Maintenance Engineer, Ford Energy

Alfa Laval Inc.; Glendale Junction (KY); On-site; USD 65,100 - 166,200; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision coverage

Vehicle discount program

Tuition assistance

Paid time off

Job summary

Ford Energy is seeking a Maintenance Engineer to lead reliability and uptime across battery cell and BESS production lines. You will drive MOS programs, optimize maintenance tasks, and coordinate equipment rebuilds with engineering and production teams.

This role emphasizes data-driven maintenance, preventative/predictive practices, and hands-on leadership across shifts in a startup manufacturing environment. Domestic/international travel may be required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering is required.
• Maintenance experience with ability to optimize equipment programs and troubleshoot to root cause.
• Willingness to work across shifts and travel domestically/internationally.

Responsibilities

• Lead MOS initiatives within the production and facilities department.
• Optimize current production processes and maintenance tasks across battery cell and BESS equipment.
• Lead equipment rebuilds and coordinate shutdown planning with engineers and production teams.
• Develop preventative and predictive maintenance practices to ensure 100% equipment uptime.
• Own the MOS Board, maintain spare parts inventory, and utilize Maximo to track and report on key maintenance metrics.
• Champion continuous improvement, ensuring capability is developed at the lowest level of the organization.

Skills

Maintenance experience

Excel

AutoCAD

Maximo

Communication

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Tools

AutoCAD

Maximo

Job description

Ford Energy is a newly formed, wholly-owned subsidiary of Ford Motor Company dedicated to accelerating U.S. energy independence. Leveraging Ford’s century of manufacturing excellence and world-class battery energy storage systems (BESS) technology, Ford Energy designs, manufactures, and services grid-scale and commercial DC battery energy storage systems (BESS). Ford Energy is uniquely positioned to capture the growing demand for reliable, US-built energy storage systems. We are not just building batteries; we are building the infrastructure for the next generation of the American grid.

Why Ford Energy?

At Ford Energy, you have the backing of an industrial manufacturing powerhouse with the agility of a dedicated energy startup offering industry leading technology. We offer a competitive compensation package including performance-based bonuses, Ford vehicle discounts, and the opportunity to shape the energy strategy of one of the world's most iconic brands.

In this position...

As a Maintenance Engineer, you will play a vital role in leading maintenance operations that keep our battery cell and BESS module/container manufacturing lines running with precision and uptime. In this critical role, you will:

Lead with Integrity:

Ensure the safe, reliable, and disciplined operation of production and facilities equipment across our energy storage manufacturing environment.

Innovate:

Apply a self-starter mindset to optimize equipment programs, troubleshoot to root cause, and drive predictive/preventative maintenance practices.

Drive Excellence:

Be the go-to expert for maintenance reliability, ensuring our facility operates with the precision required to deliver world-class energy products.

What you’ll do...

Greenfield Production Excellence & Manufacturing Systems

• Lead Maintenance Operating System (MOS) initiatives within the production and facilities department.
• Optimize current production processes and maintenance tasks across battery cell and BESS assembly equipment.
• Lead equipment rebuilds and coordinate project and shutdown planning with engineers and production teams.
• Develop preventative and predictive maintenance practices to ensure 100% equipment uptime.
• Own the MOS Board, maintain spare parts inventory, and utilize Maximo to track and report on key maintenance metrics.
• Champion continuous improvement, ensuring capability is developed at the lowest level of the organization.

Leadership – Culture

• Embrace the Gemba philosophy: Regularly engage on the floor to monitor equipment health, listen to technicians, and solve problems where the work happens.
• Remove Barriers: Proactively troubleshoot equipment issues to identify root cause and eliminate constraints impacting production.
• Collaborate across functions: Work seamlessly with production and engineering teams to support new model and equipment launches.
• Excellent communicator who can train and coach both hourly and salary team members.
• Lead and coach maintenance technicians on the floor, building quality and equipment ownership.
• Take ownership of projects and see them through to completion with limited supervision.

Strategic – Reliability

• Provide input on new equipment design and purchase as the site builds out battery cell and BESS assembly capacity.
• Support new model and equipment launches as required.
• Conduct spare part inventory auditing to ensure parts availability aligns with maintenance demand.
• Report out on key metrics around maintenance performance and equipment reliability.

Capabilities for Success

• Resilient Problem Solver: Able to optimize equipment programs and troubleshoot issues to identify root cause quickly.
• Self-Starter: Takes ownership of projects and drives them to completion with limited supervision.
• Strong Communicator: Bridges the gap between shop floor technicians and corporate engineering teams.
• Agile Mindset: Comfortable working across shifts and navigating the ambiguity of a startup manufacturing environment.

You’ll have...

• Bachelor's degree in engineering required
• Maintenance experience with the ability to optimize equipment programs and troubleshoot to root cause
• Flexibility to support business needs by working across various shifts
• Domestic and international travel may be required

Even better, you may have...

• 3-5 years of experience in manufacturing
• Skills: Computer efficiency; excellent communicator able to train hourly and salary team members
• Lean implementation experience
• AutoCAD and Maximo proficiency
• High-volume manufacturing/assembly experience; battery or energy storage manufacturing a plus
• Excel proficiency
• Ability to read and interpret engineering blueprints and technical manuals
• Data-driven mindset with a focus on "value-added" reporting and problem-solving
• Leadership Attributes:
  • Decisive Under Pressure: The ability to remain calm and make rapid, data-driven decisions during equipment failures or production constraints.
  • Adaptability: The resilience to lead a team through the ambiguity of a new site startup, where processes are being built and refined in real-time.
  • Business Partner: The ability to translate technical maintenance needs into clear, actionable plans for production and engineering stakeholders.
  • ONE FORD Leadership: Demonstrates outstanding interpersonal, teambuilding, and communication skills across the organization.

You may not check every box, or your experience may look a little different from what we've outlined, but if you think you can bring value to Ford Motor Company, we encourage you to apply!

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 a range of salary grade 5-8 and ranges from $65,100-$166,200.

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.

Company: As Ford establishes a wholly owned subsidiary focused on Battery Energy Storage Systems, this role will initially be employed by Ford and is expected to transition to the subsidiary within one year.