Business Operations Manager, Ford Energy
Dearborn, MI - USA
Job Summary
Ford Energy is a newly formed wholly-owned subsidiary of Ford Motor Company dedicated to accelerating U.S. energy independence. Leveraging Fords 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 worlds most iconic brands.
The Business Operations Manager position within Ford Energy represents a unique chance to lead a high-growth entrepreneurial division during the most significant pivot in the companys history. This role serves as the essential connective tissue across the organization - the manager directly influences the profitability and scalability of the broader corporate growth plan. Beyond traditional administration this is a rare chance to lead the transition of a global icon from a traditional manufacturer into a leader in the sustainable energy ecosystem blending the entrepreneurial speed and agility of a startup with the massive scale brand power and resources of a legendary corporation. Ultimately this role offers executive visibility and the chance to build the operational architecture for a sustainable future making it a premier platform for professional growth and strategic impact within the global energy transition.
Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership & Vision:
- Draft and maintain the operational roadmap develop organization objectives set monthly performance targets and track KPIs to ensure team activities align with the broader corporate strategy.
- Monitor the operational budget review department expenditures and perform regular audits to identify cost-saving opportunities.
- Standardize business workflows by writing and updating Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and implementing automation tools to streamline work practices.
- Facilitate weekly cross-departmental meetings between engineering finance legal and sales to resolve operational roadblocks and ensure project milestones are met. Ensure standard cadence is efficient with agenda driven discussions and key stakeholder attendance.
- Construct and update data dashboards to track key metrics such as operational throughput providing weekly status reports to executive leadership.
- Manage resource allocation and headcount partner with HR and Finance to ensure resources are accurately reflected in cost and reporting systems; support onboarding new staff to confirm the team has the necessary tools and access to execute their daily tasks
Leadership Attributes - Strategic Synthesis: Connecting departmental data to provide executives with a holistic big picture view of the business.
- Influence Without Authority: Driving accountability and results across senior leadership teams without having direct reporting lines.
- Executive Presence: Distilling complex operational noise into clear high-level insights that facilitate rapid decision-making.
- Operational Discipline: Maintaining extreme accuracy in KPI reporting to ensure leadership makes decisions based on a single source of truth.
- Agility: Navigating the fast-paced startup environment of the energy transition with a flexible problem-solving mindset.
- Systems Thinking: Designing scalable repeatable processes that prevent recurring issues rather than just solving isolated problems.
- Discretion: Handling highly sensitive strategic financial and personnel information with absolute integrity and judgment.
- Intellectual Honesty: Providing candid data-backed feedback to ensure executive strategy remains grounded in operational reality.
Qualifications
Youll have...
- Bachelors degree in business administration Finance Engineering or a related field.
- 58 years of experience in business operations strategic planning management consulting or program management.
- Proven experience managing departmental budgets or P&L statements with the ability to perform cost-benefit analyses and financial forecasting.
- Demonstrated ability to lead complex cross-functional projects involving multiple stakeholders (e.g. Legal Finance Engineering) and deliver them on schedule.
- Advanced skills in data analysis and tools (specifically Microsoft Excel) to track KPIs and translate raw operational data into business recommendations.
- Strong verbal and written communication skills with experience presenting operational updates and strategic plans to senior leadership.
- Proven track record of identifying operational bottlenecks and implementing process improvements that resulted in measurable efficiency gains.
- Willingness to learn the fundamentals of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) and the broader energy landscape.
- Demonstrated ability to maintain a positive solutions-oriented approach when navigating shifting project priorities and a rapidly evolving environment.
- Confident execution under tight deadlines while effectively prioritizing tasks in a high-demand fast-paced setting.
- Professional maturity to navigate ambiguity and drive results during the scale-up phase of a new business unit.
Even better you may have...
- Masters degree in a field related to Energy Systems or Sustainability.
- Direct experience in the energy sector specifically within renewable energy utilities grid services or the electric vehicle (EV) ecosystem.
- Lean Six Sigma (Green or Black Belt) or PMP (Project Management Professional) certification.
- Experience working in a high-growth startup environment or helping to launch a new business unit within a large global corporation.
You may not check every box or your experience may look a little different from what weve 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 builderor 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 Years Day
Paid time off and the option to purchase additional vacation time.
This position is leadership level 6 and ranges from $115500-$218100.
Final determination of salary grade will be based on candidates 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: 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 the United States if you need a reasonable accommodation for the online application process due to a disability please call 1-.
This position is hybrid. Candidates who are in commuting distance to a Ford hub location may be required to be onsite four or more days per week.
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.
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Required Experience:
Manager
About Company
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