Transformation Leader, Vehicle Operations and Powertrain Manufacturing

Architect Ford's Manufacturing Transformation

As Transformation Leader for Vehicle Operations and Powertrain, you sit at the center of one of the largest and most complex manufacturing transformations in Ford's history — spanning engine, powertrain, battery, and vehicle assembly operations across the network. You own the strategy and execution of Lean deployment, digital transformation, performance management, and business governance that turn the Director's vision into measurable results on the plant floor.

You'll act as chief-of-staff, strategist, and change agent all at once — building the systems, metrics, and culture that make Ford's manufacturing organization leaner, more digitally enabled, and higher-performing. If you have the manufacturing depth, digital fluency, and change-leadership instincts to move an entire network forward, and the servant-leadership mindset to bring plant leaders and cross-functional partners along with you, we encourage you to apply.

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The Transformation Leader reports directly to the Director of Manufacturing, Vehicle Operations & Powertrain, who sets the strategic direction across the engine, powertrain, battery, and vehicle assembly network. As Transformation Leader, you translate that strategy into an actionable, network-wide transformation agenda — owning the Lean, digital, performance management, and business management portfolio on the Director's behalf. You'll build and lead a high-performing team of transformation, lean, digital, and business management professionals, while operating as a trusted strategic partner and peer to plant managers, functional engineering leaders, and corporate manufacturing teams.

This role requires constant collaboration across a matrixed organization — aligning global manufacturing, engineering, quality, and supply chain partners around a common transformation roadmap.

This is one of the highest-leverage roles in Ford's manufacturing organization — a chance to shape how an entire network operates, digitizes, and improves, with a direct line of sight to the Director and influence across every major plant in the portfolio. We're looking for a leader who combines deep Lean and manufacturing expertise with a digitally fluent, data-driven mindset — someone who can move seamlessly between strategy and execution, turning ambiguity into a clear roadmap and rallying plant leaders around it.

You'll model Ford's Operating System Behaviors, embed Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost (SQDC) discipline into every transformation initiative, and be judged not by activity but by durable results: measurable Lean maturity, scaled digital tools that move throughput and cost, and a performance management system that plant leaders trust and use every day.

Safety

• Safety Culture: Champion and help sustain a "Safety First" culture across the network, partnering with plant and site leaders to protect the physical and psychological wellbeing of a growing, diversifying workforce — including awareness of unique hazards present in advanced/high-tech environments (e.g., high-voltage systems, clean rooms, battery chemistry).
• Incident Reduction: Support proactive risk assessment and human-factors analysis as part of transformation initiatives, embedding safety metrics into performance governance to drive continual reduction of Total Recordable Incident Rate.

Quality & Operational Excellence

• Lean & FPS Deployment: Lead the deployment and maturation of Lean manufacturing principles (Ford Production System / World Class Manufacturing) across engine, powertrain, battery, and vehicle assembly plants, applying FPS principles even to novel, high-tech, or cleanroom manufacturing processes.
• Standardized Problem-Solving: Drive standardized problem-solving, waste elimination, and continuous improvement (Kaizen) culture throughout operations.
• Quality Standards & Metrics: Establish and track lean maturity and quality metrics, incorporating predictive analytics and process-integrity standards to ensure consistent methodology deployment across sites.

Digital Strategy &…