Business Operations Manager, Ford Energy

Ford Motor • Dearborn, MI

15h • Hybrid

About The Position

Ford Energy is a newly formed, wholly-owned subsidiary of Ford Motor Company dedicated to accelerating U.S. energy independence. Leveraging Ford’s century of manufacturing excellence and world-class battery energy storage systems (BESS) technology, Ford Energy designs, manufactures, and services grid-scale and commercial DC battery energy storage systems (BESS). Ford Energy is uniquely positioned to capture the growing demand for reliable, US-built energy storage systems. We are not just building batteries; we are building the infrastructure for the next generation of the American grid. At Ford Energy, you have the backing of an industrial manufacturing powerhouse with the agility of a dedicated energy startup offering industry leading technology. The Business Operations Manager position within Ford Energy represents a unique chance to lead a high-growth, entrepreneurial division during the most significant pivot in the company's history. This role serves as the essential connective tissue across the organization - the manager directly influences the profitability and scalability of the broader corporate growth plan. Beyond traditional administration, this is a rare chance to lead the transition of a global icon from a traditional manufacturer into a leader in the sustainable energy ecosystem, blending the entrepreneurial speed and agility of a startup with the massive scale, brand power, and resources of a legendary corporation. Ultimately, this role offers executive visibility and the chance to build the operational architecture for a sustainable future, making it a premier platform for professional growth and strategic impact within the global energy transition.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, Finance, Engineering, or a related field.
• 5–8 years of experience in business operations, strategic planning, management consulting, or program management.
• Proven experience managing departmental budgets or P&L statements, with the ability to perform cost-benefit analyses and financial forecasting.
• Demonstrated ability to lead complex, cross-functional projects involving multiple stakeholders (e.g., Legal, Finance, Engineering) and deliver them on schedule.
• Advanced skills in data analysis and tools (specifically Microsoft Excel) to track KPIs and translate raw operational data into business recommendations.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, with experience presenting operational updates and strategic plans to senior leadership.
• Proven track record of identifying operational bottlenecks and implementing process improvements that resulted in measurable efficiency gains.
• Willingness to learn the fundamentals of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) and the broader energy landscape.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain a positive, solutions-oriented approach when navigating shifting project priorities and a rapidly evolving environment.
• Confident execution under tight deadlines while effectively prioritizing tasks in a high-demand, fast-paced setting.
• Professional maturity to navigate ambiguity and drive results during the scale-up phase of a new business unit.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree in a field related to Energy Systems or Sustainability.
• Direct experience in the energy sector, specifically within renewable energy, utilities, grid services, or the electric vehicle (EV) ecosystem.
• Lean Six Sigma (Green or Black Belt) or PMP (Project Management Professional) certification.
• Experience working in a high-growth "startup" environment or helping to launch a new business unit within a large global corporation.

Responsibilities

• Draft and maintain the operational roadmap, develop organization objectives, set monthly performance targets and track KPIs to ensure team activities align with the broader corporate strategy.
• Monitor the operational budget, review department expenditures and perform regular audits to identify cost-saving opportunities.
• Standardize business workflows by writing and updating Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and implementing automation tools to streamline work practices.
• Facilitate weekly cross-departmental meetings between engineering, finance, legal, and sales to resolve operational roadblocks and ensure project milestones are met.
• Ensure standard cadence is efficient with agenda driven discussions and key stakeholder attendance.
• Construct and update data dashboards to track key metrics such as operational throughput, providing weekly status reports to executive leadership.
• Manage resource allocation and headcount, partner with HR and Finance to ensure resources are accurately reflected in cost and reporting systems; support onboarding new staff to confirm the team has the necessary tools and access to execute their daily tasks.

Benefits

• Performance-based bonuses
• Ford vehicle discounts
• 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: Manager
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees