Senior Business Architect

Ford Ford · Auto · Long Beach, CA +2 · PD Operations and Quality

This role focuses on leading business and technology transformation initiatives within Ford's electric vehicle organization, defining and delivering new business capabilities, operating models, and cross-functional processes. It involves working across various departments to identify capability gaps, define problems, design solutions, and drive adoption of new processes and tools, requiring strategic thinking, business architecture discipline, and stakeholder influence.

What you'd actually do

  1. Lead end-to-end transformation initiatives that establish and mature business capabilities aligned to ADVEV and Ford EV objectives.
  2. Partner with cross-functional teams across Engineering, Manufacturing, IT, Supply Chain, Logistics, and related functions to drive process, tool, data, and organizational change.
  3. Define clear business problem statements, current-state assessments, and future-state operating models using structured business architecture and process-mapping techniques.
  4. Conduct discovery with stakeholders to identify pain points, bottlenecks, capability gaps, dependencies, and opportunities for improvement.
  5. Translate complex business needs into actionable strategies, requirements, roadmaps, and implementation plans.

Skills

Required

  • Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, Information Systems, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
  • 5+ years of experience in business architecture, transformation, strategy, consulting, product development operations, or related roles.
  • Experience supporting organizations that design, engineer, manufacture, or deliver complex hardware products; automotive experience preferred.
  • Proven experience driving process and system improvements related to PLM, ERP, MES, engineering, manufacturing, or supply chain systems.
  • Familiarity with PLM tools and engineering systems; experience with 3DX/CATIA preferred.
  • Strong ownership mindset with demonstrated ability to lead ambiguous, cross-functional initiatives from concept through execution.
  • Excellent analytical, problem-solving, facilitation, and strategic-thinking skills.
  • Experience eliciting, translating, documenting, and tracing business requirements through the project lifecycle.
  • Ability to manage diverse stakeholder groups, resolve competing priorities, and build alignment across functions.
  • Strong communication and storytelling skills, with the ability to clearly explain complex issues to both technical and business audiences.
  • Demonstrated ability to influence without authority and drive accountability across matrixed teams.
  • Working knowledge of organizational change management principles, including communication planning, training, and adoption support.

Nice to have

  • Familiarity with domains such as BOM management, product lifecycle management, virtual and physical validation, supply chain, manufacturing readiness, and systems integration is a plus.

What the JD emphasized

  • lead high-impact business and technology transformation initiatives
  • define and deliver new business capabilities, operating models, and cross-functional processes
  • identify capability gaps, clarify business problems, design future-state solutions, and drive adoption of new processes and tools
  • strategic thinking, strong business architecture discipline, stakeholder influence, and the ability to drive change in a dynamic environment
  • Lead end-to-end transformation initiatives
  • drive process, tool, data, and organizational change
  • Define clear business problem statements, current-state assessments, and future-state operating models
  • Conduct discovery with stakeholders to identify pain points, bottlenecks, capability gaps, dependencies, and opportunities for improvement
  • Translate complex business needs into actionable strategies, requirements, roadmaps, and implementation plans
  • Drive alignment across diverse stakeholder groups, balancing competing priorities and influencing decisions without direct authority
  • Manage transformation scope, priorities, risks, dependencies, timelines, cost considerations, and quality outcomes in a dynamic environment
  • Facilitate business process validation, acceptance, and adoption to ensure sustainable implementation of new capabilities
  • Analyze the business impact of proposed changes versus inaction, and develop mitigation strategies for identified risks
  • Incorporate organizational change management practices, including communication, training, rollout planning, and stakeholder readiness
  • Promote continuous improvement by identifying opportunities to simplify, standardize, and scale processes across the enterprise
  • Maintain agility and resilience while navigating evolving priorities, ambiguity, organizational complexity, and implementation challenges
  • 5+ years of experience in business architecture, transformation, strategy, consulting, product development operations, or related roles
  • Proven experience driving process and system improvements related to PLM, ERP, MES, engineering, manufacturing, or supply chain systems
  • Strong ownership mindset with demonstrated ability to lead ambiguous, cross-functional initiatives from concept through execution
  • Excellent analytical, problem-solving, facilitation, and strategic-thinking skills
  • Experience eliciting, translating, documenting, and tracing business requirements through the project lifecycle
  • Ability to manage diverse stakeholder groups, resolve competing priorities, and build alignment across functions
  • Strong communication and storytelling skills, with the ability to clearly explain complex issues to both technical and business audiences
  • Demonstrated ability to influence without authority and drive accountability across matrixed teams
  • Working knowledge of organizational change management principles, including communication planning, training, and adoption support
  • Familiarity with domains such as BOM management, product lifecycle management, virtual and physical validation, supply chain, manufacturing readiness, and systems integration is a plus