Future Leader Development Associate, Engineering

Blue Bird Corporation•Fort Valley, GA

5d•Onsite

About The Position

The Future Leadership Development Program (FLDP) Associate, Engineering is an early-career leadership role designed to accelerate the development of high-potential talent through a structured, cross-functional rotational program. The two-year program includes four six-month rotations across the associate’s functional area and at least one rotation in another key business area. Associates gain hands-on experience, leadership exposure, and opportunities to work on business challenges affecting Blue Bird’s operations and strategic growth. They are expected to contribute from day one and build skills for transition into full-time leadership-track roles after program completion. Rotations include core assignments in the designated function, at least one cross-functional assignment, and exposure to plant operations and/or corporate functions as applicable. Final placement depends on performance, business need, and career alignment. In Engineering, the associate supports product development, design improvement, validation, manufacturing support, and continuous improvement. The position provides exposure to the product and manufacturing lifecycle, engineering projects, and operational excellence initiatives. Development includes executive sponsorship and mentorship, rotation-specific coaching and feedback, structured leadership training, cross-functional project work, and a capstone project presented to the Leadership Team. The work takes place in office and production environments. The role involves manufacturing-environment exposure to heat, cold, noise, moving objects, and sheet metal; occasional extended periods of standing or sitting; and wearing required PPE. Frequent weeks involve more than 40 hours, and the role requires frequent communication throughout the day. Candidates must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents and authorized to work in the United States, with proof of eligibility required at hire.

Requirements

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in a relevant field.
0–2 years of professional experience or completion of a relevant internship.
Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident and authorized to work in the United States; proof of employment eligibility is required at hire.
Must wear appropriate personal protective equipment when and where required.

Nice To Haves

Strong academic performance, preferably a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
Prior internship experience, ideally at Blue Bird or in a relevant industry.
Interest in manufacturing, operations, or an industrial environment.

Responsibilities

Support high-impact business projects and initiatives.
Rotate across multiple functions to gain an enterprise-wide perspective.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams to solve real-world business challenges.
Present findings and recommendations to senior leadership.
Participate in structured learning, mentorship, and leadership development.
Support engineering initiatives related to product development, design improvement, validation, manufacturing support, and continuous improvement.
Assist with technical projects that improve product performance, safety, quality, reliability, and manufacturability.
Analyze data, identify root causes, and help develop practical solutions to engineering or production-related challenges.
Collaborate with operations, quality, supply chain, and product management to support business and customer needs.
Contribute to testing, documentation, design reviews, process validation, and engineering change activities as applicable to assigned rotations.
Support innovation and operational excellence initiatives while gaining exposure to the full product and manufacturing lifecycle.
Complete a final capstone project and present it to the Leadership Team.