IT Plant Specialist

Ford • Dearborn, MI

11h • Hybrid

About The Position

The Timekeeping Modernization Product Group delivers and supports critical systems for accurately managing time, absence, and other workforce management functions essential for paying Ford Motor Company's hourly and salaried employees. The objective is to modernize these systems, improve their long-term sustainability by reducing technology complexity, introducing industry-standard capabilities, and simplifying business processes. This role is for an IT Plant Specialist to play a key role in the Timekeeping Modernization Program, which involves the deployment of WorkForce Software (WFS), a cloud-based SaaS timekeeping platform, and associated hardware across Ford manufacturing plants in the United States and Canada. This initiative replaces legacy timekeeping systems as part of the Entry to Exit end-to-end implementation. The specialist will serve as a central point of coordination, managing hardware procurement, installation logistics, system integration, and testing activities, all timed to critical plant go-live milestones. Collaboration will be required across Plant HR, Manufacturing Operations, Payroll, Site IT, Facilities, Network Planning, and third-party integrators to ensure successful deployments across North American facilities.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Engineering, or a related field; equivalent work experience will be considered in lieu of a degree
• 7+ years of progressive IT experience, with at least 3 years in a manufacturing support environment
• Prior experience implementing or operationally supporting enterprise HR systems, workforce management applications, timekeeping solutions, or hardware deployment projects in manufacturing environments
• Technical aptitude with working knowledge of network fundamentals (IP addressing, VLANs, switches), hardware specifications, and troubleshooting methodologies
• Ability to read and interpret facility drawings, network diagrams, and technical specifications
• Strong project management and logistics experience; able to manage multiple site deployments and parallel workstreams simultaneously
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills; able to engage effectively with all levels of management, HR leadership, plant personnel, and union representatives
• Must be legally authorized to travel and work in both the U.S. and Canada
• Must be able to work non-standard hours — including evenings, weekends, holidays, and off-shift support — to meet plant go-live and payroll processing deadlines
• Must be able to work extended hours on-site, including climbing stairs/ladders to access hardware mounting locations, navigating active production environments, and performing hands-on hardware testing and troubleshooting
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite; Excel for tracking and Visio for site diagrams preferred

Nice To Haves

• Experience with workforce management systems, timekeeping applications, hardware deployments, badge readers, or HRIS platforms
• Familiarity with cloud-based SaaS solutions
• Agile/Jira experience
• Broad understanding of plant operations, hourly workforce management, shift scheduling, union environments, and payroll processing practices
• Knowledge of labor agreements, union work rules, manufacturing safety protocols, and compliance requirements

Responsibilities

• Manage hardware procurement, including vendor quotes, purchase orders, shipment tracking, and on-time delivery to site locations
• Partner with plant stakeholders to assess site layouts, facility schematics, and optimal hardware placement based on traffic flow, shift patterns, and employee access points
• Coordinate hardware installation with installers, electricians, and facilities teams to ensure proper mounting, power supply, and network cabling
• Collaborate with Site IT and Network Planners to validate infrastructure readiness, including IP addressing schemes, VLAN configurations, and connectivity requirements
• Conduct hardware testing and validation covering network connectivity, badge reader functionality, WFS system integration, and user acceptance criteria
• Manage launch milestones and align project scope with the North American deployment roadmap
• Manage hardware and installation budgets within assigned implementation projects; forecast and submit implementation support requirements and costs as part of program planning
• Attend and participate in regular status meetings; report progress and escalate issues requiring resolution
• Support training rollout and end-user adoption activities in partnership with plant HR and operations teams
• Troubleshoot hardware, network, and configuration issues; escalate and coordinate resolution with vendors, IT, and support resources
• Maintain accurate documentation of hardware inventory, site layouts, network configurations, test results, and as-built records

Benefits

• 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: Senior
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees