Finance Director, Engineering & Capital Efficiency

Ford • Dearborn, MI

3d • Remote

About The Position

As our Finance Director, Engineering & Capital Efficiency, you will be the driving force behind maximizing the efficiency of our engineering spend and capital investments. This role is focused on deep-dive analysis, cost control, process improvement, and strategic partnerships. A key part of this involves leading the design, implementation, and ongoing management of the measurement systems and efficiency frameworks that define how we track performance and identify opportunities across both our engineering activities and capital investments. You will achieve these goals by leveraging a variety of analytical tools and methodologies, including rigorous benchmarking against peers, detailed cost analysis, process mapping, and more, all aimed at eliminating waste and driving efficiency.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Engineering, or a related quantitative field. A Master's degree or professional certification (CPA, CMA) is a strong plus.
• 7+ years of progressive experience in finance or controlling roles, with a significant focus on cost accounting, operational finance, capital expenditure analysis, and efficiency improvement, ideally supporting manufacturing, engineering, R&D, or operations functions.

Nice To Haves

• Demonstrated experience in designing, implementing, and managing financial or operational efficiency frameworks or methodologies.
• Experience utilizing a variety of analytical tools and methodologies such as Benchmarking, Spend Analysis, Process Mapping, Activity-Based Costing, TCO analysis, or similar.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to translate complex financial and operational data into clear, actionable insights and frameworks.
• Advanced proficiency in financial modeling and analysis tools (e.g., Excel). and data visualization tools (Power BI) is highly desirable, specifically around extracting and analyzing data.
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to partner effectively and build credibility with both finance professionals and technical/operational teams.
• Ability to work independently, manage multiple priorities, and drive results in a dynamic environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, implementation, and continuous refinement of comprehensive frameworks for measuring and improving efficiency across both Engineering activities and Capital Investments.
• Define key performance indicators (KPIs) and establish robust methodologies for tracking, analyzing, and reporting efficiency metrics using existing data sources.
• Champion process improvements and the development/enhancement of financial systems, tools, and dashboards to improve cost visibility, tracking, and management within the engineering and capital domains.
• Drive cost efficiency and waste elimination across all areas of Engineering spend, including personnel costs (providing analytical support), prototype development, engineering purchased services (consulting, testing labs, software subscriptions), and external design/testing paid to suppliers.
• Conduct deep-dive analysis into engineering cost drivers, spending patterns, and operational workflows.
• Utilize analytical methodologies including Spend Analysis, Benchmarking, Process Mapping/VSM, Activity-Based Costing (ABC), and Clean Sheet analysis to identify opportunities for cost reduction and efficiency gains.
• Partner closely with Engineering leadership and teams to develop and implement targeted savings initiatives and track their impact.
• Maximize the efficiency of Capital Investments across their full lifecycle, from procurement and deployment to utilization and potential reuse/disposal.
• Utilize the Capital Efficiency Framework developed in collaboration with stakeholders to ensure rigorous financial justification and ROI analysis for all capital requests within scope.
• Conduct deep-dive analysis into capital project costs, asset utilization, and related operational expenses.
• Apply analytical methodologies including Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) analysis, Spend Analysis, Benchmarking, Process Mapping, and Clean Sheet analysis to identify opportunities for improving procurement efficiency, driving asset reuse, and optimizing the total cost of owning and operating capital assets.
• Partner with Operations, Engineering, Procurement, and project teams on capital-related initiatives.

Benefits

• excellent compensation
• comprehensive benefits package that includes generous PTO, retirement, savings and stock investment plans, incentive compensation, and much more
• “Work from Anywhere” structure and the support needed to be successful in a remote environment
• exciting opportunities for professional and personal growth and recognition

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees