Site STA - Underbody

Ford • Dearborn, MI

8h • $63,480 - $166,200 • Hybrid

About The Position

Ford Motor Company is seeking an experienced Supplier Technical Assistance (STA) engineer specializing in Underbody commodities. The role industrializes and manages supplier quality and capacity at Tier 1 supplier sites, ensuring parts meet quality, design, and production-rate requirements from pre-sourcing through mass production. Commodities and processes include transmission components, forgings, castings, sintered components, machining, assembly, heat treatment, coating, welding, riveting, joining, gaging, metals, hinges, plastics, frames, and related vehicle, battery, powertrain, underbody, and electrical systems for BEV and ICE programs.

The engineer works collaboratively with Ford and supplier partners on new-model launches and in-series production programs, including resolving production delivery issues. The position may involve travel to supplier sites in the United States, Canada, and Mexico; travel within North America is expected to exceed 70% of the time, including three to four trips per week or weekend travel as needed. The position is hybrid, and candidates within commuting distance of a Ford hub may be required to work onsite four or more days per week.

The role leads supplier launch readiness against GPDS milestones, reviews capital and tooling plans, evaluates manufacturing feasibility, and assesses PPAP and Run-at-Rate readiness. It drives defect prevention and quality systems, leads containment and corrective action for critical supplier issues, applies structured problem-solving methods, and works with Purchasing on capacity planning and risk mitigation. The engineer must also present to management on launch readiness, quality issues, recalls or warranty concerns, stop-ship events, corrective actions, and supplier-related issue resolution.

Requirements

• Bachelor of Science/Engineering degree or academic equivalent.
• Manufacturing and/or program-management experience in an industrial operations environment.
• Knowledge of manufacturing processes and commodities including castings, forgings, sintered components, cutting tooling, and assembly of relevant vehicle systems and components.
• Knowledge of transmission and underbody components; vehicle and battery forgings, castings, stampings and steel or aluminum structures; frames; powertrain; and electrical assembly.
• Functional expertise in problem solving, quality systems such as SIM and IATF, and related quality tools.
• Supply or issue-resolution management experience.
• Proficiency in written and spoken English for working with global teams.
• Flexibility to travel to supplier sites in North America more than 70% of the time, typically three to four trips per week, with weekend travel as needed.
• Comfort presenting to management about launch readiness, quality issues, recalls and warranty concerns, stop-ship events, permanent corrective actions, and supplier-related issue resolution.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with forging, casting, sintering, machining, cutting tools, assembly, stamping, welding, metal and plastic joining technologies, injection molding, electronics manufacturing, and painting.
• Advanced manufacturing-process knowledge with hands-on experience.
• Six Sigma Black Belt certification and demonstrated ability to lead quality-improvement initiatives and apply Six Sigma principles, including DMAIC.
• Experience conducting statistical analysis and mentoring other engineers.
• Experience mentoring internal Supplier Quality Engineer teams.
• Experience industrializing new automotive manufacturing suppliers in North America, including greenfield sites, and achieving on-time PPAP approval.
• Experience with Ford's Phased PPAP and APQP process and deliverables.
• Experience using AI in problem-solving cases.

Responsibilities

• Drive supplier manufacturing excellence, flawless program launches, and capacity assurance across assigned commodities.
• Industrialize and manage supplier quality and capacity and resolve production delivery issues for new-model launches and in-series production programs.
• Lead supplier launch readiness against Global Product Development System (GPDS) milestones, date-to-green targets, and part-pedigree objectives.
• Review and approve supplier capital and tooling work plans, and evaluate end-item compliance through PPAP and Run-at-Rate assessments.
• Conduct onsite technical assessments and manufacturing feasibility evaluations for new sourcing and program integration.
• Drive defect prevention by reviewing and approving PFMEAs, Control Plans, SCCAFs, Special Manufacturing Process Assessments, Manufacturing Health Charts, and process controls.
• Apply GD&T to evaluate print feasibility, datum structures, measurement systems, Gage R&R, and statistical process control and capability.
• Drive supplier adherence to special-process requirements with Ford Technical Specialists and lead Q1-Manufacturing Site Assessments for continuous site improvement.
• Lead supplier process-quality containment and permanent corrective actions for critical issues, including QR, Stop Ship/Build, BSAQ, and field actions.
• Lead structured problem solving using methods such as Global 8D, A3, 5-Why, and Drill Down; implement error-proofing and prevent recurrence.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to establish and monitor Continuous Improvement Action Plans.
• Work with Purchasing on Global Capacity Planning studies and validate supplier Capacity Analysis Reports.
• Identify production bottlenecks, mitigate manufacturing constraints, and oversee supplier recovery plans to support quality and production attainment.
• Present to management on launch readiness, quality issues, recalls and warranty concerns, stop-ship events, permanent corrective actions, and supplier-related issue resolution.
• Travel to supplier sites in North America, including weekend travel as needed.

Benefits

• Immediate medical, dental, vision, and prescription drug coverage.
• Flexible family care days, paid parental leave, new-parent ramp-up programs, and subsidized backup child care.
• Adoption and surrogacy expense reimbursement, fertility treatments, and other family-building benefits.
• Vehicle discount program for employees and family members and management leases.
• Tuition assistance.
• Employee resource groups.
• Paid time off for individual and team community service.
• 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