Manager, Manufacturing & Industrial IoT (IIOT) Technology Enablement

Ford Motor Company • Dearborn, MI

24d • $141,700 - $268,300 • Hybrid

About The Position

Ford Motor Company is seeking an experienced, hands-on leader to direct its Manufacturing IT IIOT Platform organization. The organization builds and operates internal platforms connecting the plant floor to Ford’s Cloud, along with solutions that use the IIOT Platform. The mission-critical data pipeline is deployed across more than 40 manufacturing facilities, processes over 345 million transactions per day, and supports more than 15 major applications as well as plant-developed solutions.

The manager will guide platform strategy and delivery while engaging directly in technical problem-solving when needed. The role balances long-term planning with execution and aims to consolidate fragmented tools into a coherent, self-service developer platform that improves engineering velocity and delivery quality. The manager leads three engineering leads and their teams, owns staffing and hiring, and builds a high-performing, globally distributed organization.

The role partners with engineering, security, manufacturing, and business leaders to establish future-state platforms, technology stacks, organizational KPIs, and business indicators. It advocates for the portfolio, connects platform investments to business outcomes, promotes engineering standards and scalable architectures, evaluates emerging technologies and vendors with a strong preference for Google Cloud Platform, and defines metrics to demonstrate impact and guide the roadmap.

The position is hybrid and requires onsite work four or more days per week. The posted salary range is $141,700–$268,300. Visa sponsorship and domestic relocation are not available.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Technology, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• At least 12 years of overall technology experience, including leadership of large-scale application, platform, or digital transformation initiatives.
• At least 8 years leading engineering teams, developing technical leaders, and delivering complex programs.
• At least 7 years in manufacturing technology, industrial systems, or IIoT platforms.
• At least 5 years defining technology strategy and roadmaps for cloud-based platforms, data pipelines, or application ecosystems.
• At least 5 years with enterprise cloud platforms, application architecture, and system integration; Google Cloud Platform experience is preferred.
• At least 5 years partnering with manufacturing operations and senior business and technology leaders to deliver standardized, scalable solutions.
• High proficiency in manufacturing and modern web technology stack development, specifically Angular, Java, Spring Boot, and MongoDB.
• High proficiency with web-based application architecture design patterns.
• Skill managing application data in MongoDB and SQL, including MySQL, GCP BigQuery, and MSSQL Studio.
• Proficiency creating and communicating design specifications using tools such as Figma.
• High proficiency designing technical platforms, including microservices/API-driven architectures, service capabilities, and application relationship management.
• Experience designing, implementing, testing, and scaling application integrations.
• High proficiency in inter- and intra-application system design thinking and skill in algorithm design.
• Familiarity and proficiency with modern publish/subscribe architecture patterns, especially in manufacturing.
• Experience with Google Cloud Platform capabilities at enterprise scale.
• Skill with service monitoring tools similar to Splunk or Dynatrace.
• Proficiency with AI/ML concepts, especially as applied to manufacturing.
• In-depth familiarity with vehicle assembly; drivetrain and component manufacturing, including engine, transmission, gears, and component operations; and stamping operations, including press room, blanking, and sub-assembly.
• Extensive understanding of the technology footprint across manufacturing facilities, including device ecosystems, network architecture, server and computer room capabilities, and application implementation strategy.
• Extensive understanding of legacy and newly developed applications used to operate manufacturing facilities across regions and business units.
• Extensive experience working with manufacturing personnel, from hourly operators and supervisors to plant management and Plant Managers, in technical and non-technical contexts.
• Extensive experience working with senior centralized manufacturing leadership to define, design, and build standardized software applications.
• Extensive understanding of manufacturing data structures, standards, and insight profiles used in day-to-day and strategic operations.
• Experience leading teams in deadline-driven environments and navigating unclear requirements to establish alignment across organizations.
• Ability to develop strong business relationships that support collaboration between IT and Manufacturing business leads.
• Experience explaining complex technical situations in language manufacturing and IT leaders can understand.
• Experience speaking to large groups and conveying clear, understandable messages.
• Experience developing high-performing teams.
• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States; employment eligibility will be verified at hire.

Nice To Haves

• Google Cloud Platform experience is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Set and drive a multi-year strategy and roadmap across the platform and related applications, aligned with manufacturing leadership priorities.
• Maintain and prioritize the platform capability backlog with three engineering leads, sequencing work to maximize customer value.
• Decide which technologies and tools to sunset, consolidate, or modernize, minimize platform costs, and own transition plans.
• Align engineering goals with business objectives and product roadmaps, delivering against milestones and release timelines.
• Engage hands-on in technical problem-solving, including prototyping solutions, unblocking migrations, and resolving architecture decisions.
• Lead, coach, and develop three engineering leads spanning the IIOT data pipeline, Ford Production System (FPS) Zone, Department of Plant Control Centers, Staffing Assignment, and Surface Quality products.
• Own organizational staffing and hiring, and ensure teams have the necessary headcount and skills.
• Build a high-performing, globally distributed organization; recruit, mentor, and develop technical talent.
• Promote a customer-focused culture by measuring adoption, gathering feedback, and iterating on products for Manufacturing.
• Partner with senior engineering, security, and business leaders to define future-state technology stacks, platforms, ecosystems, KPIs, and business indicators.
• Represent the portfolio to engineering leadership and explain platform investments in terms of velocity, reliability, cost, and risk reduction.
• Engage with engineers across the organization to surface pain points, validate solutions, and build trust in the platform team.
• Champion communication standards developed with the business Controls organization to support scalability and prevent data silos.
• Drive adoption of the standard technology stack across ET, ATP, and plant solution development while balancing productivity, code quality, security, and governance.
• Evaluate emerging technologies, cloud services, and vendors, with a strong preference for GCP, and make scalable build-versus-buy decisions.
• Define and track performance, adoption, and business-value metrics to demonstrate impact and prioritize the roadmap.

Benefits

• Immediate medical, dental, vision, and prescription drug coverage.
• Flexible family care days, paid parental leave, new parent ramp-up programs, and subsidized backup childcare.
• Family-building benefits, including adoption and surrogacy expense reimbursement and fertility treatments.
• Vehicle discount program for employees and family members, and management leases.
• Tuition assistance.
• Employee resource groups.
• Paid time off for individual and team community service.
• 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