STA Technical Specialist - Machining

Ford Motor • Dearborn, MI

1d • Remote

About The Position

The Machining Technical Specialist provides technical leadership and hands-on support to suppliers and internal teams to assess, develop, and improve machining processes. The role evaluates new and changing manufacturing processes, helps investigate and resolve current and emerging quality issues, and builds technical capability through training and development. Working across Ford’s Global Supplier Technical Assistance organization with suppliers and internal stakeholders, the specialist identifies process risks, determines root causes, and drives sustainable corrective and preventive actions. The position serves as the corporate technical lead for machining, supports manufacturing-risk assessments and industrialization of new technologies through the GTDS process, and helps develop global manufacturing standards and assessments. It also contributes design-for-manufacturing feasibility input with Product Development and supports significant quality issues, including Stop Ships, Field Actions, production-supply concerns, and warranty concerns. Travel to supplier and manufacturing locations is approximately 50–75% of the time and may include occasional international travel. The position is leadership level 6, with a salary range of $115,500–$218,100; final salary depends on skills, experience, job scope, responsibility, and market value. Visa sponsorship is not available, and candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States.

Requirements

• Minimum bachelor's degree or 10 years of experience and/or relevant work experience.
• Demonstrated experience in machining or manufacturing engineering, supplier quality, manufacturing quality, or a related technical field.
• Strong working knowledge of machining processes such as turning, milling, drilling, or grinding.
• Experience assessing manufacturing processes and identifying sources of process variation or product defects.
• Ability to use structured problem-solving and root-cause analysis methods and verify corrective-action effectiveness.
• Ability to interpret engineering requirements, process documentation, inspection results, and manufacturing data.
• Strong communication and facilitation skills, including explaining technical issues to varied audiences.
• Ability to work effectively and collaboratively with suppliers and cross-functional teams in a results-focused manner.
• Willingness and ability to travel approximately 50–75%, including occasional international travel as required.
• Technical judgment and practical problem-solving skills.
• Process and quality risk assessment skills.
• Clear written and verbal communication.
• Supplier engagement and collaboration skills.
• Coaching, mentoring, and knowledge-sharing skills.
• Adaptability, sound prioritization, follow-through, and accountability.
• Cultural awareness when working across regions and teams.

Nice To Haves

• Experience supporting supplier technical assistance, supplier quality, or supplier manufacturing development.
• Experience with machining process capability, statistical methods, measurement systems, and process-control practices.
• Familiarity with CNC equipment, tooling and workholding systems, cutting-tool selection, and machining parameter development.
• Experience with product launches, process changes, manufacturing readiness reviews, or supplier recovery activities.
• Experience delivering technical training, mentoring engineers, or developing team capability.
• Relevant technical degree, apprenticeship, or equivalent practical experience.

Responsibilities

• Assess new, modified, and existing machining processes for capability, process control, product quality, and risk.
• Provide on-site technical support for machining-related quality concerns, including containment, investigation, root-cause analysis, corrective action, and verification of effectiveness.
• Support resolution of issues involving machining operations, equipment, tooling, workholding, cutting tools, process parameters, inspection, and operator methods.
• Evaluate manufacturing readiness and process robustness during supplier assessments, launches, changes, and recovery activities.
• Identify process weaknesses and recommend improvements to reduce variation, defects, downtime, and recurrence of quality issues.
• Review process documentation and objective evidence, including process flows, control plans, work instructions, capability data, inspection results, and corrective-action records.
• Coach suppliers and internal teams in machining fundamentals, process assessment, structured problem solving, and corrective-action practices.
• Develop and deliver training, technical guidance, and knowledge-sharing materials to build machining capability across the STA organization.
• Communicate assessment findings, risks, and recommendations to technical and leadership audiences.
• Collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders to align priorities, escalation needs, and resolution plans.
• Document assessments, findings, actions, and lessons learned in accordance with organizational processes.
• Travel to supplier and manufacturing locations approximately 50–75% of the time to conduct assessments, resolve issues, and deliver training.
• Act as the corporate technical lead for machining.
• Lead manufacturing-risk assessments and support industrialization of new technologies through the GTDS process.
• Collaborate with industry experts to develop global manufacturing standards and assessments.
• Create and maintain Ford manufacturing-process standards that capture lessons learned, best practices, and technical innovations to prevent recurrence.
• Conduct manufacturing-process assessments based on a priority model.
• Benchmark processes, methods, and equipment to stay current with manufacturing technology developments.
• Lead technical problem-solving for significant quality issues, including Stop Ships, Field Actions, production-supply concerns, and warranty concerns under the Balanced Single Agenda for Quality.
• Provide technical training, mentoring, and consulting.
• Develop training materials for special manufacturing processes and advanced new technologies.
• Work with Product Development to provide design-for-manufacturing feasibility input.

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.
• Family-building benefits, including adoption and surrogacy expense reimbursement and fertility treatments.
• 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: Senior