Manager, Infrastructure & Platform Engineering, Ford Energy

Ford Motor • Glendale, KY

4d • Onsite

About The Position

As the Manager of Hybrid Infrastructure & Hosting, you will be the primary architect and operator of the computer platforms that power our new Battery Energy Storage System BESS manufacturing facility. Reporting to the Head of IT Infrastructure & Operations, you will lead the "engine room" of Ford Energy—managing the delicate balance between high-performance local edge computing on the factory floor and our enterprise-scale Google Cloud Platform environment.

Requirements

• Bachelor Degree or relevant work experience
• GCP Expertise: 5+ years of hands-on experience with Google Cloud Platform (GCP).
• Infrastructure Experience: 8+ years in IT infrastructure with at least 3 years in a leadership or lead engineering role.
• Hybrid Proficiency: Proven experience managing "hybrid" environments where cloud and physical hardware must work in sync.
• Hardware Knowledge: Deep understanding of server hardware, enterprise storage, and data center physical infrastructure.
• Automation: Experience with Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools to automate environment deployment.

Nice To Haves

• Professional Cloud Architect or Cloud Engineer certification is highly preferred.
• Manufacturing Context: Experience supporting a 24/7 production environment where system uptime directly impacts manufacturing throughput.
• Containerization: Strong knowledge of Kubernetes and Docker, particularly in a manufacturing or IIoT context.
• Problem Solver: A "get-it-done" mindset with the ability to troubleshoot complex issues across the full stack (from a physical cable to a cloud API).
• Collaborative: Ability to work closely with the Network and Security teams to ensure a seamless and hardened infrastructure.

Responsibilities

• Cloud Architecture & Management (GCP Focus): Design, deploy, and manage Ford Energy’s cloud environments. Monitor and optimize cloud consumption to ensure cost-effectiveness while maintaining high performance. Implement and maintain robust Identity and Access Management policies and security configurations within the cloud environment.
• On-Premises & Edge Infrastructure: Lead the design and setup of the plant’s local data center/server rooms, including rack layouts, power requirements, and cooling coordination. Implement high-availability edge compute solutions to support real-time manufacturing data and low-latency production requirements. Manage the on-site virtualization layer to ensure maximum hardware utilization and resilience.
• Operational Reliability & Data Integrity: Develop and test comprehensive backup and disaster recovery strategies that span both physical hardware and cloud workloads. Implement advanced monitoring tools to ensure 24/7 visibility into system health. Architect and manage scalable storage solutions for massive manufacturing datasets, ensuring data is available for analysis and long-term retention.
• Project & Vendor Leadership: Lead the technical execution of infrastructure projects during the plant’s construction and "go-live" phases. Work with vendors to specify and procure the physical infrastructure needed for the facility.

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
• Education Level: Associate degree