Director, Hardware Engineering & Integration - ATP

About Ford

Do you want to change the world? Ford Motor Company has endured and thrived for more than 120 years by reimagining how things are built. Today, Ford is leading a once-in-a-generation transformation in manufacturing: scaling EVs and integrating robotics, additive, AI vision, and digital platforms into one operating system, built on the Ford Production System (FPS) and its digital layer, FPS+.

Ford runs more than 19,700 robots across 56 plants worldwide. The next step is to make every new robot, vision cell, and printer faster and cheaper to bring on line, and to own the hardware that makes Ford's automation Ford's.

The Opportunity

ATP's robotics strategy is to own the bookends and buy the middle. Ford owns the top layer (the plant ontology, the safety envelope, test and certification, and data rights) and the tool end (end effectors, tooling, and task models). The robot body in the middle is bought and swappable. Between those bookends sits the hardware ATP designs and the integration work that gets every cell running in a plant.

Today that hardware lives with a few teams, and integration is split across controls, launch, and virtual commissioning groups, with much of it bought from outside integrators. Integration is now the largest share of what it costs to deploy a cobot. This role brings both together: one director who owns the hardware ATP designs and the method that integrates and commissions it, plant after plant.

The Position

As Director, Hardware Engineering & Integration, ATP, you will report to the ATP vertical leader for Forge, Print and Global Operations. You will:

- Own engineering of ATP-owned hardware: end effectors and tooling, edge compute and enclosures, test cells for ATP's robot test and certification facility (RoboGym), and cable and wire-harness standards.

- Own the integration and commissioning method: virtual commissioning, factory and site acceptance testing, controls integration, and the standard work that makes each deployment repeatable.

- Lead ATP's integration and build team, a shared crew that installs and commissions robots, autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), and vision cells, and grow in-house capability that reduces reliance on outside integrators.

- Own the device readiness standard that suppliers of robots, AMRs, printers, and vision systems must meet: drivers, manifests, data interfaces, and safety documentation.

- Hand designs to TDM, Ford's prototype and manufacturing subsidiary, ready for manufacture so ATP hardware scales from prototype to production.

- Partner with the Forge-X humanoid program lead, Core controls engineering, and the Forge, Sight, and Print verticals.

Functional & Technical Knowledge

Minimum Requirements

- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Mechatronics, or Controls Engineering, or a related field.
- 12+ years in automation, robotics, or industrial equipment engineering, including 5+ years leading engineering teams.
- Hands-on experience designing robot cells and end-of-arm tooling and commissioning them in a production environment.
- PLC and controls integration experience (Rockwell, Siemens) and industrial networks (PROFINET, EtherNet/IP).
- Working knowledge of robot functional safety (ISO 10218, ISO 13849) and risk assessment practice.
- Design for manufacture experience, taking hardware from prototype to production.
- Experience leading teams on the plant floor and working with plant leadership through launch.

Preferred Requirements

- Background at an automotive OEM, Tier 1 supplier, or major automation integrator.
- Virtual commissioning tools (for example, Process Simulate or equivalent) and digital twin workflows.
- AMR fleet deployment and open interface standards (VDA 5050, OPC UA).
- Edge computing hardware for industrial environments.
- Functional safety certification (TÜV or equivalent) or a Professional Engineer license.

What You'll Receive in Return

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.