What are the responsibilities and job description for the Manufacturing Engineer position at Adient US LLC?
JOB DESCRIPTION
Key Responsibilities1. Stakeholder Collaboration & Product Development
- Serve as the primary technical liaison between customers, suppliers, and internal engineering teams.
- Support and influence product development for seat assembly, overhead systems, door assembly, and welding processes (MIG, TIG, resistance).
- Participate in design reviews and recommend design, material, and process alternatives to improve manufacturability, quality, and cost.
- Design, develop, and optimize manufacturing processes for metal forming, welding, assembly, and urethane production, including tooling, equipment, and process controls.
- Establish and maintain standard operating procedures (SOPs) to control process variability and ensure consistent production of salable parts.
- Support development from prototype builds through launch and full production.
- Pilot new manufacturing technologies, including automation and robotics, and perform ROI analyses to support plant goals.
- Conduct manufacturing feasibility studies to assess cost drivers, quality risks, and inventory impact.
- Determine the most efficient combination of materials, processes, and equipment to achieve cost and quality targets.
- Recommend process, material, tooling, or equipment changes to improve productivity, quality, and profitability.
- Prepare economic justifications for new equipment or process improvements and evaluate new technologies.
- Lead or support tooling and equipment selection, approval, validation, and implementation.
- Coordinate with vendors regarding timelines, technical requirements, installation, and troubleshooting.
- Ensure equipment capability meets production volume, quality, and safety requirements.
- Champion Lean Manufacturing initiatives, including line balancing, OEE improvement, quick changeover, weld cell utilization, and labor efficiency (jobs/hour).
- Drive root-cause analysis and corrective actions for process deviations while maintaining design and quality standards.
- Collaborate closely with Quality and Industrial Engineering teams to continuously improve manufacturing performance.
- Develop and deliver training for new or updated manufacturing processes.
- Maintain clear communication with stakeholders through operating instructions, regular updates, and project status reporting.
- Act as a subject-matter expert for process troubleshooting, change management, and technology integration.
- Support environmental protection, personal safety, pollution prevention, and continuous improvement of the Environmental Management System.
- Provide leadership during launches to ensure compliance with OSHA, EPA, and TCEQ standards.
- Proactively monitor the workplace for environmental, health, and safety hazards and ensure corrective actions are implemented.
- Participate in accident, nearmiss, and incident investigations and ensure timely completion of all incident reports.
- Exercise stopwork authority to prevent unsafe acts or conditions when necessary.
- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related field required.
- 1-2 years of experience in a manufacturing or assembly environment, preferably automotive.
- Experience in line balancing and fastpaced manufacturing operations.
- Knowledge of manufacturing processes, machine capabilities, and raw material characteristics.
- Experience coordinating with Production, Maintenance, Quality, and Industrial Engineering teams.
- Familiarity with GD&T (Geometric Dimensioning & Tolerancing) principles.
- Exposure to PLCs (Siemens, Mitsubishi, AllenBradley preferred) is a plus.
- Lean Manufacturing training or certification preferred.
- Familiarity with the Toyota Production System (TPS) strongly preferred.
- Strong analytical, organizational, and communication skills.
PRIMARY LOCATION
Avanzar San Antonio FacilityAdient is an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, protected veteran status, status as a qualified individual with a disability, or any other characteristic protected by law. If you are an individual with a disability and you need an accommodation during the application process please email talent-acquisition@adient.com.