Cloud Engineer

Location: Palo Alto, CA Client: Ford Requirements Backend / Cloud development Connected Vehicle / Embedded systems Cloud & API Integration Strong experience with RESTful and/or GraphQL APIs Authentication methods: OAuth 2.0, JWT. Data formats: JSON, protobuf. Experience with third-party SDKs and API lifecycle management. Understanding of cloud-to-vehicle communication patterns (MQTT, WebSocket, HTTP/HTTPS). Programming Languages C++ (for applet framework side) Python, Go, or Node.js for cloud services or integration scripts Java/Kotlin if Android Automotive is part of the stack Cloud Platforms Familiarity with at least one major platform: AWS (IoT Core, Lambda, API Gateway) Azure IoT Hub Google Cloud IoT / Firebase Understanding of vehicle-cloud security, certificates, and OTA mechanisms. Android context:

• Kotlin and Java main languages for Android development.
• C++ (JNI) for low-level integrations or performance-critical components.
• Python/Node.js/Go optional, for backend or integration tools.
• Integrating with third-party cloud services (Spotify, Alexa, Google APIs, weather, etc.).
• Familiarity with API design and OpenAPI/Swagger specs.
• Understanding data synchronization, state management, and offline handling.
• Optional but valuable: experience with Firebase, AWS, or Azure for managing connected services. Nice to have
• Experience with Android Automotive Companion App (mobile-to-car integration).
• Knowledge of CarPlay / Android Auto integration boundaries.
• Experience building headless Android services for background sync or event handling.
• Familiarity with Google Automotive Services (GAS) certification requirements. Job responsibilities Develop cloud-based third-party integrations and leverage our applets framework to represent third-party functionalities in the vehicle. Integrate external cloud APIs (Spotify, weather, navigation, payment services, etc.) Bridge cloud backends and in-vehicle applets (the same framework from the previous role). Possibly handle data synchronization, authentication, and OTA updates. Android context:
• Building Android services, apps, or applets that integrate cloud APIs (music, weather, payments, voice assistants, etc.).
• Implementing data flow between cloud services and Android Automotive components (CarService, HMI, Vehicle HAL).
• Possibly contributing to an in-vehicle framework or SDK that allows other teams to integrate new cloud-based features safely.