Principal Architect, Industrial Systems

About Ford 

Come help build a better world, where every person is free to move and pursue their dreams …Ford Motor Company was built on the belief that freedom of movement drives human progress. It’s a belief that has fueled our passion to create great cars and trucks. And today, it drives our commitment to become the world’s most trusted mobility company, designing vehicles for a smart world that helps people move more safely, confidently, and freely. Ford is experiencing significant business transformation in an ever-changing digital world. We are dedicated to delivering distinctive products and solutions, having an “always on” relationship with customers and continuously improving our user experience. 

The Team 

Enterprise Technology plays a critical part in shaping the future of mobility. If you’re looking for a chance to leverage advanced technology to redefine the transportation landscape, enhance the customer experience and improve people’s lives, this is the opportunity for you. Join us and challenge your IT expertise and analytical skills. 

The Opportunity 

The Principal Industrial Systems Architect provides global leadership to a team of more than 40 architects who build and manage systems across the industrial platform. They will spearhead cross-platform efforts to align the design and implementation of industrial technologies with the company’s overarching technical strategy and current industry trends. This role ensures that all industrial systems are reliable, performant, and precisely tailored to meet evolving business needs. 

The Principal Architect drives alignment across all global regions and skill teams, ensuring that systems adhere to both industry and company standards. This requires close collaboration with cross-functional partners—including Infrastructure, developers, operations, and product managers—to gather requirements and ensure the platform serves the needs of all internal and external stakeholders. 

This executive interfaces with teams working on advanced manufacturing and emerging technologies to ensure these innovations are integrated into the long-term roadmap. They must exercise expert judgment to determine when to utilize existing, commonly deployed technologies and when to pioneer new paths. Ultimately, they are responsible for seamlessly defining and integrating strategic roadmaps for both tool selection and broader systems architecture. 

• Support the development and evolution of the Industrial System’s future state vision and roadmap by providing industry perspectives  

• Consult on emerging technology and business process modernization opportunities that are driving digital and AI-driven transformation in manufacturing and adjacent industries 

• Ensure delivery of architecture artifacts in line with delivery commitments and timeline 

• Partner with our Enterprise Platform Engineering and Operations team to develop a strategic and proactive roadmap for technology maintenance and remediation  

• Support the development and execution of an accelerated portfolio rationalization plan  

• Support cross-functional integration and alignment for end-to-end optimization across the Industrial value stream 

• Build strong partnerships with and operate as an integral part of the Industrial Systems leadership team to drive and shape the transformation of the Industrial System 

• Lead by example regarding solution and business architecture by participating in design sessions and engineering projects 

• Lead a team of architects located in Dearborn, Michigan, Chennai, India, and elsewhere. 

• Advise on how to prioritize updates of existing systems to meet the desired new architecture 

• Stay aligned with key vendors and investors on new companies and technologies that should be part of our strategy going forward 

• Stay on top of architecture trends and be prepared to advise teams across Ford how to keep up 

• Ensure solutions are fully aligned to the Ford technology strategy 

This role is on-site in Dearborn, Michigan. Some travel to manufacturing and logistics sites around the world is expected. 

The minimum requirements we seek 

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in a relevant field 

• 15+ years of progressive responsibilities in IT or an IT focused business area 

• 5+ years of experience in a field related to manufacturing or industrial systems 

• Working knowledge of cloud computing, especially Google Cloud Platform 

• Working knowledge of edge systems and on-premises computing in a manufacturing environment 

• Experienced in business and solutions architecture, including selection of tools and platforms 

• Strong outside-in perspective on the evolution of processes and technologies across Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain and Quality domains 

• Knowledge and familiarity with strategic technology platforms, including the Dassault Systems 3DExperience suite, Siemens Team Center, SAP/S4 MRP, Jira/JSM, and data centric architecture 

• Knowledge of IT/OT integration and edge-to-cloud infrastructure optimization 

Our preferred requirements 

• Master’s degree or equivalent experience in a relevant field 

• Extensive demonstrated competency in Enterprise Architecture 

• Experience working in areas related to the Industrial System such as manufacturing, supply chain, product development and engineering, transportation and logistics, and other related fields 

• Understanding of how to apply Enterprise Architecture processes, tools, and viewpoints to a large, complex organization, and how to use EA skills to keep complexity at bay 

• Understanding of the special circumstances of the automotive industry 

• Working knowledge of AI, including traditional and generative AI, and how to apply it to real-world applications 

• Knowledge of “cloud native” concepts in software architecture and delivery 

• Working understanding of cybersecurity principles 

• Must be skilled at influencing leaders and workers across the company at many different levels 

• Must be able to think and act strategically, without constraints 

• Must be able to develop a team, including growing employees’ performance and maturity, recruiting, and retaining key talent. 

• Strong ability to “lead by influence” as an architect, to be able to “push back” to ensure alignment with architecture principles, to know when not to push back quite as hard 

• Strong demonstrated competencies in influencing peers and business partners 

• Strong communication and collaborative skills with people at all levels of the company from senior-most executives to the people on the plant floor doing the work 

• Ability to “thrive in ambiguity” in leading teams to select the right solutions amid a complex environment 

• Proven ability to work closely with management one to four levels above and below both in the business and IT 

What We Can Offer 

As part of the Ford family, you’ll enjoy excellent compensation, and a comprehensive benefits package that includes generous PTO, retirement, savings and stock investment plans, incentive compensation, and much more. You’ll also experience exciting opportunities for professional and personal growth and recognition. 

Candidates for positions with Ford Motor Company must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a permanent basis. Verification of employment eligibility will be required at time of hire. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position. 

Ford is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to a culturally diverse workforce. 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.