Supply Chain Lean Process Engineering Manager

Ford Motor • Dearborn, MI

4d • Hybrid

About The Position

We are the movers of the world and the makers of the future. We get up every day, roll up our sleeves and build a better world -- together. At Ford, we’re all a part of something bigger than ourselves. Are you ready to change the way the world moves? The Ford Purchasing team adds critical value to the entire organization. You’ll help us source the highest quality parts and services from around the globe while ensuring optimal cost and on-time delivery. You’ll also contribute to establishing a robust supply chain so that we can continually produce the vehicles our customers want. In this position... The Supply Chain Lean Process Engineering Manager plays a pivotal role in identifying and eliminating business process waste across Ford’s end-to-end supply chain. You will first focus on deeply understanding pain points in planning, commodity strategy, sourcing, contract management, and supplier performance management, then design and implement targeted initiatives that streamline operations and improve business performance. This role demands a continuous improvement mindset, strong systems thinking, and the ability to lead complex, cross-functional change. You will collaborate extensively with supply chain and cross-functional skill teams (e.g., Purchasing, Commodity Management, Supply Chain Systems, Finance, Product Development).

Requirements

• Minimum Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering, Supply Chain Management, Operations Management, Systems Engineering, Business, or a related field.
• 5+ years of progressive experience in supply chain, operations, or process engineering, with a clear track record of leading process improvement or lean transformation initiatives.
• Demonstrated expertise in business process mapping, value stream mapping, and root cause analysis (e.g., 5 Whys, fishbone diagrams, A3 problem solving).
• Strong understanding of end-to-end supply chain business processes (planning, commodity strategy, sourcing, contract management, supplier performance management, logistics).
• Experience driving cross-functional projects and delivering measurable improvements in cost, quality, delivery, or productivity.
• Proficiency with analytical and visualization tools (e.g., Excel, Power BI/Tableau or similar) to analyze process performance and communicate insights.
• Strong communication, facilitation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence and drive change across all levels of the organization.

Nice To Haves

• Preferred Master’s degree (e.g., MBA, MS in Supply Chain, Industrial Engineering, or Operations).
• Formal training and certifications in Lean, Six Sigma (Green Belt or Black Belt), or the Shingo Model.
• Hands-on experience leading Kaizen events, implementing Kanban systems, and deploying daily management/visual management systems.
• Experience implementing continuous improvement in complex supply chain or automotive environments.
• Proven ability to coach and develop others in lean thinking and structured problem solving.

Responsibilities

• Lead the identification of business process waste and pain points across supply chain processes (e.g., demand and supply planning, commodity planning, sourcing, contract management, supplier performance management, logistics, and delivery throughput).
• Conduct focused process diagnostics using value stream mapping, process mapping, and root cause analysis to uncover bottlenecks, rework, and non-value-added activities.
• Translate findings into a prioritized portfolio of lean improvement initiatives with clear problem statements, charters, milestones, and success criteria.
• Design and implement lean process solutions leveraging tools such as Kaizen events, Kanban systems, standard work, visual management, and error-proofing.
• Apply Lean, Six Sigma, and Shingo principles to improve flow, reduce variation, and enhance the reliability and transparency of business processes.
• Partner closely with supply chain operations, program planning, program control, purchasing, logistics, and Supply Chain Systems teams to co-create and pilot new processes, digital workflows, and enabling tools.
• Build and maintain supply chain business process library, establish business continuity plans for critical processes.
• Collaborate with data, analytics, and Supply Chain Systems teams to identify opportunities for automation, process mining, and better use of existing tools to eliminate waste.
• Coach and mentor stakeholders on lean thinking and structured problem-solving to embed continuous improvement into day-to-day operations.

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
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees