BESS Battery Module Program Manager, Ford Energy

About the role

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).

Responsibilities

• Module Development and Program Leadership - Lead the full program lifecycle for the BESS battery module, from initial requirements definition and concept development through design release, validation, launch, and production stabilization.
• Own integrated program timing, scope, risk management, issue resolution, and action tracking across internal Ford teams and external suppliers.
• Drive regular program reviews, decision forums, and escalation paths to ensure disciplined execution and timely closure of open items.
• Translate customer and business requirements into executable engineering, manufacturing, and launch plans.
• Upfront Module Design and Technical Alignment - Lead coordination of upfront module design activities, including architecture definition, interface alignment, manufacturability, serviceability, and robustness.
• Support the development of the module around LFP prismatic cells, ensuring design assumptions, packaging constraints, thermal considerations, and assembly requirements are clearly aligned.
• Coordinate technical input from Ford Energy Engineering, Ford Auto Engineering, and Supplier Technical Assistance to support sound design decisions.
• Ensure module requirements are mature before launch into validation and industrialization gates.
• Support early DFMEA, design reviews, and technical tradeoff discussions to reduce downstream launch risk.
• Supplier Collaboration and Industrialization - Serve as the primary program interface with the customer and external module and line suppliers for module development and launch execution.
• Ensure supplier deliverables, tooling readiness, equipment maturity, and manufacturing assumptions are aligned with program timing and technical requirements.
• Drive cross-functional coordination across prototype builds, validation builds, pilot builds, and production launch events.
• Work closely with manufacturing teams in Kentucky to confirm process readiness, line capability, and launch support needs.
• Monitor supplier progress against program commitments and escalate issues that may affect timing, quality, or cost.
• Validation, Launch, and Production Readiness - Lead program execution through APQP-style development gates, including design validation, process validation, and launch readiness reviews.
• Support completion of key launch deliverables such as DFMEA, PFMEA, control plan development, PPAP readiness, and build event closure.
• Drive issue resolution through prototype, validation, and launch phases using structured problem-solving and clear ownership.
• Ensure a safe, stable, and high-quality transition from development into production.
• Support early production stabilization and corrective action planning for issues identified during launch.
• Ensure program activities align with applicable quality, safety, and battery-specific requirements.
• Maintain clear visibility into program timing, cost, risks, open actions, and decision points for leadership and stakeholders.
• Prepare executive-level updates that clearly communicate program health, key issues, recovery plans, and next steps.
• Track key metrics and ensure timely closure of deliverables affecting design maturity, validation, launch, and production readiness.
• Support business-case alignment, supplier performance review, and launch budget awareness as required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, or a related technical field.
• 7+ years of experience in automotive battery, energy storage, manufacturing, or technical program management.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex cross-functional programs with internal teams, customers, and external suppliers.
• Strong understanding of battery module development, manufacturing launch, and supplier industrialization.
• Proven ability to manage timing, risk, escalation, and stakeholder communication in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience working with engineering, manufacturing, quality, and supply chain teams.
• Even better, you may have...
• Experience with BESS, battery modules, EV battery systems, or high-voltage automotive battery programs.
• Familiarity with LFP cell-based architectures and prismatic cell module designs.
• Experience with APQP, PPAP, DV, PV, launch readiness, or similar automotive industrialization processes.
• Background working with contract manufacturers, module suppliers, or battery line integrators.
• Experience supporting manufacturing operations in the U.S., especially in greenfield or ramp-up environments.
• Master’s degree in Engineering, Program Management, or a related field.
• Leadership Attributes - Highly organized and execution-focused leader with a strong sense of urgency and accountability.
• Skilled at driving alignment across engineering, manufacturing, supplier, and customer organizations.
• Technically credible, with the ability to understand complex battery and manufacturing issues.
• A clear communicator who can manage both detailed working-level discussions and executive-level updates.
• Collaborative, resilient, and capable of navigating ambiguity in a fast-moving development environment.