Team Manager, Maintenance, 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 the Maintenance Team Manager, you will be a critical architect of reliability and technical excellence at our state‑of‑the‑art facility. You will lead a high‑performing team to ensure equipment uptime, optimize life‑cycle costs, and drive the Maintenance Operating System (MOS). This role is pivotal in our transition to electrification, requiring a leader who can navigate the ambiguity of a greenfield startup while building a culture of "leaders as teachers" and technical precision. Responsibilities What you’ll do... Maximize Asset Reliability: Design and execute equipment maintenance strategies (Preventive, Predictive, and Corrective) to ensure reliability meets or exceeds production capacity targets. Orchestrate the Maintenance Operating System (MOS): Direct the implementation of standard manufacturing maintenance protocols, ensuring data integrity within the CMMS (Maximo) and alignment with global standards. New Equipment Integration: Partner with Engineering to evaluate new equipment specifications, ensuring long‑term maintainability and spare parts optimization from the design phase through installation. Continuous Improvement (CI): Champion a TPM (Total Productive Maintenance) culture, leveraging Six Sigma methodologies and PLC diagnostics to solve complex technical challenges and improve First‑Time‑Through (FTT) capability. Strategic Planning: Formulate and manage multi‑million dollar O&M budgets and capital projects, ensuring fiscal responsibility and alignment with plant profitability. People, Culture & Safety Safety Leadership: Serve as the primary advocate for safety, ensuring all maintenance activities—especially high‑risk electrical events—are performed with zero‑compromise adherence to safety protocols. Lead & Coach: Manage and mentor a multi‑skilled team of engineers and technicians, fostering a "Leaders as Teachers" environment that prioritizes technical upskilling. Build an Agile Organization: Recruit and develop a diverse, high‑performing team capable of supporting advanced battery technology and automated manufacturing systems. Empowerment & Inclusion: Create a culture of trust and psychological safety, encouraging diversity of thought and removing systemic barriers to team success. Schedule Requirements Operational Flexibility: As a key leader in a 24/7 manufacturing environment, candidates must have the flexibility to work across all established shifts, including nights, weekends, and holidays, particularly during the launch and commissioning phases. Qualifications You’ll have... Education: Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical/Automation Engineering, or a related technical field. Experience: 3+ years of maintenance management experience in a high‑volume manufacturing environment (Automotive, Aerospace, or Electronics preferred). Systems Expertise: 3+ years of experience utilizing Maximo or an equivalent Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) system. Financial Acumen: Proven experience managing departmental budgets and large‑scale capital projects. Technical Leadership: Demonstrated ability to lead technical teams through complex equipment commissioning and high‑pressure troubleshooting scenarios. Even better, you may have... Advanced Degree: Master’s degree in Engineering or an MBA. Electrification Background: Direct experience with lithium‑ion battery production equipment or advanced robotics. Automation Proficiency: 3+ years of hands‑on experience with PLC programming (e.g., Allen Bradley, Siemens) and industrial networking. Process Excellence: Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification and a deep understanding of Lean Manufacturing/TPM. Startup Experience: Prior experience in a "Greenfield" site startup or major facility brownfield conversion. Leadership Attributes Strategic Visionary: Able to translate the rapidly evolving global energy storage market into actionable maintenance strategies. Decisive Under Pressure: The ability to remain calm and make rapid, data‑driven decisions during facility constraints or critical equipment failures. 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 requirements into sound financial business cases for executive stakeholders. 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 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. 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. 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 View phone number on click.appcast.io. Job Info Job Identification 62575 Job Category Manufacturing Posting Date 04/28/2026, 05:09 PM Locations 2022 Battery Park Dr, Glendale, KY, 42740, US (On‑site) #J-18808-Ljbffr