Manufacturing, HR Business Partner

Ford Ford · Auto · Chicago, IL +1 · Employee Relations

This role is for a Manufacturing HR Business Partner at Ford, supporting hourly and salaried employees in automotive manufacturing plants. The position focuses on strategic HR initiatives, talent management, workforce planning, culture development, labor relations, and HR operations. The goal is to optimize organizational effectiveness, foster a positive work environment, ensure compliance, and drive business objectives through HR strategies.

What you'd actually do

  1. Serve as a trusted advisor to plant leadership, translating business strategy into impactful HR initiatives that optimize organizational effectiveness and elevate the employee experience. Leverage deep operational acumen, gained through immersive Gemba walks and direct engagement with leadership, to proactively identify and address human capital needs within our lean manufacturing and logistics environments, delivering strategically aligned HR solutions that directly accelerate business success and cultivate a high-performance culture.
  2. Design and execute advanced talent management strategies, encompassing performance optimization, leadership development, robust succession planning, strategic compensation, and integrated talent acquisition. Proactively analyze future workforce needs and capabilities, implementing innovative hourly talent programs (e.g., apprenticeship pathways, reskilling initiatives, strategic placements) that build a high-performing, engaged, and resilient workforce pipeline essential for future growth and our organizational transformation.
  3. Champion a data-first approach, leveraging HR analytics platforms (e.g., Visier, Voice) to extract critical insights, predict workforce trends, and inform strategic decision-making at the operational leadership level. Lead complex change management initiatives across diverse stakeholder groups, effectively shifting organizational mindsets and mitigating risks to successfully achieve critical business objectives during our ongoing lean and organizational transformation.
  4. Lead strategic engagement with labor unions and employee representatives, fostering a proactive and high-trust partnership essential for operational stability and continuous improvement. Play a pivotal role in collective bargaining, negotiating innovative and mutually beneficial agreements that advance long-term business objectives and enhance labor-management relations within our highly dynamic unionized landscape. This strategic leadership directly contributes to stable labor environments, supports sustainable business growth, and ensures employee well-being.
  5. Master the resolution of complex, high-volume union grievances, arbitrations, and disciplinary actions, serving as a critical architect of fair, consistent, and timely outcomes central to our operational environment. Conduct incisive and impartial investigations into sensitive union-related matters, applying advanced conflict resolution and critical thinking to mitigate risk, uphold equity, and safeguard organizational interests.

Skills

Required

  • HR business partnership
  • Talent management
  • Workforce planning
  • Change management
  • Labor relations
  • Grievance management
  • Collective bargaining
  • HR compliance
  • Risk mitigation
  • Employee relations
  • DEI initiatives

Nice to have

  • HR analytics platforms (e.g., Visier, Voice)
  • Apprenticeship pathways
  • Reskilling initiatives

What the JD emphasized

  • lean manufacturing
  • organizational transformation
  • collective bargaining
  • unionized landscape
  • union grievances
  • collective bargaining agreements