[Remote] Principal Cloud Database Engineer

Note: The job is a remote job and is open to candidates in USA. Ford Motor Company is seeking a Principal Cloud Database Engineer to lead architecture, engineering, and innovation for enterprise-scale database platforms. The role focuses on modernizing relational databases on Google Cloud Platform, integrating AI/ML capabilities, and driving secure, reliable, cost-optimized data solutions. The engineer will provide technical leadership, mentor teams, establish governance and operational best practices, and influence database and AI platform strategy.

Responsibilities

• Lead architecture design and engineering for GCP relational database platforms (Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL, Cloud SQL for SQL Server, AlloyDB, Spanner)
• Define and implement enterprise database standards aligned with security, scalability, and performance best practices
• Drive modernization initiatives including database migrations to GCP using tools such as DMS, Striim and migration frameworks
• Design highly available, resilient, and cost-optimized database solutions on GCP
• Implement infrastructure-as-code (IaC) using tools such as Terraform
• Enable secure connectivity patterns (IAM, VPC, Private Service Access, Private Service Connect, serverless integrations)
• Lead Cloud Databases financial accounting, performance tuning, capacity planning, and database reliability engineering
• Integrate AI/ML capabilities into database platforms (e.g., MCP, data agents, context engineering, anomaly detection, query optimization)
• Consult with application teams to enable data pipelines for AI/ML workloads
• Evaluate and adopt AI-assisted database operations and automation solutions
• Drive initiatives on AI-enabled observability and self-healing systems
• Establish best practices for backup, recovery, disaster recovery, and compliance
• Define monitoring, logging, and alerting strategies for database services
• Lead database governance and continuous cost optimization initiatives
• Provide CUD evaluation and recommendations
• Mentor Summer Interns, Ford College Graduates, Cloud engineers and Database Specialists; act as Subject Matter Expert for GCP relational databases
• Partner with application, DevOps, and architecture teams to deliver scalable solutions
• Influence platform strategy and roadmap for database and AI adoption
• Advocate with GCP product and engineering teams to enhance/mature GCP database services

Skills

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Data Engineering, or related field
• 10+ years of experience in relational database engineering (PostgreSQL, SQL Server, MySQL, AlloyDB or Spanner)
• 5+ years of hands-on experience with GCP, especially:
• Cloud SQL for PostgreSQL and/or Cloud SQL for SQL Server
• AlloyDB
• Cloud Spanner
• Strong expertise in:
• Database platform automation, design, indexing, and performance tuning
• Backup/recovery and high availability architectures
• Migration strategies and tools (e.g., DMS, Striim, replication tools)
• Experience with DevOps practices, CI/CD pipelines, and IaC
• Programming experience (Terraform, Python, Java, or Go)
• Visa Sponsorship is not provided for this role
• Candidates for positions with Ford Motor Company must be legally authorized to work in the United States

Benefits

• Immediate medical, dental, and prescription drug coverage
• Flexible family care, parental leave, new parent ramp-up programs, subsidized back-up child care 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
• Remote workplace

Company Overview