
Industrial Engineer, Material Flow and Logistics Operations
Ford · Dearborn, MI
- Level
- Engineer
- Team
- Industrial
- Base pay
- $72k–$121k
- Degree
- Required
- Experience asked
- 4+ years
- Certification
- Black Belt preferred
- Industry
- Automotive
- Posted
- 11 days ago
The role in 30 seconds
An engineer-level industrial role at Ford (automotive) in Dearborn, MI.
- They ask for
- 4+ years · degree required · Black Belt preferred
- Tools it names
- Lean, Six Sigma, Black Belt, Green Belt, Kaizen, Value stream mapping
- Base pay
- $72k–$121k
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of November 2, 2026
Industrial Engineer roles in Michigan: typical posted base $84k–$125k. This one lists $72k–$121k.
Median of the low and high ends of 6 live postings that list pay, out of 20 industrial engineer openings in Michigan, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
Michigan plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 19 other live industrial postings in Michigan.
- Base pay
- About 7% below similar roles
- Experience asked
- Less than usual (4+ vs 6+)
Typical $84k–$125k, from 5 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 6+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- ✓ New product launch 60%
- ✓ Lean 45%
- ✓ Six Sigma 45%
- ✓ Root cause 45%
- FMEA 45%
- PPAP 40%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
Stands out: this posting asks for Kaizen, Python, 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 Industrial team at Ford
We found 6 people at this company and state: 5 in this kind of role, 1 leaders. Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. See 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.
Write to Imtiaz → (free) - 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?
- The posting mentions a Black Belt. Does the company sponsor certification?
- 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 Dearborn
30 other open roles at this site · 6 people we found in industrial roles at Ford.
- IVI & Audio Hardware Quality Supervisor · Quality · Supervisor
- Engineering Specialist- Controls · Controls
- Manufacturing Engineer-Package Attach/ Reflow Soldering · Manufacturing
- Manufacturing Engineer · Manufacturing
- Launch Manufacturing Engineer · Manufacturing
- Manufacturing Engineer- General Assembly · Manufacturing
Full description from FordAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
requirements
development and labor analysis for forward-model and manufacturing launch programs.
- ✓Participate in launch-readiness reviews and identify material-flow, labor, capacity, process, and infrastructure risks.
- ✓Support supplier audits, launch reviews, and post-Job 1 operational stabilization activities.
Show full description ↓Show less ↑
This position will apply lean principles, Gemba, value-stream mapping, industrial engineering methods, simulation, data analytics, and process standardization to identify and implement sustainable operational improvements. The successful candidate will help build a lean, efficient, and optimized supply chain from the supplier through the point of fit.
What you'll do...
Operational Improvement
- •Conduct Gemba studies and current-state assessments across manufacturing and material-flow operations.
- •Develop value-stream maps to identify bottlenecks, waste, congestion, capacity constraints, and non-value-added activities.
- •Analyze labor requirements, work content, utilization, throughput, and operational capacity.
- •Develop and standardize labor methods using recognized industrial engineering and work-measurement practices.
- •Support process simulation and scenario analysis to identify labor, material-flow, and capacity opportunities.
- •Lead Kaizen and continuous-improvement activities that improve safety, quality, delivery, cost, and productivity.
- •Establish repeatable operating standards and support the deployment of best practices across multiple sites.
Material Flow and Supply Chain Optimization
- •Analyze end-to-end material flow from supplier locations through warehouses, off-dock facilities, manufacturing plants, and the point of fit.
- •Identify opportunities to reduce handling, travel distance, congestion, inventory, and other non-value-added activity.
- •Improve material presentation, storage, routing, replenishment, dock operations, and point-of-fit delivery processes.
- •Support material-cost and operational-efficiency studies at Tier 1 supplier locations.
- •Work with Supplier Technical Assistance and other stakeholders to assess and improve supplier material-flow operations.
Launch and Forward-Model Support
- •Support MP&L
Data, Digital Tools, and Automation
- •Use data and analytics to identify operational trends, constraints, and improvement opportunities.
- •Develop dashboards and performance measures that track productivity, utilization, throughput, labor efficiency, and improvement implementation.
- •Apply Power BI and other analytical tools to enable fact-based operational decisions.
- •Support the development and enhancement of agentic, AI-enabled, or automation solutions for opportunity identification and efficiency analysis.
- •Translate complex operational data into clear recommendations for plant and functional leadership.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- •Partner with MP&L, Manufacturing, Plant Industrial Engineering, Purchasing, Supplier Technical Assistance, Finance, Launch, FPS, IT, and supplier teams.
- •Facilitate cross-functional workshops to align on current-state conditions, improvement opportunities, ownership, and implementation plans.
- •Communicate findings, risks, savings opportunities, and recommendations to leadership and operating teams.
- •Build strong working relationships across plants, suppliers, and third-party facilities.
You'll have...
- •Bachelors degree in Industrial Engineering or Manufacturing Engineering
- •4+ Years Experience applying industrial engineering methods in manufacturing, logistics, warehousing, material handling, or supply-chain operations.
- •2+ years of experience with discrete-event simulation or material-flow simulation tools.
- •Proficiency in Power BI, Excel, SQL, Python, Alteryx, or similar data and automation tools.
- •Working knowledge of:
- •Lean manufacturing
- •Gemba
- •Value-stream mapping
- •Standardized work
- •Labor and productivity analysis
- •Capacity and throughput analysis
- •Process optimization
- •Root-cause problem solving
- •Ability to analyze operational data and convert findings into practical improvement actions.
Even better, you may have...
- •Masters degree in Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering or Operations Research
- •Experience conducting work-measurement studies using MODAPTS, MOST or comparable predetermined-motion-time systems.
- •Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, Black Belt, or comparable lean certification.
- •Experience developing dashboards, analytical models, automated workflows, or AI-enabled operational tools.
- •Experience supporting Tier 1 supplier assessments or operational improvement activities.
Working Conditions
- •Position may require regular engagement at manufacturing plants, supplier facilities, warehouses, ODCs, and third-party operations.
- •Travel may be required based on launch, supplier, and operational-improvement priorities.
- •The role requires a combination of office-based analysis and hands-on observation in manufacturing and logistics environments.
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 the above? No matter what you choose, we offer a work life that works for you, including:
Immediate medical, dental, and prescription drug coverage
Flexible family care, parental leave, new parent ramp-up programs, subsidized back-up childcare 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
