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Ford Motor Company · 11 hours ago

Senior Director, Central Data Engineering

Dearborn, MI

Full-time

Hybrid

Director/Executive

12+ years exp

Ford Motor Company is a global leader in the automotive industry, and they are seeking a Senior Director for their Central Data Engineering team. The role involves shaping the strategic evolution of enterprise-wide data on Google Cloud Platform and leading teams to drive data engineering efforts and improve AI readiness.

AutomotiveAutonomous VehiclesManufacturingTransportation

No H1B

Responsibilities

Serve as a primary strategic thought leader for the Data Platforms and Engineering organization, helping to shape the organizational strategy for how data is engineered, consumed, and leveraged across Ford

Advocate for the data strategy and navigate the complexities of implementation as it interfaces with diverse business units (e.g., Finance, Industrial Systems, Marketing) and other technical organizations

Articulate a clear vision and roadmap for Central Data Engineering that unifies our enterprise data strategy with broader business objectives

Champion the concept of "data as a product" at an enterprise scale, ensuring data assets are discoverable, addressable, trustworthy, and securely accessible to internal consumers

Drive the large Central Data Engineering organization to fundamentally improve Ford’s AI data readiness

Collaborate closely with AI/ML teams, data scientists, and business leaders to understand critical AI requirements and ensure our data models are optimized to accelerate AI adoption and unlock enterprise value

Oversee the creation of well-modeled, high-quality data products that serve as the foundation for advanced analytics and generative AI applications

Lead the development of libraries and tools that enable standard patterns (e.g., bespoke libraries, common user-defined functions) to be used across all Data Engineering teams organization-wide

Attract, retain, develop, and promote top-tier technical talent, building a world-class engineering organization known for its expertise and innovation

Lead, mentor, and inspire Directors and Managers of data engineering, fostering a culture of technical excellence, and continuous improvement

Manage resource allocation and capacity planning for the Central Data Engineering team, balancing the delivery of broad/common datasets with ad-hoc enterprise requests

Create strategic roadmaps to foster a strong data-driven culture across Ford Motor Company, GDI&A, and partner organizations

Hold the organization to the highest technical standards for code quality, operational stability, architecture, design, and execution

Enforce best practices across the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), ensuring sound architecture, rigorous testing, CI/CD implementation, and documentation standards

Lead the design and optimization of scalable, high-performance data pipelines (ETL/ELT) on Google Cloud Platform (GCP), utilizing services such as BigQuery, Cloud Storage, Dataflow, Dataproc, and Composer

Lead our Data Architecture organization to ensure the implementation of robust data models and with Privacy/Compliance teams to ensure all data practices meet stringent industry and regulatory requirements

Qualification

Google Cloud Platform (GCP)Data EngineeringData ArchitectureAI/ML conceptsETL/ELT pipelinesData governanceSQLTechnical excellenceLeadershipCommunication skillsTeam management

Required

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related quantitative field (or equivalent combination of relevant education and experience)

12+ years of progressive experience in data engineering, data architecture, or software engineering

5+ years of experience in a senior leadership capacity (Director level or above), managing large, layered technical teams and overseeing data-focused strategy

Deep expertise in Google Cloud Platform (GCP) data services (e.g., BigQuery, Dataflow, Cloud Storage, Dataproc, Pub/Sub, Composer) or equivalent hyperscaler technologies

Proven track record of designing and building scalable ETL/ELT pipelines and data warehousing solutions in a complex enterprise environment

Strong understanding of AI/ML concepts and experience engineering data specifically to support AI efforts

Demonstrated experience with data governance, data quality, and data security best practices

Proficiency in SQL and at least one major programming language (Python, Java, or Scala)

Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to translate complex technical concepts into clear strategic vision for non-technical executive stakeholders