Process Engineer, Ford Energy

Process Engineer

Ford Energy is a newly formed, wholly-owned subsidiary of Ford Motor Company dedicated to accelerating U.S. energy independence. Leveraging Ford's century of manufacturing excellence and world-class battery energy storage systems (BESS) technology, Ford Energy designs, manufactures, and services grid-scale and commercial DC battery energy storage systems (BESS). Ford Energy is uniquely positioned to capture the growing demand for reliable, US-built energy storage systems.

We are not just building batteries; we are building the infrastructure for the next generation of the American grid.

In this position... As a Process Engineer, you will play a critical role in launching and scaling operations at our Glendale Junction facility. This is a high-impact, startup role within a legacy manufacturing powerhouse.

You will:

• Lead with
  
  Purpose:
  
  Apply engineering principles and analytical techniques to establish, optimize, and continuously improve high-volume battery storage manufacturing and assembly processes.
• Innovate:
  Use your entrepreneurial mindset to drive production throughput, line balancing, and labor efficiency for a massive Greenfield manufacturing site.
• Empower Others:
  Create a culture of lean manufacturing excellence, fostering an environment where standardized work and data-driven production solutions thrive

What you'll do...

• Greenfield Production Excellence & Manufacturing Systems
  • Lead the design and implementation of the Ford Energy Production System (FEPS), with a focus on standardized work, line balancing, and optimized workstation layouts.
  • Develop labor standards and manpower plans for cell, module, and pack assembly to maximize utilization and efficiency.
  • Drive continuous improvement in safety, quality, and productivity across all production lines.
  • Analyze production constraints and perform equipment cycle time studies to optimize throughput, Jobs Per Hour (JPH), and First Time Through (FTT) quality.
  • Design and refine station layouts using CAD, incorporating tooling, material presentation, and error-proofing (Poka-Yoke) for zero-defect manufacturing.
  • Conduct ergonomic job evaluations and implement workstation designs that meet high safety standards in automated, high-speed production environments.
  • Manage procurement, commissioning, capability validation, and debugging of new production equipment, including vendor site buy-offs.
  • Collaborate with Product Design, suppliers, and manufacturing teams to develop optimal process strategies, including gauging, torque strategies, and in-process testing.
• Leadership & Culture
  • Embrace the Gemba philosophy:
    Regularly engage on the production floor to identify bottlenecks, verify standardized work adherence, and solve problems in real time.
  • Develop "Leaders as Teachers":
    Mentor Production and Operations teams on lean principles, including takt time vs. cycle time and waste elimination.
  • Remove Barriers:
    Proactively mitigate risks in the launch phase to ensure seamless equipment buy-offs and successful Start-Of-Production(SOP).
  • Proactive Problem-Solver:
    Catalyst who identifies gaps and proposes solutions before they become issues.
  • Champion Transparency:
    Partner cross-functionally with Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, and Operations to achieve Ford Energy's Vision, Mission, and Values.
• Strategic Management & Integrity
  • Establish and track Production Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), including OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness), scrap rates, and FTT quality.
  • Lead cross-functional initiatives in quality to achieve "No Faults Forward" and zero defects on the production line.
  • Coordinate quality containment actions, dock holds, and special checks to eliminate any impact on the customer, maintaining detailed traceability records.
  • Manage quality documentation, including FTT, 8
    
    Ds, Scrap, and Dock Audits.
  • Lead 8D root-cause resolution for warranty and battery operations concerns in collaboration with Quality, MP&L, and Assembly teams.
  • Manage and direct statistical process control (SPC) activities, execute measurement systems analysis (MSA), and variable data analysis to drive process capability (Control Plans).
  • Review rejected parts for quality integrity, determine corrective actions, and issue daily quality reports.
  • Manage the Engineering Change Management (ECM) process for the production floor, ensuring all process modifications are documented, and process sheets/instructions are updated accurately.
• Capabilities for Success
  • Resilient leader:
    Demonstrates composure and sound judgment in a high-pressure startup production environment.
  • Collaborative influencer:
    Builds trust and aligns cross-functional teams on production targets, labor standards, and workstation design.
  • Throughput expert:
    Skilled in capacity modeling, bottleneck identification, and high-volume automated manufacturing.
  • Integrity-focused:
    Upholds standardized work and engineering rigor, ensuring safety and quality are never compromised.

You'll have...

• Education:
  
  Bachelor's degree in Engineering…