Industrial Engineer, Ford Energy

Ford · Glendale, KY

Level: Engineer
Team: Industrial
Base pay: $65k–$166k
Degree: Required
Experience asked: 5+ years
Industry: Automotive
Posted: 30+ days ago

The role in 30 seconds

An engineer-level industrial role at Ford (automotive) in Glendale, KY. Develop "Leaders as Teachers": Serve as a technical mentor to the Production and Operations teams, providing coaching on lean principles, Takt time vs.

They ask for: 5+ years · degree required
Tools it names: Lean, Kaizen, OEE, Time studies, Tooling, AutoCAD
Base pay: $65k–$166k
Day to day: some off-shift / weekend coverage

Read from the posting. The full description is below.

How this role compares

Against 14 other live industrial postings in Kentucky.

Experience asked: Less than usual (5+ vs 60+)

Skills these teams ask for most

✓ Time studies 80%
✓ Lean 73%
✓ AutoCAD 60%
✓ New product launch 53%
SAP 33%
✓ Kaizen 27%

✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.

Stands out: this posting asks for OEE, Tooling, which few similar roles mention. If you have it, lead with it.

It asks for 5+ years. If you're close, apply anyway: requirements are a wish list. Talk to someone on the team first.

At a glance

Off-shift / weekend coverage

Pulled from the posting text. If it's not listed here, the posting didn't say.

How to get in at this plant

Five moves over a week or two. The first one takes ten minutes.

1
Pick 2–3 people on the Industrial team at Ford
Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. Use the team search on this page to find them.
2
Send a short, curious note
One real question about their work. No favors yet. Each person gets a different note, written for this role.
3
Turn a reply into a short call
Questions worth asking about this team:
- What does a normal week look like on your team?
- Is it more layout and capacity work, or time studies and standard work?
- How does off-shift and weekend coverage work?
- How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
4
Apply with someone vouching for you
If the call went well, ask whether they’d pass your résumé to the hiring manager. Send your résumé link, apply that day, and let them know.
5
Bring proof to the interview
One page of before-and-after numbers from projects you led: scrap, OEE, cycle time, cost. Plant managers hire on results.

This plant: Ford in Glendale

4 other open roles at this site.

Quality Engineer, Ford Energy · Quality
Facilities Engineer, Ford Energy · Reliability
Maintenance Supervisor, Ford Energy · Reliability · Supervisor
Maintenance Engineer, Ford Energy · Reliability

Full description from FordAs posted on their careers site.Show

requirements

for cell, module, and pack assembly, ensuring maximum utilization and efficiency.

✓Analyze production constraints and conduct equipment cycle time analysis to optimize "Cells Per Minute" (CPM) and overall plant throughput.
✓Design and refine station layouts using CAD, integrating tooling, material presentation, and error-proofing (Poka-Yoke) to ensure "First Time Through" (FTT) quality.
✓Conduct ergonomic job evaluations and implement workstation designs that meet the highest safety standards for high-speed automated production.
✓Embrace the Gemba philosophy: Regularly engage on the production floor to identify bottlenecks, observe standardized work adherence, and solve manufacturing problems in real-time.
✓Develop "Leaders as Teachers": Serve as a technical mentor to the Production and Operations teams, providing coaching on lean principles, Takt time vs. Cycle time, and waste elimination.
✓Remove Barriers: Proactively mitigate risks in the launch phase to ensure seamless equipment buy-offs and successful New Model Program (NMP) integration.
✓Champion Transparency: Work cross-functionally with Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, and Operations to achieve Ford Energy’s Vision, Mission, and Values.

Leadership & Culture

Show full description ↓

Ford Energy is a newly formed, wholly-owned subsidiary of Ford Motor Company dedicated to accelerating U.S. energy independence. Leveraging Ford’s century of manufacturing excellence and world-class battery energy storage systems (BESS) technology, Ford Energy designs, manufactures, and services grid-scale and commercial DC battery energy storage systems (BESS). Ford Energy is uniquely positioned to capture the growing demand for reliable, US-built energy storage systems. We are not just building batteries; we are building the infrastructure for the next generation of the American grid.

Why Ford Energy?

At Ford Energy, you have the backing of an industrial manufacturing powerhouse with the agility of a dedicated energy startup offering industry leading technology. We offer a competitive compensation package including performance-based bonuses, Ford vehicle discounts, and the opportunity to shape the energy strategy of one of the world's most iconic brands. Learn more at https://fordenergy.com.

In this position...

•Lead with Purpose: Design and optimize the high-volume production lines and manufacturing systems that will define the future of US energy storage.
•Innovate: Use your entrepreneurial mindset to drive production throughput, line balancing, and labor efficiency for a massive Greenfield manufacturing site.
•Empower Others: Create a culture of lean manufacturing excellence, fostering an environment where standardized work and data-driven production solutions thrive.

What you'll do...

Greenfield Production Excellence & Manufacturing Systems

•Lead the design and implementation of the Ford Energy Production System (FEPS), focusing on standardized work, line balancing, and optimized workstation layouts.
•Drive the development of labor standards and manpower

Strategic Management & Integrity

•Establish and track Production Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), including OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness), labor cost per unit, and value-added vs. non-value-added activity.
•Lead cost-savings initiatives and Kaizen events focused on reducing scrap, improving uptime, and optimizing floor space utilization.
•Manage the Engineering Change Management (ECM) process for the production floor, ensuring all process modifications are documented and labor allocations are updated accurately.

Capabilities for Success

•Resilient Leader: An emotionally intelligent leader who remains calm and decisive while managing the technical complexities of a high-pressure production startup.
•Collaborative Influencer: Proven ability to build trust and influence cross-functional teams to align on production targets, labor standards, and workstation designs.
•Throughput Expert: Skilled at capacity modeling, bottleneck identification, and managing high-volume, highly-automated manufacturing processes.
•Integrity-Focused: A commitment to standardized work and engineering principles, ensuring production speed never compromises safety or quality.

You'll have...

Education: Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related Engineering field.

Even better, you may have...

•Experience: 3-5+ years of progressive experience in Industrial Engineering or Manufacturing Engineering within a high-volume production environment.
•Technical Knowledge: Advanced proficiency in AutoCAD, MODAPTS, and manufacturing simulation tools.
•Startup Experience: Experience in Greenfield site development or high-volume automotive/battery/electronics manufacturing is highly preferred.
•A deep passion for the energy systems industry and US energy independence.

Leadership Attributes

•Strategic Visionary: Able to translate production data into long-term manufacturing strategies that scale with the growing BESS industry.
•Decisive Under Pressure: Ability to make rapid, data-driven decisions regarding line balancing and resource allocation during critical production ramps.
•Adaptability: The resilience to lead a team through the ambiguity of a new site startup, supporting a 24/7 operation including nights, weekends, and holidays as needed.

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 w