Director - Material/Vehicle Logistics & Customs IT

Ford•Dearborn, MI

13h•$141,700 - $268,300•Hybrid

About The Position

Ford is in the middle of Supply Chain Transformation. One of the key focus areas to enable this transformation is optimized planning & execution of our logistics network, along with proactive management of customs/duty/tariff regulations, to drive supply assurance in support of demand for our world-leading products. Ford is seeking an experienced, strategic, and hands-on Director – Material/Vehicle Logistics & Customs IT. In this critical role, you will own the end-to-end strategy, delivery, implementation, and maintenance of the digital products powering Ford’s global supply chain. This role will help drive solutions for inbound material logistics, finished vehicle logistics, “intralogistics” of parts/vehicles across Ford facilities and customs compliance. Functionally, this includes network planning, transportation management, end-to-end visibility, yard/compound logistics, global trade compliance and integration with warehouse management capabilities. Based in Dearborn, MI, this is a hybrid position with a required four-day onsite presence each week. Relocation assistance may be available for qualified candidates.

Requirements

Bachelor of Computer Science, Information Systems, Supply Chain Management or equivalent combination of relevant education and experience
10+ years of progressive responsibilities within technology and software functions
5+ years of direct experience managing or implementing IT systems in at least two of the following areas: Inbound Material Logistics (transportation mgmt., yard mgmt. control tower), Outbound/Finished Vehicle Logistics (transportation mgmt., yard mgmt., damage mgmt.), Customs Compliance & Global Trade (import/export clearance, duty drawback, classification, solicitation).
5+ years of experience leading/ mentoring a team including Product Managers and engineers, fostering a culture of agile excellence and continuous improvement. Leading global teams is preferred.
3+ years of vendor management skills to engage with SaaS platform as well as services providers
1+ years of experience of having delivered AI-enabled solutions with cloud-native technologies, including ability to implement AI tooling at every phase of software development lifecycle with a large team of engineers.
1+ years of experience with cloud architecture (Google Cloud Platform preferred), API-driven integrations. Exposure Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to communicate effectively with all levels of management in varying areas of business and enterprise technology
Strong interpersonal skills, demonstrating professionalism in all actions.
Experience with global team development and building knowledge and capability.
Management skills/experience and independent, decision-making skills.
Develop and maintain strong knowledge of the business functional areas for Supply Chain, including logistics
Technical excellence in software design, development, and deployment.
Demonstrated ability to deliver on project commitments through leadership, rigorous execution, teamwork, strategic planning/scheduling, problem analysis, resolution, and productivity improvements.
Agile delivery methodologies and Product Driven Organization implementation.
Manage portfolio level financials & budgets and guide regular financial reporting for the portfolio and major development projects

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Supply Chain Management or similar
Hands-on experience in multiple roles across the spectrum of the lifecycle of applications and/or technologies
Knowledge of tracking technologies like RFID, BLE, GPS, or Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) in a logistics environment will be a plus.
Enterprise Technology Partner Management
Ability to interact extensively with and influence senior business leaders, technology partners and software platform & services providers.
Implementation experience with multiple delivery models – including supplier-led engagements, SaaS solutions, strong supplier management skills and effective contract-negotiation skills.

Responsibilities

Be the global Enterprise Technology face off for inbound materials, finished vehicle distribution & customs compliance business functions
Be accountable for technical and operational excellence of portfolio, delivery of IT investments, and production support.
Own and manage delivery of IT investments: governance, budgets, contracts, reviews, feasibility, cost benefit analysis, prioritization, initiation, execution, and closure.
Develop strategy and explore future technologies powering material and vehicle logistics transformation
Adopt an AI-First mindset and leading cloud offerings to modernize the portfolio (replacing legacy/ mainframe technologies) and innovate extensively to solve business problems
Drive technical integration of portfolio and ensure seamless interoperability across ecosystem to provide best in class user experience.
Define and evangelize the multi-year product roadmap for Ford's global logistics and trade compliance platforms, aligning closely with Material Planning & Logistics (MP&L) and plant operations
Guide product and integration teams across full lifecycle of a diverse application portfolio driving transportation network planning, multi-modal visibility of materials and vehicles, distribution, yard/compound management, trade compliance and other associated core supply chain execution functions
Lead, mentor, and coach a global team of product managers and engineers, fostering a culture of agile excellence and continuous improvement. Optimize resource footprint to take advantage of talents globally and across Ford and technology partners
Ensure delivery is managed effectively using Agile delivery and portfolio management practices. Drive the migration of legacy mainframe and on-premise systems to modern, scalable cloud environments (e.g., Google Cloud Platform) and industry-leading SaaS/COTS platforms.
Partner with legal and trade compliance teams to ensure systems meet strict global import/export standards, tariff classifications, and trade agreements (e.g., USMCA).
Apply a broad understanding of Ford enterprise architecture and technology standards to guide solutions/services
Work together effectively with senior management, business partners, suppliers and internal IT partners, ensuring high availability, security, and performance of mission-critical logistics systems
Ensure that financial targets are met for operating budget and new investments.
Lead, mentor, and coach a global team of product managers and engineers, fostering a culture of agile excellence and continuous improvement.

Benefits

Immediate medical, dental, vision and prescription drug coverage
Flexible family care days, paid parental leave, new parent ramp-up programs, subsidized back-up childcare 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.
Relocation assistance may be available for qualified candidates.