Director, Labor and Manufacturing Communications
Ford Motor Company · Dearborn, MI
- Level
- Director+
- Team
- Manufacturing
- Degree
- Required
- Experience asked
- 15+ years
- Industry
- Industrial
- Posted
- Recently
The role in 30 seconds
A director-level manufacturing role at Ford Motor Company (industrial) in Dearborn, MI.
- They ask for
- 15+ years · degree required
- Tools it names
- Automation
- Day to day
- some off-shift / weekend coverage
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of October 19, 2026
Manufacturing Engineer roles in Michigan: typical posted base $78k–$162k.
Median of the low and high ends of 25 live postings that list pay, out of 70 manufacturing engineer openings in Michigan, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
Michigan plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 69 other live manufacturing postings in Michigan.
- Base pay
- Not listed in this posting
- Experience asked
- More than usual (15+ vs 4+)
Typical $78k–$162k, from 25 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 4+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- ✓ New product launch 64%
- Tooling 53%
- Lean 39%
- Root cause 34%
- FMEA 34%
- Team leadership 29%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
At a glance
Pulled from the posting text. If it's not listed here, the posting didn't say.
How to get in at this plant
Five moves over a week or two. The first one takes ten minutes.
- 1
Pick 2–3 people on the Manufacturing team at Ford Motor Company
We found 7 people at this company and state: 6 in this kind of role, 1 leaders. Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. See them ↓
- 2
Send a short, curious note
One real question about their work. No favors yet. Each person gets a different note, written for this role.
Write to Chad → (free) - 3
Turn a reply into a short call
Questions worth asking about this team:
- What does a normal week look like on your team?
- Is the work mostly new product launches or sustaining existing lines?
- How much time do you spend on the floor versus at a desk?
- How does off-shift and weekend coverage work?
- How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
- 4
Apply with someone vouching for you
If the call went well, ask whether they’d pass your résumé to the hiring manager. Send your résumé link, apply that day, and let them know.
- 5
Bring proof to the interview
One page of before-and-after numbers from projects you led: scrap, OEE, cycle time, cost. Plant managers hire on results.
This plant: Ford Motor Company in Dearborn
4 other open roles at this site · 7 people we found in manufacturing roles at Ford Motor Company.
- Manufacturing Quality Engineer · Quality
- Engineering Specialist, Industrial · Industrial
- Manufacturing Engineer · Manufacturing
- Manufacturing Engineer- Electronics Inspection · Manufacturing
Full description from Ford Motor CompanyAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
We made history and now we work to transform the future – for our customers, our communities and our families. You'll see your work on the road every day, helping people move freely and pursue their dreams. At Ford, you can build more than vehicles. Come build what matters.
With a career on the Ford Communications team, you can bring the message of our exciting innovations to the world! You’ll help build and protect our global reputation, build stakeholder trust and further our mission of becoming the world’s most trusted mobility company. You’ll be part of a dedicated organization delivering best-in-class, high-impact communications programs that support our innovations, industry leadership and commitment to social responsibility.
In this position...
- •Lead internal and external communications for Ford’s U.S. Manufacturing footprint, ensuring a strategic narrative across stakeholder audiences that builds employee confidence and trust and grows reputation.
- •Partner with Labor Affairs and Manufacturing leaders to support the achievement of business objectives through communications.
- •Serve as a People Leader, responsible for the development and high-performance output of a team of communications professionals.
What you'll do...
- •Grow employee confidence: Develop and execute internal communications strategies to improve confidence in the Ford+ plan among U.S. hourly and salaried Manufacturing employees, particularly during footprint shifts and product timing changes. This includes overseeing major employee engagement initiatives.
- •Strengthen direct-to-employee communications: Establish new and refine existing communications channels to build trust between Manufacturing employees – before, during and after labor negotiations.
- •Build Manufacturing culture: Help drive a culture of respect, safety and quality in Ford Manufacturing sites.
- •Champion America’s automaker: Build Ford’s reputation as the most American automaker, finding storytelling and engagement opportunities in new product launches, investments, employee profiles and data.
- •Quality and innovation reputation: Position Ford Manufacturing as a quality and innovation leader, including by establishing Ford Manufacturing’s Advanced Technology and Platforms (ATP) group as the industrial technology provider of choice.
- •Amplify community work: Grow advocacy for Ford in plant cities by showcasing the work of Ford Community Relations.
- •Master complex stakeholder management: Navigate the intersection of Labor Affairs, Manufacturing, Government Affairs, Supply Chain and Communications to build reputation and employee sentiment.
- •Set a high bar: Promote a culture of excellence and creativity.
- •Empower and delegate: Embrace a leadership model that embeds team members in projects from inception, providing them with high-contact coaching and visibility.
- •Operationalize innovation: Proactively use AI for asset creation and workflow automation and apply Plan Do Check Adjust methodology to all major initiatives to ensure continuous improvement.
- •Build plant-level capability: Support plant communications coordinators as they manage employee communications and external storytelling in their communities.
- •Grow talent: Give and receive performance reflections constructively to support the team’s development.
- •Run governance: Apply the right balance of structure and agility to maximize effectiveness.
- •Develop your skills: Continuously improve your functional competency and leadership behaviors.
You'll have...
- •10-15+ years of communications experience with a focus on manufacturing, labor relations and industrial operations.
- •Bachelor’s degree in communication, journalism or related field.
Even better, you may have...
- •Exceptional proactive storytelling, media relations and crisis management skills.
- •Proven experience supporting senior executives and leading teams.
- •Well-developed business acumen and professional maturity.
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!
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 builder…or 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 childcare 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 Year’s Day
- •Paid time off and the option to purchase additional vacation time.
This position is a leadership level 4.
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.
For more information on salary and benefits, click here: https://fordcareers.co/LL4Benefits
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.
