Automakers are in a hiring frenzy for AI and data specialists as tariffs drive demand

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Mike Capone gets at least three calls a week in his suburban Philadelphia office from automakers or suppliers seeking his advice on where to hire data engineers and data scientists. Their tone is urgent and they're willing to be flexible on remote work or other perks.

Basically, they'll do anything to land these professionals.

Capone is CEO of Qlik, a company that makes artificial intelligence-based tools that help other companies analyze data. He is well-versed in supply chain management and said the demand for those two specific jobs has grown exponentially in recent months, including at the Detroit Three.

"Supply chain professionals have become the new margin protectors," Capone told the Detroit Free Press. "What I’m feeling in the market right now is a real sense of — I don’t want to say desperation, that might be too strong of a word — but of concern. The competition for resources is fierce, especially when you have the intersection of data science and automotive supply chain. Those people are very valuable right now.”

The frenzy to find these data wizards is a reaction to President Donald Trump enacting 25% tariffs on imported cars and certain car parts. Trump softened the blow of those tariffs — the taxes importers pay to bring goods across international borders — with two executive orders on April 29. They tweaked his original mandate, giving automakers who assemble cars in the United States some relief from the duties they will pay on imported parts. But the relief is minor and the tax remains costly until automakers figure out how to source more parts within the United States.

In short, the auto industry faces big supply chain challenges that only those who are experts at data analysis and manipulation can help solve.

“Any time there’s uncertainty, there’s more value to derive insights out of data, and that’s exactly what you’re seeing now," said Jason Miller, a professor of supply chain management at Michigan State University.

Auto tariff turmoil: Economists estimate new tariff costs to range between $2,000 to $12,000 per vehicle

The job market

Miller said that since the tariffs started taking effect earlier this year, they have led to the elimination of some jobs and creation of others.

Stellantis said in early April it would temporarily lay off some 900 workers at Michigan and Indiana plants in connection with tariffs. In March, steelmaker Cleveland-Cliffs idled its Dearborn operations, laying off 600, due to tariffs.

But beyond the factory floor, tariffs are creating jobs in the auto companies' logistics and procurement areas, often dubbed supply chain management.

"Anything like a tariff shock is going to lead to a variety of outcomes. Some firms will benefit. Others will be cutting back on people," Miller said. "I can see it being some companies may see a surge of interest in their products or offerings."

At Qlik, for example, Capone said demand for the company's products is rising.

Ford is 'always on the look out' for data scientists

Ford Motor Co. established its Global Data Insights and Analytics team in 2015, said spokesman Said Deep. That team — which is global but also works out of Dearborn — provides data and analytical insights to help Ford leaders make decisions on everything from manufacturing and research to marketing and customer service.

"Our team is well prepared and supply chain, and tariffs are in their wheelhouse," Deep said. He declined, for competitive reasons, to share the number of data scientists and data engineers Ford currently employs. "Could we hire more people? We're always looking. We've got a good team and feel well prepared in where we need to be right now in what is facing the industry. But you're always on the lookout. You want to keep advancing the team."

Deep noted that one part of Ford's global data team recently won first place in the 2025 Innovative Applications in Analytics Awards for its work in innovative analytical solutions within the company. One example of how those solutions were used was in influencing Ford's decision to remove parallel park assist from cars. That decision resulted in "substantial cost savings" for Ford, Deep said.

At Stellantis, the automaker indicating it, too, is looking to add data specialists, but it declined to provide any details.

"Stellantis recognizes the value data scientists can bring to optimizing supply chain operations and has partnered with industry-leading third-party experts in this field to help us identify areas for further improvement," spokeswoman Jodi Tinson said in an emailed statement to the Free Press.

Asked if it plans to hire more data specialists, General Motors spokesperson Tara Kuhnen provided the Detroit Free Press with this statement: "For years now, GM has leveraged data science to enhance operations, vehicle technology and innovation. Our AI capabilities drive improvements across manufacturing, supply chain and product development. For example, we've developed models that help dealers optimize inventory and pricing. The Chief Data and Analytics Office harnesses extensive datasets to improve customer insights and in-vehicle experiences, making data science a cornerstone of our growth strategy."

Not hiring data scientists? 'Gosh, that's a problem'

In March, the ADP National Employment Report indicated that private sector employment increased by 155,000 jobs and within that, the manufacturing sector added 21,000 jobs. Capone believes many of those 21,000 additional jobs likely indicate that companies are hiring more supply chain experts to help navigate tariffs.

Other supply chain experts concur with Capone's observation. While they could not quantify it with a number, the experts anecdotally report a thirst from nearly every automaker and many auto parts suppliers to add data scientists and data engineers to their rosters.

“Because tariffs are happening, all the manufacturers are forced to rethink their supply chain, not just the nimbleness, but the resilience,” said Manish Kapoor, a former FedEx and Amazon executive who is now CEO of Growth Catalyst Group, a global supply chain solutions company based in Los Angeles.

Kapoor told the Free Press his company is looking to add 10 to 12 data scientists this year to be located in India and Asia. He said automakers should be using them too to help design a supply chain that’s adaptable to the volatile global environment this year.

"To do that they need to apply data and for that they need data scientists," Kapoor said. "They should be hiring them. If they’re not — gosh, that’s a problem. You should be hiring data scientists to survive.”

A data engineer vs. a data scientist

Data scientists and data engineers are not fresh-out-of-college undergrads found at career fairs. These are post-graduate degree, seasoned professionals.

A data engineer is a specialist who designs, builds and maintains the systems that collect, store and process data, MSU's Miller said. The system allows the company to access and use the data for analysis and business planning. A data engineer ensures the quality and efficiency of the data infrastructure and they are adept at gathering data from all kinds of sources and assuring it is quality data.

Data scientists are like detectives who turn data, or information, into a plan of action. They use their expertise in statistics, programming and domains to analyze and draw insight from data, Miller said. They develop models to help companies solve problems and make better decisions.

These two jobs are critical for the auto industry because even the automakers that assemble their cars in the United States source the parts from all over the globe, Capone said. So unwinding that global supply chain to accommodate tariffs is a herculean task, he said.

"Data and analytics are needed to actually figure out what’s practical and what’s reasonable," Capone said. "We’re not going to reverse supply chains so that every part and every last bit of assembly happens in the U.S. in the near term. It just can’t happen. If we endeavor to do that, it would be a multiyear thing and then we’d have to look at the cost basis to do that and what it would do to the prices of the finished products that we build."

But that task is giving certain professionals job security. A Qlik Tariffs Survey conducted by Wakefield Research from Feb. 24 through March 7 found that 76% of supply chain management professionals said the presence of new tariffs has increased their job security. The survey was conducted among 500 U.S. supply chain and procurement executives across the retail & wholesale, automotive, manufacturing, aerospace and health care industries.

Expensive, but worth it

The jobs of a data scientist and data engineer are so complex, they demand people with master's degrees and PhDs and often years of experience. These are people fluent with navigating complex data systems and writing advanced coding, Miller said.

That level of expertise makes them expensive. Capone and Miller said the average annual salary for a data engineer or data scientist can range from $150,000 to more than $500,000 depending on experience, the job responsibilities and their geographical location. But, they said, these specialists can quickly pay for themselves.

As an example, Miller said many big companies spend more than $1 billion a year in trucking costs. If a good data specialist can find efficiencies that shave off even 1% of those costs, that's a $10 million savings.

Capone said his company has heard from customers that data scientists and data engineers have helped them to take $20 million to $40 million of costs out of already-efficient supply chains. For that reason, most auto companies are presently willing to pay generous salaries for the talent, he said.

“I haven’t seen much of a limit (on salaries). At the end of the day, a few highly talented, very expensive data scientists — if you can save millions of dollars on your supply chain — the payback is instantaneous," Capone said. "For the right people, they’re willing to pay quite a bit."

What they are able to do

Also, a good data scientist is going to be able to do various activities, Miller added, including data handling and processing.

"That's essentially stitching together five or six data sources into a data frame ... to do data analysis," Miller said. "Many will be proficient in predictive modeling, machine learning approaches and other techniques. Some will bring an operations research background, which is where you get into the skills needed to solve facility location problems.”

That means solving issues such as where to build a new factory based on a variety of datapoints, including how close to necessary resources it will be located and the costs to get supplies there.

"They would be the folks who are in a position to help and advise to say, 'Given what current production capabilities are today and where tariffs are at, where would we best be positioned to have production take place to fulfill our needs?' " Miller said.

A recent example, he said, was in early April when GM decided to increase light-duty truck production in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and reduce pickup production in Mexico to avoid tariffs.

"That’s the type of decision data scientists help make," Miller said.

The importance of being proactive

Capone said another reason that data specialists are so hot right now is because they don't just help companies make smarter decisions; they help them to make proactive decisions too.

"That is especially useful in these black swan situations where everything shifts under us," Capone said. "That was COVID, that was the Suez Canal being blocked and now we’ve got an unprecedented level of global trade strife with tariffs."

In March 2021, a container vessel ran aground in the Suez Canal, blocking traffic in both directions for six days. It resulted in a disruption to global trade for weeks. During COVID, U.S. automakers idled their domestic factories for several weeks, causing a disruption to the supply chain, while they figured out how to safely bring workers back inside the plants.

Capone declined to name Qlik's clients. But asked if the Detroit automakers are among those looking to add data specialists and use Qlik's software, he said, "1,000%. Many of them already use our software, and some of them are even on our advisory board to help us with our product vision and strategy, and yes, they’re all looking. I don’t know an automaker right now who’s not looking to hire more data analytics and data science capabilities."

Kapoor added that the demand for data scientists and data engineers will only escalate because when the presidential administration changes in a few years, which could mean changes to the supply side again. That will mean auto companies must look at suddenly figuring out what to buy more of or buy less of — and perhaps even buy from a different source. It is all going to be data-based planning using AI, Kapoor said adding, "This is not a gut-feel decision you can make."

Capone agreed, adding that the changing world created by tariffs demands competitive data analysis.

"This is really the only the way to do it," Capone said. "If you’re not being proactive about it, by the time Trump makes the next announcement, you’re reacting and your competitors may have figured it out already and are way ahead of you."

Staff writer Eric D. Lawrence contributed to this article.

Jamie L. LaReau is the senior autos writer who covers Ford Motor Co. for the Detroit Free Press. Contact Jamie at jlareau@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @jlareauan. To sign up for our autos newsletter. Become a subscriber.