Engineering Specialist - Quality/Process
Ford · Chicago, IL
- Level
- Engineer
- Team
- Quality
- Base pay
- $84k–$141k
- Degree
- Required
- Industry
- Automotive
- Posted
- 2 days ago
The role in 30 seconds
An engineer-level quality role at Ford (automotive) in Chicago, IL. Get the satisfaction of making great products people use and love.
- They ask for
- degree required
- Tools it names
- Six Sigma, Root cause, SPC, DOE
- Base pay
- $84k–$141k
- Day to day
- some off-shift / weekend coverage
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of November 2, 2026
Quality Engineer roles in Illinois: typical posted base $96k–$127k. This one lists $84k–$141k.
Median of the low and high ends of 50 live postings that list pay, out of 73 quality engineer openings in Illinois, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
Illinois plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 72 other live quality postings in Illinois.
- Base pay
- About 6% above similar roles
- Experience asked
- Not stated
Typical $90k–$123k, from 44 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 4+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- ✓ Root cause 60%
- Validation (IQ/OQ/PQ) 41%
- Supplier quality 40%
- ✓ SPC 38%
- Team leadership 34%
- FMEA 32%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention 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?
- 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.
Engineering Specialist - Quality/Process at Ford in other locations
Ford lists this title in 2 places. Pick the plant you can get to.
Full description from FordAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
requirements
- ✓Support expedited concern resolution with cross functional teams including the Quality Department, Production and Suppliers
- ✓Review internal/external suppliers for critical characteristics process compatibility
- ✓Review incoming quality concerns to maintain quality with assigned area; must have experience with initiating containment, determining root cause and implementing corrective actions.
You'll have...
- ✓High School Diploma or GED
- ✓Previous engineering or manufacturing operations experience
- ✓Demonstrated experience in accomplishing tasks and objectives
- ✓Proven problem solving ability
- ✓Microsoft Office proficiency (Word/Excel/Outlook)
- ✓Willingness to work all shifts/ alternative work schedule as required
Even better, you may have...
- ✓Bachelor’s degree in STEM field
- ✓Previous automotive and/ or quality analysis experience
- ✓Proficiency in use of problem solving tools (Six Sigma, DOE, 8D, 5 Why, etc)
- ✓Effective oral and written communication skills
- ✓Self-starter, with the ability to be self-directed in a high-volume, fast-paced environment
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 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 a salary grade 7 and ranges from $84,480-141,360.
This position is a salary grade 8 and ranges from $96,720-162,120.
For more information on salary and benefits, click here: https://fordcareers.co/GSR
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.
At Ford Motor Company, we believe freedom of movement drives human progress. With our incredible plans for the future of mobility, we have a wide variety of opportunities for you to accelerate your career and help us define tomorrow’s transportation.
Show full description ↓Show less ↑
We are the movers of the world and the makers of the future. We get up every day, roll up our sleeves and build a better world -- together. At Ford, we’re all a part of something bigger than ourselves. Are you ready to change the way the world moves?
As part of our Manufacturing team, you’ll help build the world-class, state-of-the-art smart vehicles we're known for. In our plants around the world, we’re constantly developing new technologies and processes to further increase our efficiency. You'll get the satisfaction of making great products people use and love.
In this position...
Apply engineering principles & analytical techniques to establish and continuously improve manufacturing processes and products.
What you'll do...
- •Implement interim and permanent corrective actions to resolve quality issues using 8D tool, 6 panel, etc.
- •Manage and direct statistical process control activities
- •Knowledge of and ability to execute measurement systems analysis & variable data analysis
- •Identify sources of variation within a production environment effectively and efficiently
- •Establish tolerance limits and facilitate appropriate corrective actions
- •Establish and monitor quality target levels for each build
- •Provide input for design and assembly concepts which will yield nominal variations
- •Establish critical characteristics for gauging and measuring data collection methods
- •Determine inspection equipment and facility