Production, Cell Area Manager, Ford Energy

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 an Area Manager, you will serve as a strategic leader on the manufacturing floor, bridging the gap between high-level business objectives and daily operational execution. You will lead a multi-shift production team to exceed safety, quality, and delivery targets while fostering a culture of continuous improvement and psychological safety.

What you'll do...

• Operational Excellence & Strategy: Deliver Results: Drive departmental KPIs (Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, and Morale) to align with and exceed plant-wide manufacturing objectives.
• Lean Leadership: Champion Lean Manufacturing principles and Continuous Improvement (CI) initiatives to eliminate waste and optimize throughput.
• Standardization: Lead change management efforts to establish, audit, and evolve manufacturing standards and best practices.  Serve as Site SME for Key Unifying Processes (KUP), partnering with other Area Managers to lead the standardized rollout and continuous evolution of these systems plant-wide.
• Data-Driven Decisions: Leverage manufacturing execution systems (MES) and real-time data to identify bottlenecks and implement sustainable solutions.
• People & Culture: Gemba Engagement: Practice active "Gemba" leadership by being present on the floor, listening to front-line challenges, and collaborating with operators to remove barriers.
• Talent Development: Build organizational capability by coaching and mentoring team members at all levels, ensuring robust succession planning and skill-upgrading.
• Culture Champion: Model the organization’s Vision, Mission, and Values to create a high-performance culture rooted in transparency, accountability, and inclusion.
• Empowerment: Facilitate a learning environment where employees are encouraged to provide feedback, solve problems, and take ownership of their work areas.

You'll have...

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain, Engineering, or a related field.
• Leadership Experience: 5+ years of progressive leadership experience in high-volume manufacturing (Automotive, Battery, or Electromechanical preferred).
• Operational Expertise: 10+ years of experience in business operations, material logistics, or capacity planning within a complex industrial environment.
• Strategic Communication: Proven ability to communicate complex operational concepts to all levels of leadership, from shop floor operators to executive stakeholders.
• Team Building: Demonstrated track record of attracting, developing, and retaining high-performing, results-oriented teams.
• Mobility: Ability to travel both domestically and internationally as required.
   

 Even better, you may have...

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, or Industrial).
• Industry Depth: 8+ years of specific experience in Battery manufacturing or advanced Electromechanical assembly.
• Cultural Intelligence: Proven ability to lead and align diverse, multicultural teams to achieve a unified business strategy.
• Business Acumen: Strong project management skills and financial literacy (P&L understanding).
• Language Skills: Proficiency in Mandarin is a significant plus.
• Leadership Attributes
• Visionary strategic thinker able to navigate rapidly evolving global energy storage markets.

Location & Travel
U.S. with domestic travel
 

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!
 

This position is leadership level 5 and ranges from $141,700-268,300.      
 

Final determination of salary grade will be based on candidate's skills and experience, and base salary will b