Technical Deployment Project Manager

Ford of Canada's operations include a national headquarters, three vehicle assembly and engine manufacturing plants, three parts distribution centres, and three Connectivity and Innovation centres. Ford employs approximately 7,000 people in Canada, while an additional 18,000 people are employees in the more than 400 Ford and Ford-Lincoln dealerships across the country. Ford’s Electric Vehicles, Digital and Design (EVDD) team is charged with delivering the company’s vision of a fully electric transportation future. EVDD is customer-obsessed, entrepreneurial, and data-driven and is dedicated to delivering industry-leading customer experience for electric vehicle buyers and owners. You’ll join an agile team of doers pioneering our EV future by working collaboratively, staying focused on only what matters, and delivering excellence day in and day out. Join us to make positive change by helping build a better world where every person is free to move and pursue their dreams.

We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced Technical Program Manager with a strong focus on Release Management to join our dynamic team. In this role, you will be instrumental in coordinating the end-to-end software delivery lifecycle for complex projects, ensuring timely and high-quality releases for internal and external customers. You will leverage your expertise in program management, Agile methodologies, and cross-functional collaboration to drive successful software deployments from development to mass production and beyond.
Develop and manage detailed schedules for major or complex software projects, outlining all activities required for successful completion and release.
Drive on-time, high quality software delivery and readiness for mass production within the software development lifecycle.
Collaborate closely with development, quality assurance (QA), testing teams to deliver software on time to internal and external customers, including test releases, program milestones for new model launches, and future over-the-air (OTA) update releases.
Manage the delivery of various gateway module software projects, utilizing JIRA dashboards and Agile methodologies (e.g., Lead status reporting for all assigned programs, providing clear and concise updates to stakeholders through various channels, including release notes, Confluence/Jira status reports, and executive-level summaries.
Track technical issues and proactively find solutions for program problems as they arise, ensuring minimal disruption to release schedules.
Facilitate and drive cross-functional collaboration and execution with key partners, including Engineering Teams, DevOps CI/CD, Verification & Validation (V&V), and OTA leads.
Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams to define project scope, establish priorities, identify technical interdependencies, and ensure alignment with overall organizational objectives.
Manage stakeholder expectations throughout the release lifecycle, proactively communicating changes and potential impacts.
Identify potential risks, develop comprehensive mitigation plans, and track them to closure, ensuring the timely completion of strategic projects and programs.
Define and monitor key quality metrics and KPIs to ensure software releases meet established standards.
Analyze defined data sets and frame decisions that have a significant impact on feature areas and release quality.
Champion continuous improvement, gathering feedback and refining release processes to boost efficiency and reduce cycle times.
Lead post-release retrospectives and root cause analyses to identify process bottlenecks, systemic issues, and implement corrective actions.
Establish and document best practices for software release management, ensuring consistency and scalability across multiple projects and teams.
Bachelor’s degree required; 10+ years' experience in technical program management, with focus on software release management.

• 4+ years' experience managing cross-functional and / or cross-team projects.
• 4+ years' experience in the full Software Development Lifecycle, including modern deployment practices such as CI/CD, OTA updates, and release governance.

Bachelor's degree in in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field.
Agile & Dependency Management: Proven track record of leading complex projects using Scrum/Kanban and JIRA to navigate intricate technical interdependencies and delivery schedules.
Experience directing global, cross-functional teams with a focus on proactive risk mitigation, technical problem-solving, and data-driven quality metrics.
Superior communication skills with the ability to translate technical complexity into executive-level insights and influence stakeholders at all levels of the organization.
Background in automotive software or embedded systems is a significant advantage.

The expected annual salary range for this Ford of Canada position is $ 87,000.00 - $137,000.00 and individuals may be eligible to participate in our Annual Compensation bonus program.

Accommodations for applicants with disabilities throughout the recruitment, selection and/or assessment processes, where needed, are available upon request. Ford Motor Company of Canada, Limited, does not sponsor work permit applications.

Candidates who are in commuting distance to a Ford hub location may be required to be onsite four or more days per week.
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