Head of Infrastructure and Operations Manager, Ford Energy

Ford • Glendale, KY

21h • Onsite

About The Position

Design, implement, and operate all infrastructure solutions and services in support of Ford Energy battery energy storage systems manufacturing and business operations. This includes network, onsite and cloud data center infrastructure, conferencing and collaboration services and end user devices and productivity solutions.
Strategic Architecture & Execution
Greenfield Implementation: Lead the end-to-end design and deployment of all onsite and cloud-based infrastructure, including high-availability networks, data centers, and edge computing solutions.
IT/OT Convergence: Partner with manufacturing engineering and third-party providers to bridge the gap between corporate IT and manufacturing production networks (OT), ensuring high-speed data acquisition and low-latency control environments.
Operational Excellence & Governance
24/7 Resilience: Establish a robust support model for a multi-shift, always-on manufacturing environment, prioritizing uptime, disaster recovery, and business continuity.
Service Management: Oversee the deployment and lifecycle management of SaaS solutions (Identity Management, O365, SSO) and end-user productivity tools.
Policy & Security: Define and enforce infrastructure standards, cybersecurity protocols, and compliance frameworks that align with both Ford global standards and energy sector regulations.
Strategic Partnerships & Financial Stewardship
Vendor Ecosystem: Lead the selection, negotiation, and performance management of key hardware, software, and service providers, ensuring cost-effectiveness and high-service-level delivery.
Budget Oversight: Manage the Capital (CAPEX) and Operating (OPEX) budgets for the infrastructure organization, ensuring strategic allocation of resources.
People Leadership
Talent Development: Recruit and mentor a high-performing team of engineers and technicians. Foster a culture of innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Requirements

• Experience: 10+ years in IT Infrastructure, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership capacity within a complex manufacturing environment (Automotive, Energy, or High-Tech Electronics preferred).
• Technical Breadth: Proven expertise in networking (SD-WAN, Industrial Ethernet), data center virtualization, and cloud architecture (Azure/AWS/GCP).
• Leadership: Demonstrated track record of building and retaining multi-disciplinary technical teams from the ground up.
• Strategic Sourcing: Advanced experience in contract negotiation and managing Managed Service Providers (MSPs) in a global delivery model.
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.

Nice To Haves

• Advanced Manufacturing Expertise: Deep familiarity with IIoT implementation, SCADA systems, and Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) infrastructure.
• Mission-Driven: A passion for renewable energy and the ability to thrive in a fast-paced, "startup-style" environment within a global enterprise.
• Crisis Management: Ability to remain calm and decisive during critical system outages or production-stopping events.
• Communication: Exceptional ability to translate complex technical concepts for non-technical executive stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and operate all infrastructure solutions and services in support of Ford Energy battery energy storage systems manufacturing and business operations.
• Lead the end-to-end design and deployment of all onsite and cloud-based infrastructure, including high-availability networks, data centers, and edge computing solutions.
• Partner with manufacturing engineering and third-party providers to bridge the gap between corporate IT and manufacturing production networks (OT), ensuring high-speed data acquisition and low-latency control environments.
• Establish a robust support model for a multi-shift, always-on manufacturing environment, prioritizing uptime, disaster recovery, and business continuity.
• Oversee the deployment and lifecycle management of SaaS solutions (Identity Management, O365, SSO) and end-user productivity tools.
• Define and enforce infrastructure standards, cybersecurity protocols, and compliance frameworks that align with both Ford global standards and energy sector regulations.
• Lead the selection, negotiation, and performance management of key hardware, software, and service providers, ensuring cost-effectiveness and high-service-level delivery.
• Manage the Capital (CAPEX) and Operating (OPEX) budgets for the infrastructure organization, ensuring strategic allocation of resources.
• Recruit and mentor a high-performing team of engineers and technicians. Foster a culture of innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement.

What This Job Offers

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