As the Lead, you'll be heading up a technical team that goes directly onsite to plants. Your main mission will be to thoroughly evaluate these locations – looking at the physical space, analyzing how materials currently move around, and working closely with the people who know the facility best. Based on your findings, you'll be responsible for designing initial concepts for how AMRs could be implemented, assessing if these ideas are actually practical and feasible for that specific site, and carefully documenting all your observations and plans. Essentially, you're the expert who figures out the technical 'how' and 'if' for bringing AMR automation into the manufacturing world, laying the groundwork for successful deployments! It requires someone with solid technical skills and leadership experience. At Ford Motor Company, we believe freedom of movement drives human progress. With our incredible plans for the future of mobility, we have a wide variety of opportunities for you to accelerate your career and help us define tomorrow’s transportation. We are looking for a skilled and experienced Technical Solutions Lead to join our team as a Technical Solutions Lead. In this crucial role, you will be at the forefront of evaluating manufacturing facilities for the potential implementation of Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs). You'll lead a dedicated team of technical specialists onsite, diving deep into facility conditions, analyzing current material flow processes, and collaborating closely with plant personnel. Your expertise will be key in designing conceptual AMR solutions, assessing their feasibility, and documenting all findings to pave the way for successful automation deployments. + Coordinate team activities, assign tasks, and ensure the quality and efficiency of the onsite assessment process. + Provide technical guidance and support to team members during evaluations. + Ensure team safety and adherence to facility protocols while onsite. + Facility Evaluation & Data Collection: + Evaluate physical conditions such as flooring quality (levelness, cracks, expansion joints), lighting levels (impact on vision-based navigation), aisle widths, door clearances, and potential obstacles. + Assess existing infrastructure, including Wi-Fi coverage, network drops, power availability for charging, and accessibility to elevators or ramps. + Lead the detailed analysis of current material handling processes within the facility. + Map existing material flow paths, identifying sources, destinations, frequencies, volumes, and types of materials moved. + Analyze current pain points, bottlenecks, and opportunities for automation using AMRs. + Quantify movement data (distances, times, quantities) to build a baseline for comparison. + Serve as the primary technical point of contact for facility personnel during evaluations. + Work closely with Industrial Engineers to understand process flows, production schedules, and efficiency targets. + Engage with Manufacturing Planning & Logistics (MP&L) teams to understand material delivery requirements, inventory strategies, and sequencing needs. + Collaborate with Plant IT to assess network capabilities, server infrastructure, and potential integration points (WMS, MES, ERP). + Conduct interviews and workshops with operators and supervisors to gain practical insights into daily operations and challenges. + Based on evaluation findings and material flow analysis, design conceptual automated material flow processes utilizing AMRs. + Develop potential AMR routing strategies, charging station locations, and staging area layouts. + Assess the technical viability of the proposed automated process within the facility's constraints (flooring, lighting, layout, network). + Compare the requirements of the proposed solution against the capabilities of available AMR product lines (payload, speed, navigation type, battery life, safety features, communication protocols). + Determine which AMR platforms are the best fit or if custom solutions are required. + Evaluate operational feasibility, considering interaction with human workers and existing manual processes. + Oversee the creation of detailed evaluation reports summarizing findings on facility conditions, material flow analysis, and infrastructure. + Document proposed AMR solutions, including process maps, layout diagrams, and technical specifications. + Prepare and present feasibility reports, outlining recommended AMR platforms and highlighting potential challenges or risks. + Maintain accurate records of all data collected and analysis performed during the evaluation phase. + Require a Bachelor's degree in a relevant engineering field (like Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Robotics Engineering, or a related technical discipline). + Strong technical foundation is essential. + Proven experience working within manufacturing, production, or logistics/warehousing facilities. This is crucial because the role involves evaluating real-world plant conditions and processes. + Experience with material handling processes and systems is highly beneficial. + Direct experience with automation technologies, particularly robotics or Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs), is a major requirement. Understanding how they work, their capabilities, limitations, and implementation challenges is key. + Experience in evaluating, designing, or deploying automation solutions would be very relevant. + Demonstrated experience leading technical teams. The job explicitly states leading an onsite evaluation team. + Ability to coordinate tasks, manage team members, provide technical guidance, and ensure team safety and efficiency. + Experience conducting technical site surveys or evaluations. + Ability to assess physical infrastructure (flooring, lighting, network, power, etc.) and understand how it impacts automation technology. + Strong analytical skills, particularly in analyzing material flow processes, identifying bottlenecks, and mapping existing workflows (e.g., Value Stream Mapping, process mapping). + Ability to collect and quantify data related to material movement. + Excellent verbal and written communication skills. + Proven ability to collaborate effectively with diverse stakeholders within a plant environment (e.g., Industrial Engineers, Manufacturing Planning & Logistics, Plant IT, operators, supervisors). Serving as a primary technical point of contact requires strong interpersonal skills. + Experience conducting interviews or workshops to gather requirements and insights. + Experience creating detailed technical reports, summarizing findings, and documenting proposed solutions (including diagrams or layouts). + Ability to present findings and recommendations clearly to technical and non-technical audiences. + Position has requirement for onsite evaluations at manufacturing facilities, the ability and willingness to travel frequently would be a necessary qualification. + Communication and collaboration skills: Essential for working with plant personnel and teams. + Deep Company Knowledge: Understand the company's culture, internal processes, approval structures, and potentially the history of automation attempts or challenges within the organization. + Existing Relationships and Network: Have established relationships with key people in different departments – Plant IT, Manufacturing Engineering, Logistics, etc. – who are mentioned as crucial collaborators in the job description. This existing rapport can significantly smooth the collaboration process during site evaluations. + Familiarity with Company Systems: Already know how to use the company's specific WMS, MES, or ERP systems, or at least know who to contact about them, which is vital for integration discussions. Also be familiar with internal documentation standards or project management tools. + Understanding of Facilities (Potentially): Previously worked with some of the manufacturing sites that might be evaluated, bring pre-existing knowledge of facilities' layouts, challenges, or personnel. **Requisition ID** : 47973