Job DescriptionThe Mission: Driving Ford to the Pinnacle of Quality
At Ford, we are on a mission to become the industry benchmark for automotive quality. A robust Control Plan is central to this strategy - it is a structured quality-management document used to describe the systems in place to control product quality. A Control Plan provides a written summary of the systems used to minimize variation, tying together product characteristics (dimensions, specs), process characteristics (machine settings, cycle times), the control methods used to monitor them, and the reaction plans if something goes out of spec.
To execute this, VME Final Assembly is launching a brand-new Process Control Team. This team will be responsible for developing and implementing next generation process control strategies across all Vehicle Operations plants. The ultimate goal of this leadership role is to cement Ford as the Quality leader in automotive industry.
In this position...As the Process Control Team Supervisor, sitting within the Global Manufacturing Engineering organization, you will build and lead a dedicated team of engineers across two critical workstreams: Strategy/Process and Plant Implementation. You will drive both immediate interim solutions and long-term permanent solutions to protect our customers.
ResponsibilitiesWorkstream 1: Process & Strategy- Review Significant and Critical Characteristics cascaded by Product Development to enhance our current control plans.
- Provide strategic engineering recommendations based on this analysis, determining the specific design or tooling enablers required to implement enhanced control methods.
- Direct the continuous updating of existing Control Plans based on proposed engineering recommendations, and oversee the rigorous review of core PFMEAs to ensure all control plans align perfectly with foundational quality documents.
- Lead cross-functional reviews with Product Development (PD), Quality, and VME stakeholders to align on effective control methods and assign cross-functional DRIs (PD, VME, ATP, etc.) for required actions.
- Drive the interim vs. permanent control strategy, securing signed exceptions for interim actions while engineering robust, permanent solutions.
- Oversee the auditing, creation, and continuous updating of core PFMEAs, Control Plans, and Process Sheets to ensure absolute alignment with Ford's quality framework.
- Deliver executive-level report-outs to senior leadership on risk reduction metrics and project status.
- Support the development of real-time data visualization dashboards (e.g., Power BI, QlikSense) to track the progress across all facilities.
Workstream 2: Plant Implementation & Execution- Guide your team, alongside VME core, ATP, and suppliers, in developing comprehensive action plans and Statements of Work (SOWs) for new process control tooling based on Workstream 1 findings.
- Support the acquisition of supplier quotes and collaborate with Financial Analysts to secure funding and write requisitions for tooling upgrades across NA VO plants.
- Lead the on-site execution strategy for both rapid interim containment solutions and long-term permanent controls.
- Deploy your engineering team to supervise the installation of new equipment, advanced vision systems, complex error-proofing systems, and smart tools alongside plant personnel.
- Coordinate with Industrial Engineering teams to acquire labor estimates and update operations, driving the complete installation and operationalization of all new tooling and software systems.
- Partner with plant operations and IT teams to establish robust validation criteria, ensuring new equipment operates precisely as intended with minimal disruption to production.
- Collaborate with plant maintenance and operations to develop long-term sustainment plans, ensuring local personnel are fully equipped to manage and maintain the upgraded systems moving forward.
QualificationsRequirements:- Bachelor's degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Manufacturing, or related field).
- 5+ years of experience in Automotive Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, or Product Development.
- Deep understanding of the APQP framework, specifically Control Plans, DFMEA, PFMEA, and managing Significant/Critical Characteristics.
- Proven experience bridging the gap between vehicle design/engineering and plant floor manufacturing feasibility.
- Must be open to travel as needed to support North American Assembly Plant installations and execution.
Preferred Requirements:- Hands-on experience in the development, procurement, and installation of advanced Vision Systems (e.g., laser profiling, camera systems) and Error-Proofing tools (e.g., PLC-integrated smart tooling, force gauge tools).
- Extensive experience functioning in an automotive final assembly plant environment, including managing tooling installations and launch cycles across multiple facilities.
- Experience writing Statements of Work (SOWs), evaluating supplier quotes, and managing external tooling suppliers.
- Strong executive presence with the ability to negotiate complex quality issues across multiple organizations (PD, Quality, VME, VO).
- Exceptional project management skills, specifically tracking multiple complex workstreams simultaneously across different geographic locations.
- Knowledge of Ford-specific systems (FEDE, WERS, GSPAS/APT, Teamcenter, E2KS/Auros, AIS).
- A history of functioning highly effectively in stressful situations with aggressive timing constraints.
- Experience developing or managing data visualization dashboards (Power BI, etc.) to track complex, multi-site project lifecycles and executive KPIs.
You may not check every box, or your experience may look a little different from what we've outlined, but if you think you can bring value to Ford Motor Company, we encourage you to apply!
As an established global company, we offer the benefit of choice. You can choose what your Ford future will look like: will your story span the globe, or keep you close to home? Will your career be a deep dive into what you love, or a series of new teams and new skills? Will you be a leader, a changemaker, a technical expert, a culture builder...or all of the above? No matter what you choose, we offer a work life that works for you, including:
• Immediate medical, dental, vision and prescription drug coverage
• Flexible family care days, paid parental leave, new parent ramp-up programs, subsidized back-up child care and more
• Family building benefits including adoption and surrogacy expense reimbursement, fertility treatments, and more
• Vehicle discount program for employees and family members and management leases
• Tuition assistance
• Established and active employee resource groups
• Paid time off for individual and team community service
• A generous schedule of paid holidays, including the week between Christmas and New Year's Day
• Paid time off and the option to purchase additional vacation time.
This position is leadership level 6 and ranges from $115,500-$218,100.
Final determination of salary grade will be based on candidate's skills and experience, and base salary will be set within the applicable range according to job scope, responsibility and competitive market value.
For more information on salary and benefits, click here: https://fordcareers.co/LL6
Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.
This position is hybrid with a requirement to be onsite four or more days per week. #LI-Hybrid
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