Process Control Team Engineer-Manufacturing Engineering

Lincoln Motor Company; Dearborn (MI); Hybrid; USD 74,000 - 166,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

Paid time off

Vehicle discount program

Job summary

Ford Motor Company in Dearborn, MI is seeking a Process Control Team Engineer to drive two workstreams: Strategy/Process and Plant Implementation. You will analyze control plans, develop engineering recommendations, and implement permanent solutions across NA plants.

This hybrid role requires a mechanical/electrical/manufacturing engineering background, 3+ years in automotive manufacturing, and travel across North American sites. Salary ranges are discussed with eligibility for grade 6–8.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering.
• 3+ years of Automotive Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, or Product Development.
• Strong understanding of APQP, PFMEA, and Significant/ Critical Characteristics.
• Experience bridging vehicle design and plant floor feasibility.
• Willingness to travel across NA assembly plants.

Responsibilities

• Analyze Significant and Critical Characteristics to improve control plans.
• Develop strategic engineering recommendations and identify design or tooling enablers.
• Update PFMEAs and Control Plans to align with quality framework.
• Collaborate with PD, Quality, and VME to align on control methods.
• Drive interim vs. permanent control strategies and secure exceptions when needed.
• Support auditing and updating PFMEAs, Control Plans, and Process Sheets.
• Deliver executive-level risk reduction and project status updates.
• Develop real-time dashboards (Power BI, QlikSense) to monitor performance across facilities.
• Collaborate with suppliers to create action plans and SOWs for tooling upgrades.
• Provide on-site support for installation of new tooling and systems.
• Coordinate validation criteria with IT and plant operations.

Skills

APQP knowledge

PFMEA/DFMEA

Project management

Cross-functional collaboration

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Tools

Power BI

QlikSense

SOW management

Job description

We made history and now we work to transform the future – for our customers, our communities and our families. You’ll see your work on the road every day, helping people move freely and pursue their dreams. At Ford, you can build more than vehicles. Come build what matters.

As part of our Manufacturing team, you’ll help build the world‑class, state‑of‑the‑art smart vehicles we’re known for. In our plants around the world, we’re constantly developing new technologies and processes to further increase our efficiency. You’ll get the satisfaction of making great products people use and love.

The Mission: Driving Ford to the Pinnacle of Quality

At Ford, we are on a mission to become the industry benchmark for automotive quality. A robust Control Plan is central to this strategy – it is a structured quality‑management document used to describe the systems in place to control product quality. A Control Plan provides a written summary of the systems used to minimize variation, tying together product characteristics (dimensions, specs), process characteristics (machine settings, cycle times), the control methods used to monitor them, and the reaction plans if something goes out of spec.

To execute this, VME Final Assembly is launching a brand-new Process Control Team. This team will be responsible for developing and implementing next generation process control strategies across all Vehicle Operations plants. The ultimate goal of this critical engineering role is to cement Ford as the Quality leader in automotive industry.

In this position…

As a Process Control Team Engineer, sitting within the Global Manufacturing Engineering organization, you will be the hands‑on technical expert executing across two critical workstreams: Strategy/Process and Plant Implementation. You will physically drive both immediate interim solutions and long‑term permanent solutions to protect our customers.

Workstream 1: Process & Strategy

• Analyze Significant and Critical Characteristics cascaded by Product Development to enhance our current control plans.
• Develop and propose strategic engineering recommendations based on this analysis, identifying the specific design or tooling enablers required to implement enhanced control methods.
• Update existing Control Plans based on proposed engineering recommendations, and thoroughly review core PFMEAs to ensure all control plans align perfectly with foundational quality documents.
• Collaborate in cross-functional reviews with Product Development (PD), Quality, and VME stakeholders to align on effective control methods and support assignment of cross‑functional DRIs (PD, VME, ATP, etc.) for required actions.
• Execute interim vs. permanent control strategies, helping secure signed exceptions for interim actions while engineering robust, permanent solutions.
• Support auditing, creation, and updating of core PFMEAs, Control Plans, and Process Sheets to ensure absolute alignment with Ford’s quality framework.
• Support delivering executive‑level report‑outs to senior leadership on risk reduction metrics and project status.
• Maintain and drive the development of real‑time data visualization dashboards (e.g., Power BI, QlikSense) to track the progress across all facilities.

Workstream 2: Plant Implementation & Execution

• Collaborate with VME core, ATP, and suppliers, to create comprehensive action plans and Statements of Work (SOWs) for new process control tooling based on Workstream 1 findings.
• Obtain supplier quotes and collaborate with Financial Analysts to secure funding and write requisitions for tooling upgrades across NA VO plants.
• Provide on‑site and in‑plant support to physically implement both rapid interim containment solutions and long‑term permanent controls.
• Work alongside plant and supplier personnel to prepare, schedule, and supervise the installation of new equipment, advanced vision systems, complex error‑proofing systems, and smart tools.
• Coordinate with Industrial Engineering teams to acquire labor estimates and update operations, driving the complete installation and operationalization of all new tooling and software systems.
• Partner with plant operations and IT teams to develop and execute robust validation criteria, ensuring new equipment operates precisely as intended with minimal disruption to production.
• Collaborate with plant maintenance and operations to support the development of long‑term sustainment plans, ensuring local personnel are fully equipped to manage and maintain the upgraded systems moving forward.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Manufacturing, or related field).
• 3+ years of experience in Automotive Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, or Product Development.
• Strong understanding of the APQP framework, specifically Control Plans, DFMEA, PFMEA, and managing Significant/Critical Characteristics
• Experience bridging the gap between vehicle design/engineering and plant floor manufacturing feasibility.
• Must be open to travel as needed to support North American Assembly Plant installations and execution.

Preferred Requirements:

• Hands‑on experience in the development, procurement, and installation of advanced Vision Systems (e.g., laser profiling, camera systems) and Error‑Proofing tools (e.g., PLC‑integrated smart tooling, force gauge tools).
• Experience functioning in an automotive final assembly plant environment, including supporting tooling installations and launch cycles.
• Experience writing Statements of Work (SOWs), evaluating supplier quotes, and managing external tooling suppliers.
• Strong cross‑functional communication skills with the ability to negotiate complex quality issues across multiple organizations (PD, Quality, VME, VO).
• Exceptional project management skills, specifically tracking multiple complex workstreams simultaneously across different geographic locations.
• Knowledge of Ford-specific systems (FEDE, WERS, GSPAS/APT, Teamcenter, E2KS/Auros, AIS).
• A history of functioning highly effectively in stressful situations with aggressive timing constraints.
• Experience developing or managing data visualization dashboards (Power BI, etc.) to track complex, multi‑site project lifecycles and executive KPIs.

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.

This position is a salary grade 6-8 and ranges from $74,300-$166,200.

Final determination of salary grade will be based on candidate's skills and experience, and base salary will be set within the applicable range according to job scope, responsibility and competitive market value.

Visa sponsorship is 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.

This position is hybrid with a requirement to be onsite four or more days per week. #LI-Hybrid

#LI-GR1 #GME