Assistant Plant Manager - Chicago Assembly Plant

Ford•Chicago, IL

About The Position

Ford North America Manufacturing is hiring exceptional talent for our Assistant Plant Manager role. Our Assistant Plant Managers are critical to the success of Ford Motor Company and our ability to deliver innovative, high-quality vehicles that our customers want and need. These plant leaders are highly visible members of the local community and responsible for leading a team of area managers within one of our 40+ manufacturing plants in vehicle operations, powertrain, or stamping operations. Please take a moment to review our North America locations, the responsibilities and required and desired skills of this Assistant Plant Manager. Applicants must be willing to relocate to one of these locations to be considered. If you feel you have the manufacturing experience and servant leadership philosophies to be successful, we encourage you to apply via the internal posting on HCM. Please ensure your HCM career profile is completed, and you respond to the open text responses at the end of the application. For more information about our North America locations, follow this link. To read about current events, check our US Manufacturing News & Updates site. The Assistant Plant Manager will report to the site Plant Manager and be part of the plant’s Executive Leadership Team. The Assistant Plant Manager will indirectly lead a team of approximately 4+ functional manufacturing leaders (operating committee members) and have oversite for approximately 200-3,000 plant personnel in a single location. The Assistant Plant Manager is the “COO” of the plant, has holistic understanding of manufacturing and business operations, taking full accountability of plant operations and culture aligned with Ford's leadership core values of Excellence, Focus and Collaboration, and a servant leadership mentality.

Requirements

Associate’s degree or equivalent experience in an engineering or technical field.
5+ years of progressive responsibilities and experience in operations leadership.
Extensive experience in high-volume, complex, manufacturing environments.
Expertise in lean, kaizen and TPS is a must.
Basic understanding of managing a Profit and Loss statement, demonstrating strong financial acumen.
Experience successfully leading a manufacturing function and directly overseeing 50+ hourly employees at once.
Demonstrated track record of building trust and rapport with employees and stakeholders and creating positive and healthy cultures.
Aspiration for continued career growth and new challenges.
Must be open to relocation

Nice To Haves

A bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in an engineering or a technical field.
Operational experience leading manufacturing processes across multiple areas (body, paint, final, etc.)
Lean / Six Sigma certification or demonstrated equivalent experience applying lean manufacturing principles and standardized work.
Experience partnering with the union during a negotiation / contract renewal.

Responsibilities

Leverage data and insights to drive lean improvements that deliver on cost and quality targets.
Continually seek opportunities to improve processes and outcomes, leveraging KPIs and the PDCA model
Hold self and others accountable for excellence and adherence to operational and behavioral expectations
Effectively collaborate with Area Managers, Process Coaches and Hourly Employees
Develop “leaders as teachers” and prioritizes ongoing development and evaluation of employee performance to drive results.
Lead implementation of the Ford Production System aligned with lean principles and behaviors.
Lead transformation and change management efforts to advance the company’s competitiveness.
Elevate concerns/risks and recognizes achievements
Serve as partner to Plant Manager and change agent driving results and leveraging relationships to get things done
Establish and operationalize a local vision and mission through clear goal-setting and communication
Ensure operational stability by implementing disciplined processes and standards, meeting jobs per hour, rolled -throughput-yield, quality, and other key metrics.
Strong problem solver who can lead effectively under pressure and crisis manage when necessary.
Manage costs and resources responsibly and for the betterment of the plant
Has self-awareness and a deep understanding of employee's aspirations, strengths, and well-being, evidenced by employee engagement scores, regular check-ins, and time spent on the plant floor (80%).
Partner with Plant Manager to build a positive and inclusive culture by leveraging diverse viewpoints and mutual respect.
Foster collaboration on best practices, standardized work, and building networks across functional areas.
Build strong relationships with employees, Employee Resource Groups, the union, suppliers, and cross-functional teams.
Consistently demonstrate empathy and Gemba, engaging regularly with employees on the plant floor to listen and problem solve.
Role model authenticity and inspires through charismatic communication and leading by example
Bring a high level of energy and effort to all tasks