In this position...
As the Plant Vehicle Team (PVT) Supervisor, you will be the "first line of defense" for vehicle quality — the critical link between our global Product Development team in Dearborn and manufacturing operations on the plant floor. You'll lead a small local team responsible for delivering key vehicle attributes (Ride & Handling, Powertrain NVH, Wind/Road Noise, Squeak & Rattle, Vehicle Alignment, and EV range), directly shaping customer satisfaction and warranty performance. You'll join a worldwide community of Ford PVT engineers across our assembly plants, with the ability to collaborate across regions on shared challenges.
If you value precision, thrive on solving complex problems, and want to help deliver a breakthrough new product, this fast-paced, high-impact role is for you.
What you'll do...
Strategic Quality Ownership
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Lead delivery of internal and external quality targets (warranty, JD Power IQS, launch spike avoidance)
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Own Vehicle Engineering (VE) quality assessments, forecasting, and forward-model program quality roadmaps for LAP
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Manage online quality systems, tracking project inputs, health, and glidepaths
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Maintain critical quality documentation for vehicle subsystems and functional groups; prepare and present quality reports to all levels of management
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Lead Ride & Handling, Powertrain NVH, Wind/Road Noise, Squeak & Rattle, and EV range efforts to meet quality targets (customer surveys and warranty), partnering with functional and manufacturing teams
Data Analysis & Diagnosis
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Lead data-driven and plant-floor analysis of current-model quality concerns, using warranty data, customer feedback, and daily quality reports
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Utilize Variability Reduction Teams (VRT) health charts and critical-X monitoring to prioritize actions driving the largest R/1000 reductions
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Champion more analytical, statistically-driven approaches to issue identification and resolution
Corrective Action & Issue Resolution
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Lead root cause investigation and develop/deliver interim corrective actions, permanent corrective actions, and recurrence prevention actions; institutionalize lessons learned and preventive actions
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Manage disposition of vehicle-level issues to the appropriate engineering teams
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Manage stop ships/stop builds, quality campaigns, audits, and related product holds
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Escalate "Help Needed" issues and critical concerns through core engineering meetings; issue Engineering Alerts and pursue Engineering Concern authorization as needed
Launch & Program Support
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Serve as on-site PVT VE lead, coordinating California and Dearborn, MI-based teams
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Support engineering change trials, running changes, and vehicle testing
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Lead vehicle drive evaluations and completion of launch control plan testing, resolving static and dynamic issues
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Support plant and PD cost reduction and quality improvement efforts, eliminating non-value-added activities
Cross-Functional Engagement & Communication
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Partner with Plant Engineering, Product Development, Vehicle Program Engineers, Quality Offices, Supplier Technical Assistance, Vehicle Manufacturing Engineering, Manufacturing Program Teams, Subject Matter Experts, suppliers, hourly personnel, and all levels of management to drive quality
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Chair/support local and Dearborn-based VE/Product Development team meetings
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Lead report-outs to senior/executive leadership and onsite quality management reviews
Operational & Facility Management
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Manage vehicle evaluation & assessment drives
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Resolve facility equipment issues (Alignment machines, tire line, squeak & rattle 4-poster, air leakage equipment, etc.)
Travel
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Occasional travel (<1x per month) to visit suppliers or Dearborn team should be expected.
You'll have...
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Bachelor's degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Manufacturing, Industrial) or equivalent degree
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5+ years combined experience in vehicle engineering, high-volume manufacturing (automotive preferred), or related product development
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Must be available for travel (<1x per month) to visit suppliers or Dearborn
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Demonstrated proficiency in troubleshooting complex technical issues, methodical data analysis, and statistical methods
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Proven understanding of vehicle evaluation principles, driving dynamics, and assessment methodologies
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Proven ability to lead assembly plant/supplier teams through implementation of vehicle improvements
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Highly motivated self-starter, able to work autonomously and lead a team toward common goals; comfortable multi-tasking in a fast-changing environment
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Experience with software systems such as CAD tools, quality tracking tools, JIRA (or ability to quickly learn evolving systems)
Even better, you may have...
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Master's degree in Engineering
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Six Sigma / Lean Manufacturing certification (Black Belt preferred), with Design of Experiments experience
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Prior experience in vehicle integration, process validation, vehicle testing, or a unionized automotive manufacturing environment
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Experience with tire/wheel assemblies and alignment
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Familiarity with product development systems, New Product Introduction processes, and launch support
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Proficiency in data analysis/visualization platforms and data acquisition hardware/software
You may not check every box, or your experience may look a little different from what we've outlined, but if you think you can bring value to Ford Motor Company, we encourage you to apply!
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 of the above? No matter what you choose, we offer a work life that works for you, including:
- 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 leadership level 6 and ranges from $115,500-$218,200.
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.
For more information on salary and benefits, click here: https://fordcareers.co/LL6
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.
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