Manager, Datacenter and Distributed Computing

Ford Motor • Dearborn, MI

8d • Onsite

About The Position

The Manager, Datacenter and Distributed Computing is responsible for overseeing the daily operations, maintenance, and security of Ford’s centralized datacenter facilities and distributed computing environments. This role ensures high availability, compliance, and operational excellence across multiple sites, while leading a team of technicians and collaborating with cross-functional teams to support business-critical systems.

Requirements

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, information technology, or a related field.
• Experience: 5+ years of progressive experience in datacenter operations, IT infrastructure management, or distributed computing environments. 5+ years in a supervisory or team leadership role. 2+ years of experience executing projects in partnership with union workers.
• Technical Skills: Strong knowledge of networking, server hardware, and environmental controls. Experience with datacenter management and control software (e.g., DCIM, BMS). Familiarity with edge computing frameworks and platforms. Knowledge of containerization technologies (Docker, Kubernetes). Understanding of Infrastructure as Code and software-defined networking. Familiarity with DevOps tools and CI/CD methodologies (GCP stack). Proficiency in Linux-based operating systems and development environments. Experience managing suppliers, SLAs, and deliverables.
• Soft Skills: Excellent leadership, interpersonal, and organizational abilities. Strong problem-solving and analytical skills for diagnosing complex technical issues. Exceptional verbal and written communication skills for internal and external coordination. Ability to perform well under pressure and manage emergency situations. Adaptability to evolving technology and operational requirements.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with edge computing technologies and hybrid infrastructure.
• Certifications such as CDCP (Certified Data Center Professional) or similar.
• Knowledge of disaster recovery and business continuity planning.
• Experience with Sunbird DCIM products (a plus).
• Basic scripting skills for automation.

Responsibilities

• Operations Management: Supervise day-to-day operations of datacenter and edge computing infrastructure, ensuring high availability, performance, and reliability. Implement and enforce standard operating procedures across all facilities.
• Team Leadership and Development: Lead, mentor, and supervise a team of datacenter and edge technicians and engineers. Provide guidance, training, and performance evaluations, assign tasks, monitor progress, and foster a culture of continuous improvement and compliance.
• Infrastructure Management: Oversee installation, configuration, maintenance, and repair of critical infrastructure devices (e.g., UPS, CRAH units, PDUs). Ensure optimal environmental conditions (temperature, humidity, power) to prevent downtime and protect hardware.
• Monitoring and Troubleshooting: Monitor health, performance metrics, and logs for datacenter and edge nodes. Support incident management and problem resolution processes, quickly addressing technical challenges to minimize downtime.
• Security and Compliance: Maintain adherence to corporate security standards for physical and logical access. Implement robust security protocols, including access controls, surveillance systems, and disaster recovery plans. Ensure compliance with industry standards, regulations, and organizational policies.
• Planning and Optimization: Collaborate on capacity planning, infrastructure upgrades, and efficiency improvements for centralized and distributed environments. Identify opportunities for process optimization and cost efficiency. Stay current on emerging technologies and best practices in datacenter and edge computing. Support yearly and ad-hoc audits, and recertifications.
• Vendor Management: Coordinate with external vendors and service providers for equipment procurement, maintenance, and support. Coordinate vendor’s project delivery end-to-end as stated in RFQ.
• Documentation and Reporting: Maintain accurate records of systems, processes, incidents, and inventory. Prepare regular reports on performance metrics, operational status, and project progress.
• Policy and Procedure Development: Recommend and implement policies, standards, and procedural documentation for datacenter and edge operations.

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