Senior Data Engineer

Ford Motor Company offers a compelling compensation package for a Senior Data Engineer, with an annual salary range of USD 85,400 to 192,900 and a hybrid work arrangement in Redford, MI. The role centers on leading end-to-end data science work in manufacturing, designing scalable data pipelines and machine learning models, and providing technical leadership across cross-functional teams. The environment emphasizes collaboration, data-driven decision making, and tangible impact on vehicle quality and plant uptime. The benefits package includes robust medical coverage, flexible family support, parental leave and ramp-up programs, subsidized back-up child care, a vehicle discount program for employees and families, tuition assistance, active employee resource groups, paid time off for community service, a generous holiday calendar, and the option to purchase additional vacation time.

Overview

Job Type: Full time
Work Type: Hybrid
Location: Redford, MI

Responsibilities

• Develop and deploy advanced machine learning models for predictive maintenance, anomaly detection, and computer vision based quality control.
• Build end-to-end data pipelines from ingestion (sensor data, PLC logs) to model deployment and monitoring using Google Cloud Platform and Python.
• Apply rigorous statistical methods to identify patterns in manufacturing data that correlate with vehicle quality or equipment downtime.
• Collaborate with Product and Engineering teams to translate manufacturing challenges into technical requirements and deliver user focused data products.
• Provide technical leadership within ATP, conduct code reviews, mentor junior scientists, and stay at the forefront of AI and ML research in industrial settings.
• Ensure models are production-ready, scaling pilots to global plant deployments across facilities.
• Partner with data engineering to improve data collection protocols and sensor telemetry quality from the plant floor.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or foreign equivalent in computer science, information technology, or a related technology field
• Master’s degree in Data Science, Computer Science, Statistics, Engineering, or a related quantitative field
• Minimum 5 years of professional experience in a Data Science role with a proven track record of deploying models in production
• Proficiency in Python; knowledge of R and SQL is highly valued
• Expertise with ML frameworks: PyTorch, TensorFlow, Scikit-learn, XGBoost, and LightGBM
• Experience with Google Cloud Platform (Vertex AI, BigQuery, Dataflow)
• Domain knowledge in time-series analysis, industrial IoT data, or manufacturing quality systems
• PhD in a relevant field
• Deep Learning experience with Computer Vision (CNNs) for automated inspection or Transformers for complex sequence modeling in sensor data
• Experience with MLOps, including CI/CD for ML, containerization (Docker/Kubernetes), and model monitoring tools
• Strong communication skills with the ability to explain complex mathematical concepts to non-technical stakeholders
• Product-first mindset focused on business impact of the model rather than solely on accuracy metrics

Technologies

• Python
• R
• SQL
• PyTorch
• TensorFlow
• Scikit-learn
• XGBoost
• LightGBM
• Google Cloud Platform (GCP)
• Vertex AI
• BigQuery
• Dataflow
• Docker
• Kubernetes

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