
Quality Engineer, Ford Energy
Ford · Glendale, KY
- Level
- Engineer
- Team
- Quality
- Base pay
- $65k–$166k
- Degree
- Required
- Experience asked
- 3+ years
- Certification
- Black Belt preferred
- Industry
- Automotive
- Posted
- Yesterday
The role in 30 seconds
An engineer-level quality role at Ford (automotive) in Glendale, KY. Develop "Leaders as Teachers": Function as the leader and subject matter expert for your specified section of the production line.
- They ask for
- 3+ years · degree required · Black Belt preferred
- Tools it names
- Lean, Six Sigma, Black Belt, Value stream mapping, Root cause, DMAIC
- Base pay
- $65k–$166k
- Day to day
- some off-shift / weekend coverage
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of October 19, 2026
Quality Engineer roles in the US: typical posted base $96k–$135k. This one lists $65k–$166k.
Median of the low and high ends of 463 live postings that list pay, out of 1132 quality engineer openings in the US, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
Kentucky plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 24 other live quality postings in Kentucky.
- Experience asked
- Less than usual (3+ vs 5+)
Similar roles usually ask 5+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- ✓ Root cause 76%
- ✓ SPC 56%
- ✓ FMEA 52%
- Internal audits 44%
- Supplier quality 40%
- ✓ New product launch 40%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
Stands out: this posting asks for Black Belt, DMAIC, Robotics, Automation, which few similar roles mention. If you have it, lead with it.
At a glance
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 Quality 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?
- Which standards drive the work here: ISO 13485, IATF 16949, AS9100?
- How much of the job is customer complaints versus prevention?
- How does off-shift and weekend coverage work?
- The posting mentions a Black Belt. Does the company sponsor certification?
- 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.
- Facilities Engineer, Ford Energy · Reliability
- Maintenance Supervisor, Ford Energy · Reliability · Supervisor
- Industrial Engineer, Ford Energy · Industrial
- Maintenance Engineer, Ford Energy · Reliability
Full description from FordAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
About Ford Energy
Ford Energy is a newly formed, wholly owned subsidiary of Ford Motor Company dedicated to accelerating US 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.
In this position...
- •Lead with Purpose: Build and lead an agile team to deliver the advanced quality standards and technology that drive the future.
- •Innovate: Use your entrepreneurial skills and team mindset to come up with data-driven solutions during the design, construction, and launch phases of a massive Greenfield manufacturing site.
- •Empower Others: Create a culture of trust, encourage diversity of thought, and foster leadership in others to make quality a shared organizational responsibility.
What you'll do...
- •Greenfield Quality Excellence & Manufacturing Systems
- •Apply engineering principles and analytical techniques to drive continuous improvement in automated battery manufacturing processes.
- •Play an integral part in the Launch process by establishing and monitoring quality target levels at the workstation level for each build phase to validate workstation readiness.
- •Manage and direct Statistical Process Control (SPC) activities, utilizing control charts, data collection, and GD&T to minimize manufacturing variation.
- •Conduct process audits to ensure the production process adheres to strict guidelines, specific process standards, and environmental/quality compliance (including ISO 14001, ISO 9001, and IATF 16949).
- •Support efficiency planning to ensure workstations are properly set up with quality risks and failure modes (PFMEA) proactively identified and addressed.
- •Leadership & Culture
- •Develop "Leaders as Teachers": Function as the leader and subject matter expert for your specified section of the production line. Coordinate activities and drive improvements to achieve plant KPIs.
- •Embrace the Gemba Philosophy: Regularly engage on the production floor to act as the team leader in resolving assembly-related concerns and driving lean manufacturing initiatives.
- •Remove Barriers: Lead variability reduction, lean manufacturing best practices, and the development of solutions for throughput constraints.
- •Champion Transparency: Work cross-functionally with Manufacturing Engineering, Operations, and Suppliers
- •Flexibility: Ability to support a 24/7 manufacturing operation, including flexibility to work across shifts, weekends, and extended hours as business needs dictate.
- •Strategic Management & Integrity
- •Develop relevant KPIs and data visualizations to enable a clear, real-time understanding of actual vs. expected quality and process performance.
- •Lead the development of interim and permanent corrective actions to resolve quality and production issues using 8D methodology and structured problem-solving tools.
- •Provide robust change management leadership, ensuring all process, equipment, and product modifications are executed with zero impact on quality integrity.
- •Capabilities for Success
- •Resilient Leader: An emotionally intelligent professional who remains calm, focused, and decisive when operating in high-pressure startup situations within tight timing constraints.
- •Collaborative Influencer: Proven ability to build trust, work effectively as part of a team, and coordinate cross-functionally to resolve complex assembly-related concerns.
- •Data-Driven Problem Solver: Strong analytical capability, utilizing statistical tools, data visualization, and failure mode avoidance principles to drive continuous improvement.
- •Integrity-Focused: A commitment to upholding the highest quality standards, ensuring that manufacturing speed never compromises product safety, reliability, or compliance.
You'll have...
- •Education: Bachelor’s degree in engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical, Industrial, or related field).
- •Experience: 0-3+ years of manufacturing process or quality engineering experience in an automated manufacturing facility.
- •Technical Knowledge: Working knowledge of statistics (control charts, data collection, GD&T), PFMEA, and 3D CAD review abilities (3D Experience, CATIA, or equivalent). Strong understanding of industrial controls and automation.
- •Startup Experience: Demonstrated ability to support and launch programs with a results-oriented mindset and strong project management skills.
Even better, you may have...
- •Master’s degree in Engineering or an MBA.
- •Experience with advanced manufacturing technologies, including vision/camera systems, error-proofing (Poka-yoke) systems, and/or robotics.
- •Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma Green/Black Belt certification (DMAIC, DMADV/DFSS).
- •Expertise in 8D, 5-Why, FMEA, PPAP, DOEs, and Value Stream Mapping.
- •Demonstrated skills in print reading, tool layouts, gauging, and ergonomic analysis.
- •Prior experience in a facility start-up or new equipment commissioning.
- •Strategic Visionary: Able to translate the evolving quality needs of the battery industry into actionable long-term continuous improvement strategies.
- •Decisive Under Pressure: Ability to make rapid, data-driven quality decisions during facility constraints or critical equipment failures.
- •Adaptability: The resilience to lead through
