Livonia Transmission Plant Resident Engineer

Ford • Livonia, MI

1d • $115,500 - $218,100 • Hybrid

About The Position

As the LTP Resident Engineer, you will serve as the critical, on-site bridge between Product Development (PD) Systems Engineering and Powertrain Manufacturing Operations at the Livonia Transmission Plant (LTP). You will be the primary technical authority representing PD on the plant floor, responsible for ensuring first-time quality, rapid issue resolution, and flawless change-control execution for high-volume rear-wheel-drive (10R80/MHT/10R60) and front-wheel-drive (8F) transmission families. You will transition the plant engineering interface into a modern, data-driven operation—leveraging cutting-edge AI/ML tools (such as MILO) and Digital Birth Certificates to catch defects before they reach the customer, directly impacting Ford’s Global Warranty (1 MIS/3 MIS) and Launch Quality targets.

Requirements

• Bachelor of Science in Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, or Aerospace/Automotive preferred).
• 3+ years of experience in Powertrain Product Development (Design & Release, Systems) or Manufacturing/PVT Operations.
• Direct experience with WERS (Write Engineering Change System), SREAs, and interpreting engineering drawings/specifications.
• Proven experience managing quality containment and root-cause analysis in a manufacturing plant environment.

Nice To Haves

• 5+ years of experience in automatic transmission systems, design & release, or manufacturing (specifically 10R80/10R60/MHT or 8F architectures).
• Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification.
• Demonstrated experience utilizing AI/ML manufacturing diagnostics (MILO) and birth history analyses to resolve quality issues.
• Experience supporting major vehicle launches and managing Field Service Actions (FSAs).

Responsibilities

• Act as the single point of contact and decision-maker for engineering, design, and quality sign-offs on the LTP shop floor.
• Attend daily plant startup and operating committee meetings. Proactively identify product design and quality concerns. Ask the hard "Why" to determine if issues require process optimization, supplier containment, or immediate design changes.
• Utilize Digital Birth Certificate data and MILO AI/ML final test stand diagnostics (waveforms and image analysis) to reactively isolate suspect populations during quality holds, saving millions in teardown and swap costs.
• Author, review, track, and close WERS alerts, Supplier Requests for Engineering Approval (SREAs), and Manufacturing Risk Assessments. Maintain a centralized "Source of Truth" database for all active plant concerns to ensure transparent, skip-level-free communication.
• Partner with UAW operators, plant quality teams, and supplier representatives to diagnose in-plant assembly concerns and dealer/warranty returns using Six Sigma and Lean problem-solving methodologies.
• Authorize temporary component deviations and provide clear interpretation of Engineering Specifications (ES) and drawings to plant personnel. Sign off on plant Dynamic Control Plans (DCP) and Repair Documents.
• Assist in the physical build and teardown of pre-production units, and lead the on-site resolution of launch-spike issues for upcoming vehicle programs.

Benefits

• 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.

What This Job Offers

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