Manufacturing Engineering Specialist

Job Description

Ford of Canada's operations include a national headquarters, three vehicle assembly and engine manufacturing plants, three parts distribution centres, and three Connectivity and Innovation centres. Ford employs approximately 7,000 people in Canada, while an additional 18,000 people are employees in the more than 400 Ford and Ford-Lincoln dealerships across the country. For more information, please visit www.ford.ca.

Responsibilities

The primary responsibilities for this position include but are not limited to:
 

• Lead deployment of continuous improvement initiatives, including planning and facilitating Kaizen (continuous improvement) events, rapid improvement workshops, and Value Stream Mapping sessions.
• Design and standardize manufacturing processes, work instructions, standard work, and visual controls to ensure repeatable, safe, and high-quality production.
• Support manufacturing operations and launch readiness by conducting time studies, line balancing, process capability analysis, and optimizing layouts to improve Jobs Per Hour (JPH) and overall throughput.
• Lead root cause analysis using methodologies such as 5-Why, Fishbone diagrams, and Eight Disciplines Problem Solving, then implement corrective and preventive actions to reduce defects, scrap, and downtime.
• Develop and track key process metrics such as Jobs Per Hour (JPH), yield, scrap, downtime, and Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), reporting performance to stakeholders and implementing countermeasures to achieve targets.
• Partner with cross-functional teams (Quality, Maintenance, and Product Development) for Process Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (PFMEA) and Design Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (DFMEA) reviews, control plan updates, and change control for process and equipment modifications.
• Support a continuous improvement culture by training and coaching operators, process coaches, and engineers in Lean tools, standard work, and problem-solving methods.
• Coordinate with maintenance and external vendors for equipment modifications, Single-Minute Exchange of Die (SMED) initiatives, and preventive maintenance.
• Prepare comprehensive documentation, such as process documentation, job aids, workstation layouts, and risk assessments, ensuring compliance with safety and environmental procedures.
• Provide technical support during production incidents and emergency recoveries, actively participating in shift meetings and Gemba (on-site observation) walks.
• Contribute to project management activities, including defining the scope, timelines, and resource needs for various improvement projects.

Qualifications

Minimum requirements:

Education: Bachelors' Degree in Engineering. (Successful candidates will be required to provide proof of degree completion for the highest level of education attained. If the degree was obtained from a school outside of Canada, an Education Credential Assessment report showing Canadian equivalency is also required).

Experience:
 

• 2+ years' of hands-on experience in a manufacturing environment, applying Lean principles and continuous improvement methodologies such as Kaizen (continuous improvement), 5S (Sort, Set in Order, Shine, Standardize, Sustain), Value Stream. Mapping, and Single-Minute Exchange of Die (SMED).
• 1+ years' experience facilitating Kaizen events and utilizing problem-solving methods like Root Cause Analysis and Eight Disciplines Problem Solving (8D).
• 1+ years' experience of process documentation practices, including standard work, control plans, and Process Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (PFMEA).
• Availability to work in shifts (morning/afternoon/evening) as required.

Preferred requirements:

Education: Masters' Degree in a related Engineering discipline.

Experience:
 

• 3+ years' of experience in automotive or other high-volume production environments coupled with Lean or Six Sigma (Green Belt or higher) certification.
• Proficient in Ford Production System (FPS) or other Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) production systems, including Jobs Per Hour (JPH) methodologies and Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) implementation.
• Strong technical and analytical skills encompass knowledge of Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs), basic automation principles, and Computer-Aided Design (CAD) layout tools (AutoCAD, Visio). This includes experience with Statistical Process Control (SPC), Design of Experiments (DOE), advanced data-driven problem-solving, and proficiency in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and statistical tools like Minitab for capability analysis.
• Familiarity with unionized environments, labor and contract constraints, and contractor coordination is preferred.
• Demonstrates a results-oriented, collaborative, analytical, and safety-minded approach, with an aptitude for coaching and fostering Lean thinking and standard work.

We thank all applicants for their interest, but only those selected for an interview will be contacted. 

Ford of Canada is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to a culturally diverse workforce. Accommodations for applicants with disabilities throughout the recruitment, selection and / or assessment processes, where needed, are available upon request. Please inform Human Resources of the nature of any accommodation(s) that you may require.

Candidates for this position must be legally entitled to work in Canada. Ford Motor Company of Canada, Limited does not sponsor work permit applications.

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