Application Support Specialist

Ford Motor • Dearborn, MI

4d • Hybrid

About The Position

Responsibilities: The Application Support Specialist PDO Team is seeking a motivated, "always-on" professional to join our global operations. Our team is responsible for the development, deployment, and support of applications utilized across 30+ global plants. These systems are the backbone of our production operations—scheduling builds, managing inventory, and monitoring real-time plant floor data for vehicle, powertrain, and stamping operations. We are currently in a transformation phase, re-engineering our global product suite using modern technologies and AI-driven tools to bring innovation to manufacturing at market speed. Responsibilities Deployment Lifecycle Management: Understand, document, and refine the global deployment process to ensure consistency across all regions. Process Improvement: Partner with PDO and Plant IT teams to continuously optimize deployment strategies and global test plans. Global Collaboration: Act as a primary point of contact for global teams to document, track, and resolve issues related to development and deployment activities. Tool Development: Develop and configure in-house tools and applications to streamline operational efficiency. Portfolio Health: Establish and manage processes for gathering and assessing portfolio health metrics, including software/database versioning and change management trends. Innovation and Strategy: Identify improvement opportunities and collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver high-value technical solutions. Operational Flexibility: Support global operations, which may include working outside of standard business hours and occasional travel to manufacturing sites. Qualifications Qualifications: Experience: Minimum of 4 years of Application Support experience in a manufacturing space. Technical Aptitude: Proven ability to leverage AI for developing knowledge tools, monitoring systems, and alerting solutions. Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to interface with diverse global teams. Software Proficiency: Experience with the MS Office suite (Word, Excel, Outlook). Mindset: A self-starter with a strong motivation to learn and the ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, global environment. Preferred Qualifications: Infrastructure Knowledge: General understanding of MS Windows Server (2012–2016), Red Hat Open Shift (CaaS), Red Hat Linux, and MS SQL Databases. Programming Skills: Hands-on experience with Java, JavaScript, SQL, or PowerShell. Monitoring Tools: Familiarity with enterprise monitoring solutions such as Dynatrace, Splunk, or What’s Up Gold. Project Management: Ability to multitask and manage multiple initiatives simultaneously with limited supervision. You may not check every box, or your experience may look a little different from what we've outlined, but if you think you can bring value to Ford Motor Company, we encourage you to apply! As an established global company, we offer the benefit of choice. You can choose what your Ford future will look like: will your story span the globe, or keep you close to home? Will your career be a deep dive into what you love, or a series of new teams and new skills? Will you be a leader, a changemaker, a technical expert, a culture builder…or all of the above? No matter what you choose, we offer a work life that works for you, including: Immediate medical, dental, vision and prescription drug coverage Flexible family care days, paid parental leave, new parent ramp-up programs, subsidized back-up child care and more Family building benefits including adoption and surrogacy expense reimbursement, fertility treatments, 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. This position is a salary grade 6-8 and ranges from $83,280 -190,500. Final determination of salary grade will be based on candidate's skills and experience, and base salary will be set within the applicable range according to job scope, responsibility and competitive market value. For more information on salary and benefits, click here: https://fordcareers.co/GSR Visa sponsorship is not available for this position. Candidates for positions with Ford Motor Company must be legally authorized to work in the United States. Verification of employment eligibility will be required at the time of hire. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, age, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status or protected veteran status. In the United States, if you need a reasonable accommodation for the online application process due to a disability, please call 1-888-336-0660. This position is hybrid. Candidates who are in commuting distance to a Ford hub location may be required to be onsite four or more days per week. #LI-Hybrid #LI-GR1

Requirements

• Experience: Minimum of 4 years of Application Support experience in a manufacturing space.
• Technical Aptitude: Proven ability to leverage AI for developing knowledge tools, monitoring systems, and alerting solutions.
• Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to interface with diverse global teams.
• Software Proficiency: Experience with the MS Office suite (Word, Excel, Outlook).
• Mindset: A self-starter with a strong motivation to learn and the ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, global environment.

Nice To Haves

• Infrastructure Knowledge: General understanding of MS Windows Server (2012–2016), Red Hat Open Shift (CaaS), Red Hat Linux, and MS SQL Databases.
• Programming Skills: Hands-on experience with Java, JavaScript, SQL, or PowerShell.
• Monitoring Tools: Familiarity with enterprise monitoring solutions such as Dynatrace, Splunk, or What’s Up Gold.
• Project Management: Ability to multitask and manage multiple initiatives simultaneously with limited supervision.

Responsibilities

• Deployment Lifecycle Management: Understand, document, and refine the global deployment process to ensure consistency across all regions.
• Process Improvement: Partner with PDO and Plant IT teams to continuously optimize deployment strategies and global test plans.
• Global Collaboration: Act as a primary point of contact for global teams to document, track, and resolve issues related to development and deployment activities.
• Tool Development: Develop and configure in-house tools and applications to streamline operational efficiency.
• Portfolio Health: Establish and manage processes for gathering and assessing portfolio health metrics, including software/database versioning and change management trends.
• Innovation and Strategy: Identify improvement opportunities and collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver high-value technical solutions.
• Operational Flexibility: Support global operations, which may include working outside of standard business hours and occasional travel to manufacturing sites.

Benefits

• Immediate medical, dental, vision and prescription drug coverage
• Flexible family care days, paid parental leave, new parent ramp-up programs, subsidized back-up child care and more
• Family building benefits including adoption and surrogacy expense reimbursement, fertility treatments, 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.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees