Director, Enterprise Architect – Enterprise API, AI Security & Governance, Engineering Excellence

Position Overview

We are seeking a Director-level Enterprise Architect to lead identity API and AI security governance across the global enterprise operating at the intersection of cybersecurity cloud infrastructure & platforms and emerging AI technologies.

This role is chartered with establishing governance frameworks for MCP APIs Agents and Skills while partnering closely with platform infrastructure and data/AI teams to shape the future of secure scalable AI adoption across Ford.

The ideal candidate combines deep hands-on technical credibility across cloud AI and security domains with the leadership maturity to build and grow a large cross-functional team of polyglot architects from the ground up in a greenfield security architecture practice.

Key Responsibilities

API Security Architecture

• Design and govern secure architecture patterns for Fords high-traffic business-critical APIs embedding security and governance directly into the API lifecycle.
• Partner with platform engineering to strengthen authentication authorization and threat protection across the API gateway ecosystem.
• Champion a shift-left approach to API security and compliance by embedding automated checks directly into the build phase catching issues early in the development lifecycle. Familiarity with security tooling such as FOSSA Cycode 42Crunch Cloud Armor PRISMA is a strong plus.
• Familiarity with open-source tools applying buy vs build diligently and make decisions.
• Building engineering prototypes which is kind of R&D (POC Reference architecture) pre- implementation prototypes which are building blocks which perform in pre-production with minor tweaks.
  
  

Identity & Access Architecture

• Architect a unified vendor-agnostic identity fabric across Fords global enterprise resolving the complexity of a multi-IdP environment while eliminating vendor lock-in.
• Define modern application authorization patterns including OAuth On-Behalf-Of (OBO) flows and delegated access models that scale securely across applications APIs and AI agents.
• Establish governance standards spanning workforce customer and machine/non-human identities.

AI & Agent Security Governance

• Define and enforce enterprise-wide governance frameworks for MCP APIs Agents and Skills.
• Partner with the Platform team (EPEO) to evaluate and govern the enterprise AI Gateway.
• Maintain deep current knowledge of the agent-building ecosystem low-code/no-code and pro-code options using Microsoft and Gemini Enterprise plus hands-on expertise in the Google Agent Development Kit (ADK) to guide secure scalable agent adoption.
• Collaborate with GDAI and data/AI teams to keep governance aligned with the pace of enterprise AI innovation.

Engineering Excellence Patterns & Reference Architecture

• Design and publish reusable patterns and reference architectures for AI solutions giving teams across Ford consistent secure building blocks rather than ad-hoc implementations.
• Build starter apps/templates for the Google ADK providing pro-code agent developers a secure governed foundation to build from.
• Define reference implementations mapping OAuth OBO flows with Microsoft Agent ID ensuring agents securely act on behalf of users with proper identity context and audit trails.
• Continuously evolve these patterns as Microsoft Google and other providers update their agent identity and authorization models.
• Ensure starter kits and patterns are pre-approved governance-compliant building blocks reducing time-to-production for new AI use cases.

Cloud & Infrastructure Architecture

• Lead strategy for multi-cloud interoperability ensuring consistent portable security architecture across cloud providers.
• Maintain a strong command of GCP architecture scalability resiliency and cost/FinOps to guide sound cost-conscious infrastructure decisions.Partnering with FinOps EPEO team for the cost of architecture.
• Partner with cybersecurity and EPEO infrastructure teams to ensure governance controls are technically enforceable across tooling and platforms.
• Architect security solutions that directly protect and enable Fords core business platforms eCommerce Ford Credit (global banking and financial services) and global retail/commercial fleet customer platforms.
• Balance security rigor with speed-to-market for digital initiatives.

Applied AI & Insights

• Apply predictive AI models to real enterprise use cases delivering actionable insights that inform security architecture and business strategy.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner closely with cybersecurity platform (EPEO) infrastructure and data/AI (GDAI) teams to align governance and reference architectures with evolving platform capabilities and enterprise roadmaps.
• Serve as a key architectural liaison between security engineering and business stakeholders.

Team Leadership & Talent Development

• Lead mentor and grow a cross-functional team of 20 polyglot architects (Java UI AI Python GCP).
• Build a culture of Engineering Excellence driving technical rigor continuous learning and cross-skilling.
• Set team goals and objectives priorities and development paths aligned with enterprise architecture measure success by defining OKRs and KPIs.

Strategic Technical Leadership

• Serve as a Director-level technical authority on identity API and AI security governance representing Enterprise Architecture in senior technical and business forums.
• Proactively shape Fords approach to secure scalable AI adoption anticipating emerging risks and technologies ahead of business impact.

Required Qualifications

• 15 years of progressive experience in enterprise architecture cybersecurity architecture or platform engineering including significant time in identity & access management (IAM) and API security architecture.
• Proven hands-on experience architecting multi-IdP identity environments with deep knowledge of protocols such as OAuth 2.0 OIDC SAML including practical implementation of OBO (On-Behalf-Of) flows and delegated authorization patterns.
• Demonstrated experience with API gateway architecture threat protection and API lifecycle governance at enterprise scale.
• Practical current knowledge of AI agent frameworks and ecosystems Microsoft Copilot Studio/Agent frameworks Gemini Enterprise and the Google Agent Development Kit (ADK) including building or evaluating low-code/no-code vs. pro-code agent solutions.
• Working understanding of Model Context Protocol (MCP) and emerging standards for AI agent governance and interoperability.
• Strong hands-on expertise in Google Cloud Platform (GCP) architecture including scalability resiliency patterns and cost/FinOps optimization.
• Experience applying predictive AI/ML models to business use cases with the ability to translate technical outcomes into business insight.
• Proven track record leading and developing large technically diverse teams (20) ideally across Java Python UI AI and cloud disciplines.

• Excellent stakeholder management and executive communication skills able to represent technical strategy to senior business and technology leadership.

Preferred Qualifications

• Multi-cloud architecture experience (GCP plus AWS/Azure) particularly around interoperability and portability of security controls.

• Champion a shift-left approach to API security and compliance by embedding automated checks directly into the build phase catching issues early in the development lifecycle; familiarity with security tooling such as FOSSA Cycode 42Crunch and PRISMAis a strong plus.

• Prior experience in the automotive manufacturing or large-scale digital/eCommerce enterprise environment.

• Relevant certifications such as Google Professional Cloud Architect or any security/architecture certifications are a plus.

• Experience contributing to or leading greenfield architecture practices building governance frameworks standards and teams from the ground up rather than inheriting mature processes.

• Exposure to regulated industries (financial services banking/fintech) given the roles proximity to Ford Credits global banking and financial platforms.

• Familiarity with DevSecOps pipelines and CI/CD integration enabling security and compliance controls to be enforced as code rather than manual gates.

• Understanding AI/ML model risk and governance frameworks complementing the roles focus on predictive AI and agent governance.

Education

• Bachelors degree in computer science Information Technology or related field required.