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Agent guide: [/agents.md](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/agents.md). --- # Director, Core Runtime & Platform Engineering - **Company:** Ford Motor Company - **Location:** Palo Alto, CA, United States - **Experience:** Experienced - **Contract:** Permanent contract - **Skills:** Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), Artificial Intelligence, Amazon Web Services, Data Analysis, Microsoft Azure, Cloud Computing, Cloud Engineering, Communications Protocols, Continuous Integration, Programming Tools, Distributed Systems, Middleware, Ethernet, EtherCAT, Interoperability, Enterprise Messaging Systems, Message Queuing Telemetry Transport (MQTT), Systems Development Life Cycle, Release Management, Reliability Engineering, Cloud Services, Prometheus, OPC Unified Architecture, Data Streaming, TCP/IP, Visual Systems, Google Cloud, Cloud Platform System, Real Time Systems, Grafana, Core Api, Kubernetes, Infrastructure Automation Frameworks, Information Technology, Complex Event Processing, Real Time Data, Apache Kafka, Machine Learning Operations, Coreos, Multiaccess Edge Computing, Stream Processing, Grpc, Industrial Software, Data Pipelines, Serverless Computing, Docker - **Published:** October 26, 2026 - **Apply:** https://www.techcareers.com/job.asp?id=3467204350&tx=TT434THZ&pt=1&aff=0B19D771-A501-4A5E-8338-2A822B784D54&utm_source=Job%20Feed&utm_medium=textkernel&utm_campaign=DE&utm_term=0B19D771-A501-4A5E-8338-2A822B784D54 ## About the Role * Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or related field * 10+ years in software, platform, or infrastructure engineering * 5+ years leading engineering teams delivering complex systems at scale * Experience building distributed systems, runtime platforms, or edge computing systems * Experience designing and operating cloud-native and hybrid edge-cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure; Kubernetes) * Experience building platform APIs, SDKs, or reusable developer systems * Strong understanding of industrial systems, factory automation, and device integration, * Distributed systems and container orchestration (Kubernetes, Docker) * Edge computing and real-time systems * Hybrid edge-cloud architectures and distributed control planes * Platform APIs, SDKs, and developer tooling * Industrial communication protocols (EtherCAT, Profinet, CAN, OPC UA, MQTT, etc.) * Streaming and messaging systems (Kafka, NATS, Pub/Sub) * Observability platforms (Prometheus, Grafana, OpenTelemetry) * Infrastructure automation, CI/CD, and reliability engineering * Building platforms that scale across multiple products, plants, or business domains Even better, you may have... * Experience with software-defined manufacturing or industrial automation platforms * Familiarity with TRL/MRL/IRL lifecycle models * Experience in automotive or high-volume manufacturing environments * Experience integrating runtime, data, and controls-adjacent systems into unified platforms ## Description * CoreOS - the operating and orchestration layer for software-defined manufacturing * FMIL (Ford Manufacturing Intelligence Layer) - the real-time signal, execution, and decisioning layer connecting factory systems, devices, and applications * CoreDS - the data platform enabling traceability, analytics, and enterprise-scale intelligence In this position... The Director, Core Runtime & Platform Engineering leads the engineering organization responsible for the runtime, edge, connectivity, cloud infrastructure, developer platform, and reliability layers that enable CoreOS and FMIL to operate securely and at scale across plants, vehicle programs, and ATP product platforms. This leader builds the platform backbone that connects industrial devices, controls, real-time signals, and manufacturing applications into a unified execution environment, while also delivering APIs, SDKs, and reusable platform services that allow teams to build once and scale consistently across Ford. Reporting to the Director of Software, Controls & Diagnostics (CoreOS, FMIL & CoreDS), this role is central to delivering the runtime and signal layer that powers ATP's "Build Once, Scale Everywhere" strategy and enables closed-loop learning across manufacturing systems. What you'll do... 1. Lead the Core Runtime Platform 2. Architect and deliver the runtime platform that powers CoreOS and FMIL across Ford manufacturing environments 3. Build a secure, scalable execution layer supporting orchestration, device integration, event processing, and platform interoperability 4. Enable FMIL as the real-time signal, orchestration, and decisioning layer connecting factory systems and applications 5. Establish platform standards for runtime services, deployment models, lifecycle management, and system interfaces 6. Drive the evolution of Core from point solutions into a globally managed industrial software platform 7. Build the Core Developer Platform (APIs & SDKs) 8. Define and deliver platform APIs, SDKs, and shared services enabling ATP products and engineering teams to build on Core 9. Create reusable primitives for telemetry, eventing, orchestration, device abstraction, identity, and policy control 10. Establish developer standards, tooling, and integration patterns to eliminate one-off solutions across plants and products 11. Enable Forge, Sight, Print, Volt, and future platforms to extend Core through standardized interfaces and services 12. Drive platform adoption by improving developer productivity, consistency, and reuse 13. Industrial Edge & Distributed Systems 14. Lead development of edge computing platforms for real-time manufacturing environments 15. Architect distributed systems supporting high-throughput, low-latency workloads across thousands of factory devices 16. Build resilient edge runtimes supporting local processing, failover, and intermittent connectivity 17. Establish orchestration patterns across cells, lines, plants, and global manufacturing networks 18. Device Connectivity & Industrial Middleware 19. Own the middleware connecting PLCs, robotics, vision systems, and industrial equipment to Core platforms 20. Standardize interfaces for telemetry, command/control, and interoperability across manufacturing systems 21. Define integration patterns across protocols such as EtherCAT, Profinet, Ethernet/IP, CAN, OPC UA, MQTT, TCP/IP, and gRPC 22. Build reusable adapters, APIs, and SDKs that simplify onboarding of factory devices and applications 23. Ensure consistent publishing of factory signals into FMIL and CoreDS 24. Cloud & Hybrid Platform Infrastructure 25. Architect and operate hybrid edge-cloud infrastructure connecting plant environments with centralized cloud platforms 26. Build and manage cloud-based control planes for orchestration, fleet management, telemetry aggregation, and lifecycle control 27. Design secure edge-to-cloud patterns enabling global visibility, coordination, and system-level optimization 28. Develop cloud-native services supporting CoreOS, FMIL, and CoreDS at enterprise scale 29. Partner with data and enterprise teams to enable scalable storage, compute, and processing capabilities 30. Implement solutions using AWS, GCP, Azure, Kubernetes, and related technologies 31. Real-Time Data, Telemetry & CoreDS Integration 32. Build real-time ingestion and streaming systems connecting factory signals to CoreDS 33. Ensure seamless integration between edge-generated data and cloud data platforms 34. Enable high-fidelity data pipelines supporting AI/ML, diagnostics, analytics, and traceability 35. Support closed-loop systems where factory signals ? insights ? actions continuously improve performance 36. Contribute to manufacturing data models, access patterns, and system-wide data consistency 37. Observability, Diagnostics & Runtime Integrity 38. Build platform-wide observability across edge and cloud environments using tools such as Prometheus, Grafana, and OpenTelemetry 39. Enable real-time monitoring, alerting, and diagnostics across all deployments 40. Ensure runtime and telemetry signals are high-quality, structured, and actionable 41. Support diagnostics and AI/ML systems through reliable signal and data availability 42. Improve transparency and operational trust across engineering, launch, and plant teams 43. Reliability, Deployment & Global Scale 44. Define deployment, rollout, upgrade, and rollback strategies across edge, on-prem, and cloud environments 45. Establish SRE and release engineering practices for mission-critical manufacturing systems 46. Define SLAs for uptime, latency, reliability, and deployment stability 47. Lead global rollout of Core platforms aligned to ATP lifecycle models (TRL/MRL/IRL) and launch playbooks 48. Partner with Launch, Field, Compass, and product teams to enable repeatable, scalable deployments 49. Engineering Leadership & System Execution 50. Build and lead a high-performing engineering organization across runtime, edge, infrastructure, connectivity, and platform domains 51. Drive engineering excellence in architecture, SDLC, testing, release management, and operational rigor 52. Develop senior technical talent and create clear career pathways tied to platform and business outcomes 53. Align execution with ATP operating model, lifecycle governance, and platform priorities 54. Translate strategy into roadmaps, staffing plans, and delivery execution 55. Cross-Functional Platform Leadership 56. Partner with Controls, Diagnostics, Data, and ATP vertical teams to deliver integrated manufacturing platforms 57. Align with plant operations, global manufacturing engineering, and vehicle programs 58. Contribute to enterprise standards for software-defined manufacturing and industrial platform architecture 59. Support system priorities including runtime adoption, AIR integration, diagnostics readiness, and platform reuse 60. Serve as a key leader in shaping Ford's software-defined manufacturing platform strategy What success looks like... * A standardized Core runtime platform deployed across plants, programs, and ATP products * A scalable edge-to-cloud operating model enabling global orchestration and visibility * Broad adoption of APIs, SDKs, and platform services across engineering teams * Reliable, high-quality factory data powering CoreDS, analytics, and AI/ML systems * Closed-loop learning systems improving manufacturing performance through real-time signals * Increased platform reuse across sites, reducing duplication and accelerating deployment * Strong engineering execution aligned to lifecycle gates, launch readiness, and measurable plant value