Process Engineer, Ford Energy

Ford • Glendale, KY

15h • $65,100 - $144,900 • Onsite

About The Position

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.

At Ford Energy, you have the backing of an industrial manufacturing powerhouse with the agility of a dedicated energy startup offering industry leading technology. We offer a competitive compensation package including performance-based bonuses, Ford vehicle discounts, and the opportunity to shape the energy strategy of one of the world's most iconic brands.

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.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (e.g., Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical, Industrial, Manufacturing, or a related engineering field)
• 3-5+ years of progressive experience in Industrial Engineering or Manufacturing Engineering within a high-volume production environment.
• Advanced proficiency in AutoCAD, MODAPTS, and manufacturing simulation tools.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in Greenfield site development or high-volume automotive, battery, or electronics manufacturing.
• Lean Manufacturing and/or Six Sigma certification (Green Belt or Black Belt).
• Experience with 8D, 5-Why analysis, DMAIC/DMADV methodologies, and lean tools (5S, Kanban, Poka-Yoke, Value Stream Mapping).
• Familiarity with engineering change and release systems (e.g., WERS, CORA, or similar).
• Strong communication, collaboration, and team-building skills.
• Passion for energy systems and U.S. energy independence.

Responsibilities

• Apply engineering principles and analytical techniques to establish, optimize, and continuously improve high-volume battery storage manufacturing and assembly processes.
• Use your entrepreneurial mindset to drive production throughput, line balancing, and labor efficiency for a massive Greenfield manufacturing site.
• Create a culture of lean manufacturing excellence, fostering an environment where standardized work and data-driven production solutions thrive.
• 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.
• Regularly engage on the production floor to identify bottlenecks, verify standardized work adherence, and solve problems in real time.
• Mentor Production and Operations teams on lean principles, including takt time vs. cycle time and waste elimination.
• Proactively mitigate risks in the launch phase to ensure seamless equipment buy-offs and successful Start-Of-Production(SOP).
• Identify gaps and proposes solutions before they become issues.
• Partner cross-functionally with Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, and Operations to achieve Ford Energy’s Vision, Mission, and Values.
• 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, 8Ds, 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.
• Demonstrates composure and sound judgment in a high-pressure startup production environment.
• Builds trust and aligns cross-functional teams on production targets, labor standards, and workstation design.
• Skilled in capacity modeling, bottleneck identification, and high-volume automated manufacturing.
• Upholds standardized work and engineering rigor, ensuring safety and quality are never compromised.
• Translates production data into scalable manufacturing strategies aligned with the growing BESS industry.
• Makes rapid, data-driven decisions during line balancing and production ramp-up.
• Leads effectively in an evolving startup environment and supports a 24/7 operation, including nights, weekends, and holidays as needed.

Benefits

• performance-based bonuses
• Ford vehicle discounts
• 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
• 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.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level