Automation & Controls Engineering Supervisor

Ford; Dearborn (MI); On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical coverage

Dental coverage

Vision coverage

Parental leave

Vehicle discount program

Tuition assistance

Employee resource group

Job summary

Ford seeks a senior strategic controls leader to guide technical teams across Vehicle Operations and Powertrain Manufacturing Engineering at our Dearborn, MI campus. You will shape how we design, validate, deploy, and continuously improve automation and controls solutions for a global manufacturing footprint.

The role emphasizes uptime, quality, throughput, and launch readiness, with travel up to 40%. You will translate field experience into stronger specifications and durable manufacturing

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or related field.
• 10+ years of controls engineering experience with leadership.
• Proven ability to manage complex technical projects.
• Hands-on troubleshooting across PLCs, robots, vision, and networks.
• Experience with Schneider, Bosch, Siemens, and Rockwell platforms.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end controls engineering programs across manufacturing.
• Set strategic priorities and ensure disciplined execution of scope, cost and schedule.
• Partner with Manufacturing, IT, Product Development and suppliers.
• Develop and sustain controls playbook, standards and trainings.
• Drive uptime, quality, throughput, safety and data enablement goals.

Skills

Controls engineering

PLC troubleshooting

Robot vision

Network protocols

Industrial automation

Cross-functional leadership

Education

B.E. in Electrical Engineering

Tools

Schneider

Bosch

Siemens

Rockwell

Job description

Strategic Leadership Mandate

As a senior technical and people leader, you will guide teams and strategic initiatives supporting Vehicle Operations and Powertrain Manufacturing Engineering while partnering across Manufacturing, IT, Product Development, Research and Advanced Engineering, and supplier organizations. Your leadership will help define how Ford designs, validates, deploys, and continuously improves automation and controls solutions across a complex global manufacturing footprint.

This position offers the opportunity to influence the controls engineering agenda for next-generation manufacturing. The successful candidate will lead high-value initiatives tied to uptime, quality, throughput, launch readiness, safety, data enablement, and Zero Fault Forward capability-bringing clarity, discipline, and technical judgment to the systems that keep production moving.

Drive accountable controls delivery of Powertrain and Final Assembly programs, ensuring disciplined execution across scope, timing, cost, quality, supplier performance, risk resolution, manufacturing readiness, and launch.

Set direction for strategic controls engineering priorities that improve manufacturing execution, operational reliability, and technical readiness.

Partner with manufacturing leaders to uncover systemic opportunities, resolve complex issues, and deliver practical, scalable solutions.

Champion advanced automation, error proofing, data integration, connected manufacturing, and supplier capability development.

Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing technical team while building durable knowledge systems, standards, and lessons learned.

Translate field experience into stronger specifications, smarter launches, and more resilient manufacturing systems.

Responsibilities:

The supervisor is accountable for disciplined end-to-end program delivery-driving scope, timing, cost, quality, supplier performance, risk resolution, and launch readiness-and will help establish and sustain the controls engineering playbook, including standards, lessons learned, useful-life matrix inputs, SME-based training, Basket of Goods cost information, component selection, deviation management, IT systems integration standards, and risk assessment questionnaires.

The role also provides leadership across cycle line and facilities layout reviews, controls design reviews, machinery safety risk assessments, tool buy-off and build follow-up, common programming practices, safety requirements, Protag reviews, troubleshooting and fault analysis, FIS and IIoT data direction, throughput and constraint analysis, Andon functionality, PLC logic, station numbering, and downtime issue resolution.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or a related technical discipline.
• Minimum of 10 years of relevant controls engineering experience, with demonstrated ability to lead complex technical work.
• Strong project management, organizational, communication, and cross-functional leadership skills.
• Hands-on expertise troubleshooting PLC, robot, vision, network, and broader automation systems.
• Knowledge of industrial automation programming principles, including Schneider, Bosch, Siemens, and Rockwell platforms.
• Experience with networking, communication protocols, fieldbus architectures, and IT standard applications.
• Knowledge of RFID systems, complexity management, scheduling, and quality-of-service strategies.
• Familiarity with international electrical and safety standards, including UL, ISO, IEC, risk assessments, PSS, and integrated safety processes.
• Ability to interpret electrical, pneumatic, and hydraulic prints and connect design decisions to plant-floor outcomes.
• Experience supporting programs from cost study through launch, including GPDS deliverables and manufacturing readiness.
• Ability to travel up to 40% domestically and internationally, including Canada and Mexico.

As an established global company, we offer the benefit of choice. You can choose what your Ford future will look like: will your story span the globe, or keep you close to home? Will your career be a deep dive into what you love, or a series of new teams and new skills? Will you be a leader, a changemaker, a technical expert, a culture builder...or all of the above? No matter what you choose, we offer a work life that works for you, including:

• 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 g