Technician Success Program Innovation Manager

Location: Allen Park, MI, United States; Hybrid

Technician Success Program Innovation Manager 

 

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.

In this position... 

The Technician Success Program Innovation Manager role serves as the innovation engine for technician-pipeline growth—exploring what is possible, taking calculated risks, testing unconventional ideas, and transforming the strongest concepts into scalable programs. The leader will develop and incubate initiatives from initial concept through research, business-case development, pilot execution, measurement, refinement, and broader deployment. Successful programs will ultimately be transitioned to the appropriate operational team with clear processes, governance, resources, and performance expectations.

The Technician Success Program Innovation Manager will work across education, industry, government, community, technology, media, and workforce-development channels to reach new and often untapped sources of technician talent. This includes identifying opportunities to engage students before they make career decisions, reintroduce the skilled trades to new audiences, reach career changers and underserved populations, and create innovative partnerships that make automotive careers more visible, accessible, and desirable.

The ideal candidate is a visionary strategist, creative problem-solver, and disciplined executor who is energized by possibilities and unafraid to break the mold. This individual must be willing to think big, lead the charge, challenge conventional thinking, and pursue ideas that have not been attempted before—while maintaining strong operational discipline, financial responsibility, and accountability for measurable results.

In addition to leading early-engagement innovation, this role will manage strategic initiatives, pilot scaling, special projects, executive leadership requests, project-management activities, and the development of executive-level presentations and recommendations. The position may also oversee Forward Tech media, marketing, and promotional strategy to strengthen awareness of automotive careers and connect potential talent with Ford and Lincoln opportunities.

The Early Engagement Manager (Technician Success) is a bold, forward-thinking leader responsible for imagining, designing, and launching innovative strategies that expand the automotive technician pipeline and bring qualified talent to Ford and Lincoln dealerships. This leader will challenge traditional approaches to technician recruitment and development, identify new populations and points of entry into the profession, and create compelling pathways that introduce individuals to automotive careers earlier and more effectively.