Industrial Controls Leader

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

Benefits offered by this job

Medical coverage

Dental and vision plans

Tuition assistance

Vehicle discount program

Paid time off and holidays

Flexible family care days

Employee resource groups

Job summary

Ford Motor Company in Dearborn, MI seeks a senior engineering lead to guide teams on manufacturing technology, controls design, and IT integration. You will mentor staff, document knowledge, and benchmark advancing technologies with suppliers.

The role emphasizes risk assessment for machinery safety, PLC, robot and vision system support, and collaboration across MFG, IT, PD, and R&A to drive projects from concept through launch.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or related discipline.
• Strong project management and organizational skills.
• Hands on knowledge to troubleshoot PLC, robot, vision, and other automation issues.
• Experience with industrial automation programming principals and safety standards.
• Understanding of IT and communication networks in manufacturing settings.

Responsibilities

• Lead team and projects supporting manufacturing using advanced technologies.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams (MFG, IT, PD, R&A, Suppliers).
• Benchmark technologies and develop supplier partnerships for capabilities.
• Provide technical leadership, mentoring, and knowledge documentation.
• Manage deviation processes and IT systems integration standards.
• Support controls design reviews, risk assessments for machinery safety, and PLC logic validation.
• Interface with Manufacturing Operations to identify technical challenges and opportunities.
• Lead downtime issue resolution and provide fault analysis expertise.

Skills

PLC troubleshooting

Robot automation

Vision systems

Industrial networking

Risk assessment

MFG IT interfaces

RFID systems

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering or related discipline

Tools

Schneider Electric

Bosch

Siemens

Rockwell Automation

Job description

Lead team and projects supporting manufacturing (VO & PMTE) using advanced technologies.

Collaborate with cross-functional teams (MFG, IT, PD, R&A, Suppliers).

Benchmark advanced technologies and develop supplier partnerships to support ZFF capabilities.

Provide technical leadership, mentoring, and knowledge documentation.

Ensure lessons learned are identified and applied to future projects.

Interface with Manufacturing Operations to identify technical challenges and opportunities.

Maintain and provide feedback and updates on: standards, lessons learned, useful life matrix, training (SME-based) and maintain Basket of Goods costs. Obtain and review feedback from Program Implementation teams, updating lessons learned as required. Perform component selection and evaluation; Manage deviation process; manage IT systems integration standards; manage risk assessment questionnaires.

Support cycle line layout/facilities layout support; Lead controls design reviews; Lead risk assessment for machinery safety; Perform tool buy-off; verify common Ford programming practices; review and sign-off safety requirements; manage build follow-up and buy-off. Support Protag reviews; provide troubleshooting and fault analysis expertise; provide direction and validation of FIS/IIoT data; participate in throughput and constraint analysis; support teams for controls reviews; validate Andon system function, PLC logic, and station numbering. Support downtime issue resolution.

• Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering or related discipline
• Strong project management and organizational skills
• Ability to work in a team environment, strong interpersonal and communication skills
• Hands on knowledge and ability to troubleshoot PLC, robot, vision, and other automation issues
• Networking and communication protocols experience
• Primary knowledge required in controls engineering with a minimum of 10 years of experience
• Knowledge of programming principals of Industrial Automation - Schneider, Bosch, Siemens & Rockwell
• Knowledge RFID systems including complexity management, scheduling, and QOS strategies
• Knowledge of international electrical/safety standards (UL, ISO, IEC etc. and familiarity with internal/external safety processes (Risk Assessments, PSS, Integrated Safety)
• Knowledge of and ability to read Electrical, Pneumatic, and Hydraulic Prints
• Understanding of communication network architectures and field bus protocols
• Extensive knowledge of IT standard applications
• Significant exposure/familiarity of all program delivery elements from the cost study phase to launch.
• Process engineering knowledge including GPDS deliverables and plant operational impact of controls designs

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.

For more information on salary and benefits, click here: https://fordcareers.co/LL6

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 with a requirement to be onsite four or more days per week.