Industrial Engineer, Material Flow and Logistics Operations

Ford; Dearborn (MI); On-site; USD 72,000 - 162,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical coverage

Dental coverage

Prescription drug coverage

Flexible family care

Job summary

Ford is seeking an Industrial/Manufacturing Engineer to drive lean improvements across the supply chain from suppliers to the point of fit. You will conduct Gemba studies, build value-stream maps, analyze labor and throughput, and standardize work methods to reduce waste and raise productivity.

Responsibilities include supporting simulations, Kaizen events, and deployment of best practices across sites, with strong emphasis on data analytics, dashboards, and AI-enabled optimization tools.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Industrial or Manufacturing Engineering required.
• 4+ years applying industrial engineering methods in manufacturing, logistics, warehousing, or supply-chain operations.
• 2+ years with discrete-event or material-flow simulation tools.
• Proficiency in Power BI, Excel, SQL, Python, Alteryx, or similar tools.
• Working knowledge of Lean manufacturing, Gemba, value-stream mapping, standardized work, labor/productivity analysis, capacity/throughput analysis, process optimization, and root-cause problem solving.
• Ability to turn data into practical improvement actions.

Responsibilities

• Conduct Gemba studies and current-state assessments across manufacturing and material-flow operations.
• Develop value-stream maps to identify bottlenecks, waste, congestion, capacity constraints, and non-value-added activities.
• Analyze labor requirements, work content, utilization, throughput, and operational capacity.
• Develop and standardize labor methods using recognized industrial engineering and work-measurement practices.
• Support process simulation and scenario analysis to identify labor, material-flow, and capacity opportunities.
• Lead Kaizen and continuous-improvement activities that improve safety, quality, delivery, cost, and productivity.
• Establish repeatable operating standards and support the deployment of best practices across multiple sites.
• Analyze end-to-end material flow from supplier locations through warehouses, off-dock facilities, manufacturing plants, and the point of fit.
• Identify opportunities to reduce handling, travel distance, congestion, inventory, and other non-value-added activity.
• Improve material presentation, storage, routing, replenishment, dock operations, and point-of-fit delivery processes.
• Support material-cost and operational-efficiency studies at Tier 1 supplier locations.
• Work with Supplier Technical Assistance and other stakeholders to assess and improve supplier material-flow operations.
• Support MP&L requirements development and labor analysis for forward-model and manufacturing launch programs.
• Participate in launch-readiness reviews and identify material-flow, labor, capacity, process, and infrastructure risks.
• Support supplier audits, launch reviews, and post-Job 1 operational stabilization activities.
• Use data and analytics to identify operational trends, constraints, and improvement opportunities.
• Develop dashboards and performance measures that track productivity, utilization, throughput, labor efficiency, and improvement implementation.
• Apply Power BI and other analytical tools to enable fact-based operational decisions.
• Support the development and enhancement of agentic, AI-enabled, or automation solutions for opportunity identification and efficiency analysis.
• Translate complex operational data into clear recommendations for plant and functional leadership.
• Partner with MP&L, Manufacturing, Plant Industrial Engineering, Purchasing, Supplier Technical Assistance, Finance, Launch, FPS, IT, and supplier teams.
• Facilitate cross-functional workshops to align on current-state conditions, improvement opportunities, ownership, and implementation plans.
• Communicate findings, risks, savings opportunities, and recommendations to leadership and operating teams.
• Build strong working relationships across plants, suppliers, and third-party facilities.

Skills

Lean manufacturing

Gemba

Value-stream mapping

Labor and productivity analysis

Capacity and throughput analysis

Process optimization

Root-cause problem solving

Power BI

Excel

SQL

Python

Alteryx

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering or Manufacturing Engineering

Master's degree in Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering or Operations Research

Lean Six Sigma certification

Tools

Power BI

Excel

SQL

Python

Alteryx

Job description

This position will apply lean principles, Gemba, value-stream mapping, industrial engineering methods, simulation, data analytics, and process standardization to identify and implement sustainable operational improvements. The successful candidate will help build a lean, efficient, and optimized supply chain from the supplier through the point of fit.

What you'll do...

Operational Improvement

• Conduct Gemba studies and current-state assessments across manufacturing and material-flow operations.
• Develop value-stream maps to identify bottlenecks, waste, congestion, capacity constraints, and non-value-added activities.
• Analyze labor requirements, work content, utilization, throughput, and operational capacity.
• Develop and standardize labor methods using recognized industrial engineering and work-measurement practices.
• Support process simulation and scenario analysis to identify labor, material-flow, and capacity opportunities.
• Lead Kaizen and continuous-improvement activities that improve safety, quality, delivery, cost, and productivity.
• Establish repeatable operating standards and support the deployment of best practices across multiple sites.

Material Flow and Supply Chain Optimization

• Analyze end-to-end material flow from supplier locations through warehouses, off-dock facilities, manufacturing plants, and the point of fit.
• Identify opportunities to reduce handling, travel distance, congestion, inventory, and other non-value-added activity.
• Improve material presentation, storage, routing, replenishment, dock operations, and point-of-fit delivery processes.
• Support material-cost and operational-efficiency studies at Tier 1 supplier locations.
• Work with Supplier Technical Assistance and other stakeholders to assess and improve supplier material-flow operations.

Launch and Forward-Model Support

• Support MP&L requirements development and labor analysis for forward-model and manufacturing launch programs.
• Participate in launch-readiness reviews and identify material-flow, labor, capacity, process, and infrastructure risks.
• Support supplier audits, launch reviews, and post-Job 1 operational stabilization activities.

Data, Digital Tools, and Automation

• Use data and analytics to identify operational trends, constraints, and improvement opportunities.
• Develop dashboards and performance measures that track productivity, utilization, throughput, labor efficiency, and improvement implementation.
• Apply Power BI and other analytical tools to enable fact-based operational decisions.
• Support the development and enhancement of agentic, AI-enabled, or automation solutions for opportunity identification and efficiency analysis.
• Translate complex operational data into clear recommendations for plant and functional leadership.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with MP&L, Manufacturing, Plant Industrial Engineering, Purchasing, Supplier Technical Assistance, Finance, Launch, FPS, IT, and supplier teams.
• Facilitate cross-functional workshops to align on current-state conditions, improvement opportunities, ownership, and implementation plans.
• Communicate findings, risks, savings opportunities, and recommendations to leadership and operating teams.
• Build strong working relationships across plants, suppliers, and third-party facilities.

You'll have...

• Bachelors degree in Industrial Engineering or Manufacturing Engineering
• 4+ Years Experience applying industrial engineering methods in manufacturing, logistics, warehousing, material handling, or supply-chain operations.
• 2+ years of experience with discrete-event simulation or material-flow simulation tools.
• Proficiency in Power BI, Excel, SQL, Python, Alteryx, or similar data and automation tools.
• Working knowledge of:
  • Lean manufacturing
  • Gemba
  • Value-stream mapping
  • Standardized work
  • Labor and productivity analysis
  • Capacity and throughput analysis
  • Process optimization
  • Root-cause problem solving
• Ability to analyze operational data and convert findings into practical improvement actions.

Even better, you may have...

• Masters degree in Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering or Operations Research
• Experience conducting work-measurement studies using MODAPTS, MOST or comparable predetermined-motion-time systems.
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, Black Belt, or comparable lean certification.
• Experience developing dashboards, analytical models, automated workflows, or AI-enabled operational tools.
• Experience supporting Tier 1 supplier assessments or operational improvement activities.

Working Conditions

• Position may require regular engagement at manufacturing plants, supplier facilities, warehouses, ODCs, and third-party operations.
• Travel may be required based on launch, supplier, and operational-improvement priorities.
• The role requires a combination of office-based analysis and hands-on observation in manufacturing and logistics environments.

As an established global company, we offer the benefit of choice. You can choose what your Ford future will look like: will your story span the globe, or keep you close to home? Will your career be a deep dive into what you love, or a series of new teams and new skills? Will you be a leader, a changemaker, a technical expert, a culture builder or all the above? No matter what you choose, we offer a work life that works for you, including:

Immediate medical, dental, and prescription drug coverage

Flexible family care, parental leave, new parent ramp-up programs, subsidized back-up childcare 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.

This position is a salary grade 6 and ranges from $72,480-$121,440.

This position is a salary grade 7 and ranges from $84,480-$141,360.

This position is a salary grade 8 and ranges from $96,720-$162,120.

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Candidates for positions with Ford Motor Company must be legally authorized to work in the United States. Verification of employment eligibility will be required at the time of hire.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, age, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status or protected veteran status. In the United States, if you need a reasonable accommodation for the online application process due to a disability, please call 1-888-336-0660.