Principal Advanced Manufacturing Engineer

GE Appliances, a Haier company•Decatur, AL

About The Position

The Principal Advanced Manufacturing Engineer (AME) is part of a product-line AME team providing manufacturing support for New Product Introduction (NPI), Cost-Out, and Plant Productivity projects. The role develops, manages, and executes capital-equipment and high-volume manufacturing-process projects to meet budget and launch schedules. It serves as a key liaison between NPI programs and factory operations, ensuring plant priorities and objectives are understood and considered. The AME contributes to design for manufacturability, applies lean principles to process designs, and transfers process knowledge to factory personnel. The position requires experience with manufacturing equipment and automation systems in high-volume production and openness to AI-assisted tools for technical documentation, process standardization, and knowledge management. The engineer coordinates capital-equipment procurement from specification development and supplier selection through technical reviews, factory layout, installation, and qualification. They are accountable for project metrics such as budgets, schedules, reliability, quality, and labor targets, and work with program teams to make trade-off decisions based on overall business impact. They help develop robust, reliable equipment and processes that support safety, lean manufacturing, and the broader value stream. The Principal AME also works cross-functionally with factory operations, lean teams, design teams, suppliers, and functional leaders. They contribute to manufacturing control plans and instructions, ensure design-for-manufacturing considerations, and help grow the AME organization through mentoring, training, process development, and support for Hoshin objectives. The position is based in Decatur, Alabama, and requires up to 10% domestic and/or international travel. GE Appliances offers flexibility through work arrangements created with the employee’s leader to balance individual, team, and business needs.

Requirements

Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering or a related discipline, or equivalent hands-on experience in technical or manufacturing disciplines.
At least 7 years of hands-on experience with manufacturing equipment and processes.
Proficiency in AutoCAD.
Prior involvement in New Product Introduction (NPI) programs.
Proven success managing capital-equipment projects, including supplier selection, installation, and qualification.
Experience applying lean manufacturing principles.
Strong communication and leadership skills to engage with teams ranging from shop-floor operators to senior management.
Legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of hire and able to maintain that authorization without current or future employer or school sponsorship.

Responsibilities

Coordinate and manage capital-equipment procurement projects, including specification development, supplier selection, early supplier engagement, technical reviews, factory layout, installation, and equipment qualification.
Ensure tooling and equipment are reliable, robust, and designed to maximize Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE).
Own applicable project metrics, including capital-equipment and tooling budgets, program schedules, reliability, quality, and labor targets.
Work with program teams to assess trade-offs among competing metrics and drive decisions based on overall business impact.
Facilitate or lead Production Preparation Process (3P) and lean manufacturing principles in the development of manufacturing equipment and processes.
Use cross-functional participation to ensure equipment and processes are compatible with the value stream, including right-sized equipment, workstation design, material presentation, standard work, and single-piece flow.
Use emerging digital technologies, including AI-assisted tools, to improve engineering documentation, process development, project execution, and collaboration efficiency.
Ensure equipment executed in GE Appliances factories complies with industry and governmental Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) standards.
Apply Human Organizational Performance (HOP) principles to implement equipment, tooling, and processes with operator health and safety in mind.
Work with functional leaders to ensure equipment and processes support Bill of Process (BoP), lean manufacturing, ergonomic design, and Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) initiatives.
Work with factory operations and lean teams to understand the value stream and account for material flow, workstation setup, and model mix in equipment and workstation designs.
Use the 9-Step Process for tooling and equipment design and consult Critical Process leaders as applicable to develop robust processes.
Work with cross-functional teams to develop Manufacturing Control Plans (MCP) and Manufacturing Control Instructions (MCI).
Work with design teams to ensure Design for Manufacturing & Assembly (DFMA) is considered in part design.
Mentor and guide junior AME team members and contribute to the department’s body of knowledge through training, development of manufacturing processes, and support for Hoshin objectives.