Manager, Employee Relations, Greenfield Sites

Manager, Employee Relations, Greenfield Sites

Join us in shaping the future of Ford! As the Manager of Employee Relations for a key business unit within Manufacturing (Greenfield Sites), you will play a crucial role in driving our people’s strategy during this unprecedented transformation. In this position, you will design, implement, and maintain proactive employee relations strategies that foster trust, communication, and engagement within the workforce. You will serve as a strategic advisor to HR and leadership teams, ensuring alignment with our company culture and communication goals.

Using data‑driven insights, cross‑functional collaboration, and innovative engagement tactics, you will enhance employee experiences, mitigate risks, and maintain a workplace where employees feel valued, included, and heard. This high‑impact role allows you to directly influence the employee experience by creating a high‑performing, collaborative, and engaged workforce that will drive Ford’s next chapter.

This role is hybrid and requires at least 4 days onsite in the Dearborn, MI office.

• Execute Human Resources (HR) programs, aligning HR strategies with business strategies, streamlining and standardizing HR policies, practices and possessions, and developing the HR organization to be more effective in managing human capital.
• Partner with HR leadership and Operations to design proactive engagement and communication plans that reinforce a culture of trust and collaboration.
• Advise and train People Leaders on employee relations practices and strategies to enhance the employee experience.
• Advise executive leadership on labor relations strategies, trends, and best practices.
• Develop and implement policies and programs that foster a fair, equitable, and safe work environment.
• Monitor industry trends and regulatory changes affecting labor relations and recommend proactive responses.
• Apply employee relations expertise to identify concerns and challenges to solve opportunities in employee experience and foster a culture of high engagement.
• Collaborate with the leadership team on policy, issues, and information to identify solutions to drive sustainable cultural change and support achieving business objectives.
• Foster a positive and inclusive employee experience through proactive initiatives based on feedback from employee opinion surveys, employee suggestions, open‑door policies, and other initiatives to boost engagement.
• Provide resources and guidance to support action planning and continuous improvement of employee survey results.
• Partner with key stakeholders to strategize and respond to employee concerns across facilities as part of developing and driving positive interactions.
• Conduct research and analyze employee relations trends.
• Facilitate effective partnerships with key stakeholders (HR, Benefits, Legal, Risk, etc.) to address concerns holistically and proactively. Recommend solutions to concerns, counsel employees, advise leaders on the corrective action process, and facilitate dispute resolution.
• Stay current on trends and application of laws and the latest trends in Employee Relations.
• Take ownership of People Leader activities for the Plant HR team, including creating development plans, providing recognition, coaching, mentoring, and managing performance documentation and evaluations to support organizational goals.
• Conduct daily floor walks in designated areas to build positive relationships with employees, ensure HR availability, and proactively avoid employee dissatisfaction.
• Partner with local communications staff to implement an integrated communications strategy that creates an informed employee population and drives 2‑way communication across all shifts.
• Work closely with safety and occupational health leads to implement and address employee health and wellness, conduct safety audits, and continuously improve safety performance for a healthy and safe work environment.
• Apply lean methodologies and tools with progressive HR practices to guide decision making, problem solving, root cause analysis, and drive operational excellence.

• Bachelor's Degree and 5+ years of relevant experience in…