Director, Hardware Engineering & Integration - ATP

Ford Motor Company; Dearborn (MI); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous PTO

Retirement benefits

Stock incentives

Incentive compensation

Job summary

Ford is seeking a Director of Hardware Engineering & Integration to lead the ATP-owned hardware, integration, and deployment strategy across Ford plants. You will own end effectors, tooling, edge compute, RoboGym test cells, and safety documentation while driving a standardized commissioning approach.

You will build and lead a multidisciplinary team, scale ATP hardware from prototype to production, and partner with Ford’s Forge and Global Operations leadership to deliver fast, safe, and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Mechatronics, or Controls Engineering, or a related field.
• 12+ years in automation, robotics, or industrial equipment engineering, including 5+ years leading engineering teams.
• Hands-on experience designing robot cells and end-of-arm tooling and commissioning them in production.
• PLC and controls integration experience with Rockwell and Siemens; knowledge of PROFINET and EtherNet/IP.
• Working knowledge of robot functional safety (ISO 10218, ISO 13849) and risk assessment.
• Design for manufacture experience; translating prototypes to production.
• Experience leading teams on the plant floor and coordinating with plant leadership during launches.

Responsibilities

• Lead design and validation of ATP hardware including end effectors, tooling, edge compute, and RoboGym cells.
• Own the integration and commissioning method: virtual commissioning, factory and site acceptance testing, controls integration, standard work.
• Lead ATP's integration and build team, installing and commissioning robots, AMRs, and vision cells.
• Own the device readiness standard: drivers, manifests, data interfaces, safety documentation.
• Hand designs to Ford's TDM ready for manufacture, scaling from prototype to production.
• Partner with the Forge-X humanoid program lead, Core controls engineering, and the Forge, Sight, and Print verticals.

Skills

Automation leadership

Robotics experience

Plant floor leadership

End-of-arm tooling design

Industrial networks

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Mechatronics, or Controls Engineering

Tools

Rockwell Automation

Siemens PLC

Virtual commissioning tools (Process Simulate)

AMR deployment

OPC UA

VDA 5050

Edge computing hardware

Job description

About Ford

Do you want to change the world? Ford Motor Company has endured and thrived for more than 120 years by reimagining how things are built. Today, Ford is leading a once-in-a-generation transformation in manufacturing: scaling EVs and integrating robotics, additive, AI vision, and digital platforms into one operating system, built on the Ford Production System (FPS) and its digital layer, FPS+.

Ford runs more than 19,700 robots across 56 plants worldwide. The next step is to make every new robot, vision cell, and printer faster and cheaper to bring on line, and to own the hardware that makes Ford's automation Ford's.

The Opportunity

ATP's robotics strategy is to own the bookends and buy the middle. Ford owns the top layer (the plant ontology, the safety envelope, test and certification, and data rights) and the tool end (end effectors, tooling, and task models). The robot body in the middle is bought and swappable. Between those bookends sits the hardware ATP designs and the integration work that gets every cell running in a plant.

Today that hardware lives with a few teams, and integration is split across controls, launch, and virtual commissioning groups, with much of it bought from outside integrators. Integration is now the largest share of what it costs to deploy a cobot. This role brings both together: one director who owns the hardware ATP designs and the method that integrates and commissions it, plant after plant.

The Position

As Director, Hardware Engineering & Integration, ATP, you will report to the ATP vertical leader for Forge, Print and Global Operations. You will:

• Own engineering of ATP-owned hardware: end effectors and tooling, edge compute and enclosures, test cells for ATP's robot test and certification facility (RoboGym), and cable and wire-harness standards.




• Own the integration and commissioning method: virtual commissioning, factory and site acceptance testing, controls integration, and the standard work that makes each deployment repeatable.




• Lead ATP's integration and build team, a shared crew that installs and commissions robots, autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), and vision cells, and grow in-house capability that reduces reliance on outside integrators.




• Own the device readiness standard that suppliers of robots, AMRs, printers, and vision systems must meet: drivers, manifests, data interfaces, and safety documentation.




• Hand designs to TDM, Ford's prototype and manufacturing subsidiary, ready for manufacture so ATP hardware scales from prototype to production.




• Partner with the Forge-X humanoid program lead, Core controls engineering, and the Forge, Sight, and Print verticals.

What You'll Be Able to Do

Engineer the Hardware ATP Owns

• Lead design and validation of end effectors, grippers, and tooling for Ford's highest-volume robotic applications.




• Own edge compute hardware and enclosures that connect plant equipment to the Ford platform.




• Build and maintain the RoboGym test cells where third-party robots are qualified against Ford's standard before they reach a plant.




• Set cable and wire-harness standards and build in-house harnessing capability so prototypes reach production quality without repeated rework.

Own Integration and Commissioning

• Set one commissioning method across ATP: risk assessment, virtual commissioning, factory acceptance, site acceptance, and handover to the plant.




• Integrate robots and cells with plant controls (PLC, safety PLC, HMI) and industrial networks (PROFINET, EtherNet/IP, OPC UA).




• Drive down cost and cycle time per deployment through standard designs, reusable controls templates, and lessons-learned loops.




• Train and certify plant and ATP engineers so plants can integrate, program, and maintain ATP technology in house.

Set the Device and Supplier Readiness Standard

• Define what every supplier device must ship with: a driver, a manifest, a data interface to the Ford platform, and safety documentation.




• Align fleet and AMR suppliers to open interface standards such as VDA 5050, and printer and vision suppliers to Ford's device standard.




• Run the qualification path with RoboGym so new equipment is tested once and approved for every plant.




• Write integration terms into sourcing so suppliers carry their share of integration effort.

Design for Manufacture and Scale with TDM

• Design ATP hardware for manufacture from the start: cost, tolerances, serviceability, and supplier readiness.




• Package designs, documentation, and test plans so TDM builds without redesign.




• Plan volumes and second sources for ATP-owned hardware as deployments grow.

Hold the Safety Bar

• Make functional safety the first gate for every cell: ISO 10218 for industrial robots, ISO/TS 15066 for collaborative applications, and ISO 13849 for safety-related controls.




• Require a documented risk assessment and validated safety functions before any cell runs in production.




• Partner with plant safety, controls, and cybersecurity teams on safe and secure commissioning.

Build and Lead the Team

• Lead and grow a multidisciplinary team of mechanical, electrical, controls, and commissioning engineers.




• Convert outside integrator work into in-house Ford capability, starting with the highest-volume applications.




• Set team structure, standard work, and career pathways, with a high bar for safety and quality.

Functional & Technical Knowledge

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Mechatronics, or Controls Engineering, or a related field.




• 12+ years in automation, robotics, or industrial equipment engineering, including 5+ years leading engineering teams.




• Hands‑on experience designing robot cells and end‑of‑arm tooling and commissioning them in a production environment.




• PLC and controls integration experience (Rockwell, Siemens) and industrial networks (PROFINET, EtherNet/IP).




• Working knowledge of robot functional safety (ISO 10218, ISO 13849) and risk assessment practice.




• Design for manufacture experience, taking hardware from prototype to production.




• Experience leading teams on the plant floor and working with plant leadership through launch.

Preferred Requirements

• Background at an automotive OEM, Tier 1 supplier, or major automation integrator.




• Virtual commissioning tools (for example, Process Simulate or equivalent) and digital twin workflows.




• AMR fleet deployment and open interface standards (VDA 5050, OPC UA).




• Edge computing hardware for industrial environments.




• Functional safety certification (TÜV or equivalent) or a Professional Engineer license.

What You'll Receive in Return

As part of the Ford family, you'll enjoy excellent compensation and a comprehensive benefits package that includes generous PTO, retirement, savings and stock investment plans, incentive compensation, and much more. You'll also experience exciting opportunities for professional and personal growth and recognition.