Director of Manufacturing – Plant Management

Ford Motor Company

Director of Manufacturing for Battery Pack Operations at Ford. Leading high-impact manufacturing strategy and team performance across new battery facilities.

Posted 7/15/2026full-timeRemote • Missouri • 🇺🇸 United StatesLeadWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates extensive expertise in Lean Manufacturing and operational leadership within high-volume manufacturing environments, with a strong focus on safety, quality, and cost management. Proven ability to mentor and develop manufacturing talent while managing complex, multi-site operations.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Lean Manufacturing ExpertisePlant Management ExperienceOperational and Financial Health ManagementWorkforce Relations ExpertiseBattery Manufacturing Experience

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Lean ManufacturingNew Manufacturing Operations LaunchTotal Cost per Unit ReductionRisk AssessmentHuman-Factors EngineeringHigh-Tech ManufacturingCleanroom ManufacturingOperational Strategy ExecutionEquipment CommissioningVolume Production Management

Soft Skills

LeadershipMentoringSolution-Oriented MindsetRelationship BuildingExecutive Presence

Industry Keywords

Safety First CultureTotal Recordable Incident RateElectric VehiclesGreenfield OperationsUnion and Non-Union Labor EnvironmentsElectrochemical Manufacturing

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Lead performance in the order that matters most: Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost (SQDC).
Build and sustain a "Safety First" culture across the network — accountable for the physical and psychological wellbeing of thousands of team members.
Drive proactive risk assessment and human-factors engineering to continually reduce Total Recordable Incident Rate across a rapidly scaling workforce.
Drive year-over-year "Total Cost per Unit" (CPU) reductions, critical to Ford's goal of delivering more affordable electric vehicles.
Own the strategy and execution for new battery pack manufacturing lines — from equipment commissioning and systems launch through to steady-state volume production.

Requirements

What you’ll need

+15 years of proven experience in manufacturing, with demonstrated experience launching new/greenfield operations.
Proven success as a Plant Manager or senior manufacturing leader in high-volume, high-tech, or cleanroom manufacturing environments.
Demonstrated ability to manage the operational and financial health of multiple facilities simultaneously, including sites at different launch maturity stages.
Expert-level knowledge of Lean Manufacturing (FPS) and a track record of standing up new manufacturing operations from construction/commissioning through full-volume production.
Ability to lead through significant industrial disruptions and the ambiguity inherent to first-of-kind operations, with executive presence and a solution-oriented mindset.
A "leader of leaders" with a history of mentoring high-potential manufacturing talent into senior leadership roles.
Workforce Relations Expertise: Demonstrated ability to build direct, trusted relationships with a diverse, rapidly scaling workforce; experience navigating both union and non-union labor environments is highly valued.
Battery, EV, electrochemical, or advanced/high-tech manufacturing experience strongly preferred.

Benefits

Comp & perks

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