Sr Director, Developer Experience and Platform Engineering

In this position...This role requires a leader who brings deep hands‐on engineering experience, having personally designed, built, and operated complex systems earlier in their career, and who now applies that experience to platform strategy, architectural decision‐making, and technical leadership at enterprise scale. The Senior Director, Developer Experience and Platform Engineering brings technical credibility, architectural judgment, and engineering leadership to ensure Developer Experience is a first‐class engineering discipline embedded across the software lifecycle. The role emphasizes hands‐on engineering experience, platform ownership, and technical decision‐making, while also requiring strong leadership, collaboration, and strategic alignment across the organization.What You'll Do...Engineering, Platform & Code OwnershipOwn the technical vision, architecture, and roadmap for Developer Experience platforms, including:Developer portals and internal platform productsCI/CD pipelines and code delivery systemsContainer‐based developer and runtime environments, including orchestration and lifecycle managementAPI platforms, service templates, and established "golden paths"Observability, reliability, and operational toolingLead DevX platforms as products, with:Clear ownership and accountabilityRoadmaps informed by real developer needsDefined reliability, security, and service expectationsAct as a hands‐on technical leader:Review architecture, designs, and system patternsApply practical engineering judgment to platform and tooling decisionsMake informed trade‐offs across scalability, security, reliability, and usabilityProgramming Languages, Core Repositories & Code DeliveryProvide deep technical leadership across polyglot engineering environments, spanning modern backend, frontend, mobile, data, and distributed systems technologiesApply strong understanding of multiple programming paradigms (object‐oriented, functional, reactive, event‐driven) to ensure DevX initiatives align with how engineers actually write and maintain codeBe accountable for core repository strategy and health, including:Code organization and modularizationDependency, version, and release managementShared libraries, frameworks, and reuse patternsSecure, compliant contribution and governance modelsInfluence and standardize code delivery practices across the organization, enabling:Consistent, automated, and high‐quality build and release workflowsPredictable delivery across both legacy and modern codebasesClear ownership and lifecycle management of shared repositoriesStrategy Grounded in Engineering RealityDefine and own a multi‐year Developer Experience strategy aligned with:Automotive and industrial software delivery constraintsSafety, security, and regulatory requirementsOperating at scale across global regions, time zones, and organizational boundariesA broad and evolving technology landscape, spanning legacy systems through modern and emerging ("bleeding‐edge") platformsTranslate strategy into concrete engineering roadmaps that can be executed incrementally and sustainablyEnsure DevX initiatives reflect real developer workflows, operational constraints, and production realitiesBalance standardization and autonomy through well‐designed paved paths that support consistency while enabling innovationMetrics, Measurement & Continuous ImprovementDefine, own, and continuously evolve Developer Experience KPIs that measure productivity, reliability, code quality, delivery performance, and developer sentimentEstablish a DevX measurement framework that combines:Quantitative engineering metrics (e.g., lead time, deployment frequency, change failure rate, recovery time)Platform usage, adoption, and reliability signalsRegular developer surveys and qualitative feedback mechanisms to identify friction and unmet needsUse DevX KPIs and survey insights to:Inform platform, tooling, and investment decisionsIdentify systemic bottlenecks across the software lifecycleMeasure the effectiveness and impact of DevX initiatives over timeEnsure metrics are used for continuous improvement, not individual performance managementProvide clear executive‐level visibility into Developer Experience health and trendsAI-Enabled Engineering & Code QualityLead the responsible application of AI across the software development lifecycle, integrating AI‐assisted capabilities such as:Code authoring, refactoring, and modernization assistanceAutomated code review and static analysis augmentationTest generation, defect detection, and coverage improvementDeveloper feedback and productivity toolingEnsure AI‐enabled solutions:Improve code quality, maintainability, and developer experienceAre integrated into existing developer workflows and CI/CD pipelinesMeet enterprise standards for security, compliance, intellectual property protection, and ethical useCross‐Functional Technical & Delivery LeadershipPartner closely with:Product, Platform, and PDOs to align DevX platforms and tooling with delivery priorities, roadmaps, and outcomesCloud Infrastructure and Platform EngineeringSite Reliability Engineering (SRE)Cybersecurity and Compliance teamsEnterprise Architecture and Product EngineeringWork with PDOs to ensure Developer Experience investments:Support predictable delivery and execution at scaleReduce friction across planning, build, test, and release phasesServe as a technical peer and trusted advisor to senior engineering, delivery, and infrastructure leadersInfluence architecture, tooling, and delivery direction through technical credibility and delivery experienceOperational Excellence & Reliability IntegrationEmbed Developer Experience into:Incident management and postmortemsReliability and SRE practicesSecure software supply chain initiativesChange and release managementEnsure DevX platforms and tooling are:Secure and resilient by defaultObservable and operated with production rigorDrive a culture of automation, self‐service, and continuous engineering improvementHow success is achieved:Applying prior hands‐on engineering experience to guide platform strategy and architectural decisionsMaintaining strong technical fluency across languages, tooling, and system designBuilding developer platforms and workflows engineers trust and adoptUsing data, KPIs, and developer feedback to guide continuous improvementPartnering effectively across engineering, PDOs, cloud, reliability, and security organizationsYou'll have...Engineering & Technical Expertise15+ years of experience in software engineering, including:Significant hands‐on development, system design, and production operations experienceDirect involvement in building and operating complex, distributed systemsDemonstrated ability to apply prior engineering experience to platform architecture, code delivery, and technical strategyDeep expertise in:Google Cloud Platform (GCP), including production operations at scaleContainer‐based platforms and orchestration technologiesCI/CD systems, developer tooling, and code delivery pipelinesPolyglot software architectures and modern application frameworksObservability, reliability, and SRE practicesStrong working knowledge of:Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services (AWS)Multi‐cloud and hybrid architecture trade‐offsSolid understanding of:Secure software supply chainsCompliance and regulatory requirements common in automotive environmentsLeadership ProfileAn engineering‐first leader who has grown from hands‐on engineer to senior technical leaderLeads through technical depth, architectural judgment, and delivery experienceComfortable operating at:Executive‐level strategy discussionsDeep technical and architectural detailExperienced in leading platform or infrastructure engineering organizations building real, production systemsAs an established global company, we offer the benefit of choice. You can choose what your Ford future will look like: will your story span the globe, or keep you close to home? Will your career be a deep dive into what you love, or a series of new teams and new skills? Will you be a leader, a changemaker, a technical expert, a culture builder...or all of the above? No matter what you choose, we offer a work life that works for you, including:Immediate medical, dental, vision and prescription drug coverageFlexible family care days, paid parental leave, new parent ramp‐up programs, subsidized back‐up childcare and moreFamily building benefits including adoption and surrogacy expense reimbursement, fertility treatments, and moreVehicle discount program for employees and family members and management leasesTuition assistanceEstablished and active employee resource groupsPaid time off for individual and team community serviceA generous schedule of paid holidays, including the week between Christmas and New Year's DayPaid time off and the option to purchase additional vacation time.This position is a leadership level 4. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position. 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. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, age, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status or protected veteran status. In the United States, if you need a reasonable accommodation for the online application process due to a disability, please call 1-888-336-0660. #J-18808-Ljbffr