Director, Project Management, Industrialization

Blue Bird Careers•Troy, MI

4d•Onsite

About The Position

The Director, Project Management, Industrialization will lead the project management workstreams required to prepare manufacturing, facilities, equipment, process capability, quality systems, workforce readiness, and production ramp for the next generation F53/F59 chassis platform. This role will ensure the business can launch production on time and on budget while supporting product continuity, quality, delivery performance, retained critical personnel, and a sustainable manufacturing operating model.

Requirements

Experience with capital projects, equipment installation, process validation, quality readiness, workforce readiness, and production ramp planning required.
Strong operational discipline, risk management, cross-functional leadership, and ability to drive accountability across complex launch workstreams.
Bachelor’s degree in engineering, operations, manufacturing, supply chain, or a related field required.
8+ years of project management, manufacturing launch, industrialization, operations, plant engineering, or production readiness experience.
All candidates must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States and will be required to provide proof of employment eligibility at the time of hire.

Nice To Haves

Ability to anticipate and understand customer needs and provide guidance
Excellent interpersonal and customer relationship skills to handle difficult and sensitive matters.
Strong project management skills.
Exposure to difficult or complex projects a plus.
Ability to influence stakeholders
Effective communication and ability to communicate complex details in a clear manner.
Flexible workspaces and work hours to help you unleash the best you.
Working in a collaborative team and balancing the needs of individual stakeholders while delivering corporate objectives.

Responsibilities

Develop and manage the industrialization project plan, including facilities readiness, equipment installation, process validation, manufacturing engineering milestones, workforce planning, quality readiness, materials management, chassis shipping and production launch dependencies.
Coordinate with operations, manufacturing engineering, maintenance, quality, supply chain, EHS, HR, finance, Ford, Detroit Chassis stakeholders, and external partners to execute launch readiness activities.
Track capital project milestones, budget commitments, tooling and equipment readiness, line layout, production process documentation, labor planning, and ramp-up assumptions.
Work alongside functional personnel to develop and manage materials flow throughout the plan to ensure it is on time ready for production launch.
Manage risks related to production readiness, capacity, quality, delivery, safety, staffing, training, supplier interfaces, and transition from Detroit Chassis operations.
Support plans to retain critical personnel where economically viable and ensure knowledge transfer supports product and people continuity.
Provide regular updates to the Sr Director on industrialization status, launch readiness, operating risks, budget impacts, and decisions required.