Autonomous Robotics Launch Manager

Ford Motor Company; Dearborn (MI); Hybrid; USD 116,000 - 218,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision coverage

Family care benefits

Vehicle discount program

Tuition assistance

Paid time off & holidays

Job summary

Ford Motor Company seeks a senior robotics software and controls leader to guide autonomous material handling across Ford's manufacturing sites. You will shape the strategy, oversee multi-disciplinary teams, and ensure safe, reliable AMR deployments.

This role blends strategic leadership with deep technical expertise in perception, localization, and software integration, requiring travel to North American plants and collaboration with IT, MP&L, and suppliers.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering or related field.
• 5–10 years in robotics, automation, or software engineering.
• 3–5+ years in leadership roles.
• Deep understanding of AMR autonomy, sensor fusion, and ADAS-style algorithms.
• Strong experience with SOW creation, vendor management and full lifecycle deployments.
• Willingness to travel to USA, Canada, and Mexico plants.

Responsibilities

• Lead robotics software and controls teams across multiple Ford sites.
• Define software standards, architecture guidelines and best practices.
• Oversee autonomy software, sensor fusion pipelines, CV integrations.
• Translate business needs into detailed technical deliverables and milestones.
• Manage validation, simulation, and digital twin activities prior to deployment.
• Coordinate with MP&L, IT, Operations and external suppliers.

Skills

Robotics leadership

AMR autonomy

Sensor fusion

SOW creation

Vendor management

Education

Bachelor's in Engineering or related field

Tools

ROS

Gazebo

Isaac Sim

Job description

We made history and now we work to transform the future – for our customers, our communities and our families. You'll see your work on the road every day, helping people move freely and pursue their dreams. At Ford, you can build more than vehicles. Come build what matters.

What You’ll Do

This role leads a multi-plant engineering and project delivery team responsible for defining, developing, and deploying next-generation autonomous robotics technologies used in Ford’s manufacturing in-plant logistics environment. This leader oversees advanced AMR/AGV platforms, embedded controls, ML-based perception systems, ADAS-inspired autonomy stacks, and large-scale software integrations that support material delivery launches across Ford’s global plants.

This role requires a unique blend of strategic leadership, deep software and controls technical expertise, and the ability to guide complex robotics programs from early concepts through industrial deployment. The manager directs software-heavy engineering activities—such as perception modeling, mapping/localization, fleet management coding, and autonomy stack refinement—while ensuring alignment with Ford safety, cybersecurity, and plant operations standards.

The ideal candidate is a strong People Leader with the ability to drive clarity, technical alignment, and on-time delivery in a fast-paced, multi-location environment. Mexico

Reporting into: SCA staff, Dearborn, MI USA

Leadership & Technical Direction

• Lead a high-performing team of robotics engineers, software developers, and launch Establish coding standards, software development best practices, and architecture guidelines for robotics platforms used within MP&L.
• professionals delivering AMR/automation across multiple Ford manufacturing sites.
• Provide high-level technical oversight of autonomy software, ADAS-style sensor fusion pipelines, software frameworks, and computer vision integrations.
• Drive clarity and technical alignment between software teams, controls teams, IT, plant operations, and external vendors.

Technology Strategy & Robotics Software Development

• Shape Ford’s long-term strategy for AMR autonomy stacks- including sensor fusion, perception, mapping, localization, motion planning, and safety systems.
• Drive standardization of Ford’s AMR software frameworks across plants to reduce cost, improve reliability, and create enterprise-wide scalability.

Software-Driven Project Execution & SOW Development

• Lead authoring and negotiation of software-focused SOWs covering autonomy behaviors, fleet algorithms, sensor calibration requirements, MCU/SoC/MPU integration, and cybersecurity standards.
• Translate business objectives and plant needs into detailed technical deliverables for internal teams and external suppliers—including coding milestones, functional safety requirements, and software validation criteria.
• Oversee architecture, debugging, simulation, digital twin validation, and model-in-the-loop / software-in-the-loop testing environments prior to deployment.

Multi-Plant Launch Leadership

• Lead all software and controls readiness activities for AMR deployments during vehicle launches.
• Ensure perception models are tuned, localization maps validated, autonomy parameters calibrated, and fleet software integration is stable prior to go-live.
• Resolve high-complexity plant issues related to software behavior, routing algorithms, traffic orchestration, perception stack failures, and network integration.

Embedded Controls & Hardware Integration

• Guide integration of SoC/MPU/MCU controllers, safety PLCs, fieldbuses, and robotics sensors.
• Ensure motion controllers use appropriate constraint-based optimization, MPC, and control law tuning.

Software Validation & Simulation

• Oversee Gazebo, Isaac Sim, ROS simulation environments, digital twin development, and automated test harnesses.
• Approve model-based design artifacts and software validation reports.

Financial, Operational, and Stakeholder Accountability

• Manage multi-million-dollar budgets for robotics and software-driven automation projects.
• Conduct financial reviews, cost optimization, and ROI analyses related to autonomy and software-heavy system deployments.
• Interface with MP&L, MFE, IT, Manufacturing, Purchasing, Finance, Cybersecurity, and external robotics suppliers.

You’ll have...

• Bachelors in engineering, robotics, computer science, software engineering, or related field.
• 5–10 years in robotics, automation, or software engineering, with 3–5+ years in leadership.
• Deep understanding of AMR autonomy, ADAS-style algorithms, robotics controls, and sensor fusion.
• Strong track record in SOW creation, vendor management, and full lifecycle robotics deployments.
• Ability and willingness to travel to USA, Canada, Mexico plants as required.
• Proficient English language skills

Even better, you may have...

• Master’s degree in Robotics, Software Engineering, Business Administration (MBA), or Technical Leadership.
• Experience architecting advanced robotics autonomy stacks or ADAS systems.
• Familiarity with Ford GVOSS, GME-707, safety standards, and cybersecurity requirements.
• Experience with virtual commissioning, PLC safety systems, and industrial networking.

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 groups
• Paid time off for individual and team community service
• A generous schedule of paid holidays, including the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day
• Paid time off and the option to purchase additional vacation time.

This position is leadership level 6 and ranges from $115,500-$218,100.

Final determination of salary grade will be based on candidate's skills and experience, and base salary will be set within the applicable range according to job scope, responsibility and competitive market value.

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Candidates for positions with Ford Motor Company must be legally authorized to work in the United States. Verification of employment eligibility will be required at the time of hire.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, age, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status or protected veteran status. In the United States, if you need a reasonable accommodation for the online application process due to a disability, please call 1-888-336-0660. This position is hybrid. Candidates who are in commuting distance to a Ford hub location may be required to be onsite four or more days per week.