Software Engineer

Job Description
Ford is looking for a Software Engineer to help build and operate cloud-based services that enable the responsible use of AI across the company. This role focuses on production backend engineering, including Python APIs, cloud integrations, data services, security, testing, and monitoring.

You will work closely with engineers, product managers, and business partners in a collaborative environment. The team values practical problem-solving, clean code, automated testing, knowledge sharing, and continuous improvement.

Responsibilities
Backend Software Engineering
Design, build, test, and maintain backend services and APIs using Python.
Develop production web services with stable, reusable interfaces for cloud and AI integrations.
Translate product and business requirements into maintainable software solutions.
Apply sound object-oriented design and engineering practices to create clear, dependable code.
Work with relational databases, caching, messaging, and other managed cloud services.

Reliability, Security & Operations
Improve application reliability, performance, security, and observability.
Implement authentication, request validation, rate limiting, logging, and consistent error handling.
Apply secure-coding practices and contribute to application monitoring and production support.
Investigate production issues, identify root causes, and implement improvements to prevent recurrence.
Improve engineering documentation and operational practices.

Quality & Delivery
Write and maintain unit, integration, and performance tests.
Participate in code reviews and paired development.
Contribute to containerized deployments, CI/CD pipelines, and infrastructure as code.
Collaborate with engineering and product partners to deliver tested, production-ready services.
Share knowledge and contribute to continuous improvement across the team.
Qualifications
Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

Experience

3+ years of professional backend software engineering experience.
Experience designing and maintaining REST APIs and production web services.
Experience using automated testing, Git-based development, and CI/CD practices.
Understanding of secure coding, application monitoring, and production support.
Strong problem-solving, collaboration, and written and verbal communication skills.

Required Technical Experience

Strong Python programming and object-oriented design skills.
Experience with at least one major cloud platform; Google Cloud is preferred.
Ability to build, test, and maintain backend services and APIs for production use.
Understanding of how to apply engineering practices that support reliable, secure, and maintainable software.

Preferred Experience

Experience with FastAPI, Pydantic, or similar Python frameworks.
Experience with SQL and relational databases such as PostgreSQL.
Familiarity with Docker, Terraform, Redis, and cloud messaging or analytics services.
Experience with OAuth, JWT, or enterprise authentication systems.
Experience building asynchronous, streaming, or high-volume APIs.
Familiarity with generative AI services, model APIs, or AI application development.