Manufacturing Engineer-(met) Manufacturing Engineering Transformation

Ford Ford · Auto · Dearborn, MI +1 · Manufacturing

This role focuses on leading the digital manufacturing strategy and optimizing the software ecosystem for Ford's manufacturing plants. The Manufacturing Systems Solutions Engineer will translate business needs into technical requirements, oversee development, manage backlogs, and ensure alignment with broader manufacturing strategies. The role acts as a bridge between engineering and software development, managing the product lifecycle from requirements to deployment and training.

What you'd actually do

  1. Develop Requirements: Utilize your experience to lead workshops and interviews with manufacturing engineers, industrial engineers, plant personnel and leaders to identify opportunities. Translate these business needs into detailed technical requirements and user stories for the development team.
  2. Solution Alignment: Ensure that proposed digital solutions align with the broader manufacturing strategy, existing IT architecture, and industry standards.
  3. Development Oversight and Prioritization: Act as the technical product owner by managing the feature backlog. You will work closely with developers to clarify questions, remove blockers, and prioritize sprint tasks based on business value and urgency.
  4. Product Review: Conduct regular reviews of the software solutions during the development phase to ensure the build matches the engineering specifications and quality standards.
  5. Stakeholder Demo: Lead demonstrations of new features and prototypes to key stakeholders to validate concepts, gather immediate feedback, and ensure the product is moving in the right direction.

Skills

Required

  • Bachelor’s degree in manufacturing engineering, Industrial Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical field
  • 1-3 years of experience in an advanced Manufacturing Engineering environment (automotive, aerospace, or heavy industry preferred)
  • 1-3 years of experience in creating / maintaining Manufacturing Bill of Material (MBOM), Bill of Process (BoP), and Bill of Equipment (BoE)
  • Experience with Siemens Teamcenter
  • Experience with formal product and process Change Management
  • Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills
  • Strong verbal and written communication skills
  • Ability to work independently and in a team environment
  • Strong Project Management skills and results-oriented mindset

Nice to have

  • Advanced degree in Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical field
  • Experience with PLM tools (e.g., Teamcenter, AWC, NX, etc)
  • Experience leveraging manufacturing engineering tools for tasks such as human and/or machine time studies, process simulations, and assembly line balancing
  • Experience with requirements assessments, issue management, PFMEA / Control Plans
  • Familiarity with Agile/Scrum methodologies and tools (e.g., Jira)
  • Knowledge in the following Ford software systems: FEDE, WERS, GSPAS/APT

What the JD emphasized

  • manufacturing engineers
  • industrial engineers
  • plant personnel
  • leaders
  • technical requirements
  • user stories
  • development team
  • digital solutions
  • manufacturing strategy
  • IT architecture
  • industry standards
  • technical product owner
  • feature backlog
  • developers
  • sprint tasks
  • business value
  • urgency
  • software solutions
  • development phase
  • engineering specifications
  • quality standards
  • new features
  • prototypes
  • key stakeholders
  • immediate feedback
  • software development teams
  • manufacturing stakeholders
  • project status
  • technical details
  • Jira
  • product backlog
  • timely delivery
  • features
  • advanced Manufacturing Engineering environment
  • MBOM
  • BoP
  • BoE
  • Siemens Teamcenter
  • Change Management
  • problem-solving
  • analytical skills
  • verbal and written communication skills
  • work independently
  • team environment
  • Project Management skills
  • results-oriented mindset
  • requirements assessments
  • issue management
  • PFMEA
  • Control Plans
  • Agile/Scrum methodologies
  • Jira