Are you a visionary and inspiring software engineering leader with a passion to build and operate modern systems at the highest standard?

At Ford Credit Europe, we’re on a mission to modernize our platforms and unlock the power of cloud and AI. We’re looking for a Director of Engineering to be the technical cornerstone of our transformation, driving engineering excellence and guiding our teams to build world-class, cloud-native financial systems.

You will begin as a hands-on leader, working directly in the code to set a high bar of excellence for others to follow. You will have a mandate to influence and elevate engineering practices across all of Ford Credit Europe. 

You will report to the Head of Engineering for Ford Credit Europe and will initially have three Staff Engineers reporting directly to you, amplifying your impact through their work. Over time your scope will broaden to include direct responsibility for multiple engineering teams.

What You’ll Bring

Extensive Experience: 10+ years of professional software engineering experience with a deep expertise in Java, and 5+ years of experience with modern frontend frameworks like React. 2+ years working across multiple teams as a staff or principal engineer.Cloud-Native Fluency: Proven expertise in designing and deploying cloud-native applications and architectures (e.g., microservices, containerization, serverless, CI/CD) on major platforms like Google Cloud (GCP) or AWS.Financial Sector Acumen: 5+ years of experience working within the complexities of multi-national banks or regulated finance companies.Architectural Vision: Demonstrated experience in designing, building, and operating complex, large-scale, and highly reliable distributed systems.A Passion for Mentorship: A genuine desire and proven ability to teach, nurture, and explain complex concepts, elevating the capabilities of the engineers around you.Leadership Presence: Excellent communication and influencing skills, with the ability to articulate a technical vision and collaborate effectively from the engineering team to senior leadership.People Management: 3+ years’ experience managing small teams, with the ability to understand the complexities of managing large, distributed engineering teams. 

Bonus Points For:

Experience working in automotive or asset finance.Google Cloud (GCP) professional-level certifications (e.g., Cloud Architect, Cloud Developer).

Additional Information:

The Company is committed to diversity and equality of opportunity for all and is opposed to any form of less favourable treatment or harassment on the grounds of race, religion or belief, sex, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment or disability

This position is based in Dunton, and it is expected the successful candidate will be able to attend the Dunton office for typically 4 days a week and remain flexible on the days they are required to attend the office according to business requirements.

As part of our pre-employment checks process, successful candidates will be required to undergo a criminal record check. This will be conducted in line with the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and applied only to unspent convictions.

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Lead by Example: Set the standard for engineering excellence by writing exemplary, high-quality Java and React code for our most critical systems. Solve the Toughest Problems: Spearhead the resolution of our most complex technical challenges in areas like system scalability, architectural evolution, and cloud-native implementation. Drive Technical Strategy: Partner with the Head of Engineering and architecture teams to define and execute the strategic technical direction for the European software engineering organization. Mentor and Develop Talent: Formally manage and coach a team of three talented Staff Engineers, while also elevating the skills of senior and junior engineers across the organization to foster a culture of technical excellence. Champion Best Practices: Drive technical alignment and best practices across all Ford Credit Europe engineering teams, ensuring our solutions are scalable, reliable, and secure. Operate with Autonomy: Translate broad strategic goals into actionable technical initiatives, working with a high degree of autonomy and providing clarity to others. Harmonize Globally: Liaise with your US counterpart to ensure a harmonized and consistent engineering approach across regions. Spread Your Expertise: Travel periodically to our offices in Madrid, Cologne, and Chennai to collaborate with and mentor our global teams. Work with stakeholders: Act as a delegate for the head of engineering in stakeholder meetings, representing the interests of the wider engineering team.