Staff Business Architect

Ford Ford · Auto · Palo Alto, CA +2 · PD Operations and Quality

This role leads business and technology transformation initiatives for Ford's electric vehicle strategy, focusing on defining and delivering new business capabilities, operating models, and cross-functional processes. It involves working across various departments to identify gaps, design solutions, and drive adoption of new processes and tools, requiring strategic thinking, stakeholder influence, and change management.

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

  • 10+ 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
  • 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.

Nice to have

  • automotive experience preferred
  • Familiarity with PLM tools and engineering systems; experience with 3DX/CATIA preferred.
  • 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
  • lead end-to-end transformation initiatives
  • drive adoption of new processes and tools
  • drive process, tool, data, and organizational change
  • drive alignment across diverse stakeholder groups
  • drive accountability across matrixed teams