Plant Vehicle Engineer, Body

Plant Vehicle Engineer, Body

Location:

Warsaw, Indiana (Relocation assistance provided)

At Slate, we’re building safe, reliable vehicles that people can afford, personalize and love—and doing it in the USA as part of our commitment to reindustrialization. The spirit of DIY and customization runs throughout every element of a Slate, because people should have control over how their trucks look, feel, and represent them.

Slate is seeking a dynamic, highly organized, and experienced Plant Vehicle Engineer – Body to join our growing team. This role acts as a liaison between Engineering and the Warsaw Assembly Plant, working closely with Plant Quality, Supplier Quality, Manufacturing, Engineering, End of Line, and other teams on issue resolution and KPI improvements.

• Support issue resolution for Body Department related issues originating from the plant, field, and suppliers.
• Collaborate closely with Design Engineering to develop and launch products into mass production with minimal impact on plant metrics.
• Drive part, assembly, and system optimization efforts through the appropriate Engineering channels.
• Conduct process simulations and risk assessments to identify potential improvements.
• Support the optimization of plant layouts, processes, tooling, material flow, waste management, etc.
• Perform data analytics to improve design and performance of the manufacturing system.
• Participate in model development launch activities including design reviews, virtual builds, part and assembly trials, validation builds, and provide feedback/approvals.
• Support the development and introduction of processes and equipment associated with early prototype builds, key processes, and equipment improvement opportunities throughout prototype builds.
• Support Launch/Model Year Change activities for your respective area(s).

• Lead and collaborate with all relevant departments to ensure seamless integration of new parts, assemblies, systems, and model change‑over activities within the plant.
• Collaborate with Manufacturing to continuously optimize assembly processes ensuring alignment with Engineering and Design intent.
• Work with cross‑functional teams to ensure parts, processes, and assembly methods meet all established safety requirements.
• Adhere to Engineering processes and standards to ensure efficient issue resolution and program launches.
• Participate in cross‑functional collaboration between Plant Operations, Manufacturing, Quality, and all relevant Engineering departments to resolve design related issues affecting the plant and field.

• Ensure part designs, systems, and processes meet design quality intent established by Design and Engineering.
• Monitor key process indicators and take proactive action to prevent defects.
• Partner with internal and external manufacturing teams to implement best practices for inspection, measurement, and process control.

• Capture and interpret data to make decisions and drive improvements to all plant metrics.
• Use internal systems to collect data and critical information to drive design changes with Design and Engineering.

• Bachelor of Science in Mechanical, Manufacturing, or Industrial Engineering, or a related field from an ABET‑accredited (or equivalent) program; advanced degrees preferred.
• Additional technical training (Lean, 5S, Kaizen, SPC, Green Belt, etc.)

• 6+ years of hands‑on experience in a manufacturing environment supporting KPI improvements.
• 6+ years of hands‑on experience with Design Release Engineering and Change Management, preferably within the Automotive Industry in Body Department, Process Engineering, Industrial Engineering or similar.
• 4+ years of experience in vehicle development and launch with a strong understanding of the full product lifecycle from concept to mass production.

• Strong understanding of BOMs, OEE, manufacturability, process design, process validation, assembly methods, design reviews and cost reduction methodologies.
• Strong technical, interpersonal, and communication skills with…