Material Flow Engineer

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

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and prescription drug

Vehicle discount program for employees

Tuition assistance

Paid time off & holidays

Parental leave and family care

Job summary

Ford in Dearborn, MI is seeking a Material Flow Engineer to design end-to-end material-flow solutions that move parts from dock to point of fit and ensure smooth production launches. You will collaborate across Manufacturing Engineering, Plant MP&L, Production, and suppliers to deliver safe, efficient, and cost-effective systems.

You will develop PFEP data, support layout development, and define material-handling requirements with a focus on safety, quality, and efficiency.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related field or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Years of experience in manufacturing, material flow, logistics, industrial engineering, or supply chain.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, project-management, and communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively across manufacturing and engineering organizations and influence without direct authority.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement end-to-end material-flow strategies from receiving docks through storage, marketplaces, kitting, sequencing, and production point of fit.
• Develop and maintain PFEP data to determine packaging, storage, inventory, replenishment, equipment, and floor-space requirements.
• Support Line Layout development and validate workstation material presentation and replenishment feasibility.
• Design marketplaces, sequencing/kitting areas, line-side storage, material routes, and other logistics operating areas.
• Develop floor-space and capacity analyses and integrate material-flow requirements into plant layouts using AutoCAD.
• Define manual and powered material-handling requirements (PMHVs, forklifts, tuggers, AGVs, AMRs, conveyors).
• Develop material-handling labor requirements, replenishment routes, delivery frequencies, standardized work, and operating concepts.
• Establish inventory, storage, call/card, and replenishment strategies that support production while minimizing material handling and inventory.
• Analyze pedestrian and material-handling traffic, congestion, safety, and ergonomic risks and develop countermeasures.
• Develop equipment, facility, labor, and investment requirements and evaluate alternatives based on safety, quality, delivery, cost, productivity, and flexibility.
• Use data analysis and simulation to evaluate capacity, routes, fleet requirements, storage, congestion, and automation opportunities.
• Lead material-flow deliverables through program milestones, installation, launch, production stabilization, and handoff.
• Drive continuous improvement by reducing material touches, travel distance, floor-space, inventory, labor, and waste.

Skills

Cross-functional collaboration

Analytical thinking

Problem solving

Project management

Communication skills

Influence without authority

Education

Bachelor's degree in Manufacturing or Industrial Engineering / Supply Chain / Logistics / Operations, or related field

Tools

PFEP

AutoCAD

lean material flow

Plant layouts

Labor analysis

Material-handling equipment

Job description

In this position

• You will work cross-functionally with Manufacturing Engineering, Plant MP&L, Production, Supply Chain, Packaging, Industrial Engineering, Ergonomics, Safety, Facilities, Purchasing, suppliers, and equipment integrators to deliver material-flow solutions from early program development through launch and operational handoff.
• Material Flow Engineering converts a program's product and manufacturing assumptions into a safe, efficient, cost-effective, and plant-executable material-flow system, engineering the people, process, equipment, facilities, space, inventory, data, and automation required to move each part from dock to point of fit and successfully transition the system into production.

What you will do

• Develop and implement end-to-end material-flow strategies from receiving docks through storage, marketplaces, kitting, sequencing, and production point of fit.
• Develop and maintain Plan for Every Part (PFEP) data to determine packaging, storage, inventory, replenishment, equipment, and floor-space requirements.
• Support Cycle Line Layout (CLL) development and validate workstation material presentation and replenishment feasibility.
• Design marketplaces, sequencing/kitting areas, line-side storage, material routes, and other logistics operating areas.
• Develop floor-space and capacity analyses and integrate material-flow requirements into plant layouts using tools such as AutoCAD.
• Define manual and powered material-handling requirements, including PMHVs, forklifts, tuggers, AGVs, AMRs, conveyors, and other automation technologies.
• Develop material-handling labor requirements, replenishment routes, delivery frequencies, standardized work, and operating concepts.
• Establish inventory, storage, call/card, and replenishment strategies that support production while minimizing material handling and excess inventory.
• Analyze pedestrian and material-handling traffic, congestion, safety, and ergonomic risks and develop practical countermeasures.
• Develop equipment, facility, labor, and investment requirements and evaluate alternatives based on safety, quality, delivery, cost, productivity, and operational flexibility.
• Use data analysis and simulation, where appropriate, to evaluate capacity, routes, fleet requirements, storage, congestion, and automation opportunities.
• Lead material-flow deliverables through program milestones, installation, launch, production stabilization, and plant operational handoff.
• Drive continuous improvement by reducing material touches, travel distance, floor-space requirements, inventory, labor, and material-handling waste.

You’ll have…

• Bachelor's degree in Manufacturing or Industrial Engineering, Supply Chain, Logistics, Operations, or related field or equivalent combination of relevant education and experience.
• Years of experience in manufacturing, material flow, logistics, industrial engineering, supply chain, or related field.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, project-management, and communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively across manufacturing and engineering organizations and influence without direct authority.

Even better, you may have

• Bachelor's degree in Industrial, Manufacturing, Mechanical, or related Engineering discipline.
• Automotive manufacturing or new-model launch experience.
• Experience with Value Stream Mapping, PFEP, AutoCAD, Lean material flow, plant layouts, labor analysis, and material-handling equipment.
• Experience with PMHVs, AGVs, AMRs, ASRS, conveyors, or material-handling automation.
• Experience with material-flow simulation, data analytics, or Power BI.
• Experience developing capital requirements, business cases, or economic evaluations.
• Demonstrated leadership working with cross-functional manufacturing teams.

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.