven experience with Terraform for infrastructure automation and CI/CD pipeline development.
• Demonstrated experience with the GCP Data Stack or equivalent transferable public cloud experience.
• Strong command of modern branching strategies, DevSecOps workflows, and platform engineering principles.
• Candidates for positions with Ford Motor Company must be legally authorized to work in the United States. Verification of employment eligibility will be required at the time of hire.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s Degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related STEM field.
• Certification or proven experience in Cloud FinOps, focusing on cloud cost management and performance tuning at scale.
• Expertise in leveraging AI Coding Assistants and large language models (Claude, Gemini) for accelerating the SDLC and creating AI-enabled test harnesses.
• Experience in Agentic development, building autonomous agents that interact with complex data platform capabilities.
• Deep knowledge of data governance frameworks and compliance standards (e.g., SOX, GDPR, CPRA).
• A track record of "teaching the teacher"—growing senior engineers into staff-level contributors and staying ahead of industry trends.
• Exceptional ability to influence without authority across a matrixed, enterprise organization.

Responsibilities

• Define and evangelize industry-standard best practices for Java/Python backends and Angular/React frontends.
• Oversee code bases, branching strategies, and AI-enabled test harnesses to ensure seamless, high-quality delivery and maximum developer velocity.
• Drive the design and evolution of solution and application architectures across the Governance and Services portfolio.
• Ensure systems are agnostically designed to leverage the best of public cloud while maintaining high portability and performance.
• Solve complex data challenges by maximizing distributed cloud parallelism.
• Be a hands-on expert in BigQuery and SQL, optimizing large-scale data processing and ensuring the platform can handle Ford’s massive data requirements with elite efficiency.
• Act as the organization’s AI champion.
• Drive developer velocity through AI-assisted requirements-driven development using modern AI Coding Assistants, and lead AI-assisted ideation and problem-solving using advanced models such as Claude and Gemini.
• Lead the development of agentic capabilities, leveraging current and future data platform features to create autonomous, intelligent system behaviors and automated data workflows.
• Use Terraform to drive Infrastructure as Code (IaC) and sophisticated CI/CD pipelines.
• Focus on reducing developer friction through platform engineering principles and automated DevSecOps workflows.
• Lead by doing, showing, and teaching.
• Work alongside engineering teams to elevate their skills while collaborating with people leaders to provide objective feedback on engineering excellence and velocity.
• Act as a champion for right-sized and appropriate infrastructure.
• Analyze the cost and performance implications of technology choices at scale, ensuring that our architectural decisions are as fiscally responsible as they are technically sound.
• Build deep relationships with engineers and senior leadership alike, distilling high-level technical complexity into palatable, actionable language for all stakeholders regardless of their technical depth.

Benefits

• Immediate medical, dental, vision and prescription drug coverage
• Flexible family care days, paid parental leave, new parent ramp-up programs, subsidized back-up childcare 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