Process Engineer

POSITION SUMMARY

The Site Industrial Engineer leads industrial engineering, operational excellence, capacity planning, labor optimization, and manufacturing process improvement for battery and related production operations.

Working closely with Production Leads and frontline employees, this role provides technical and functional direction on standard work, line balance, labor deployment, problem-solving, and continuous improvement to improve safety, quality, delivery, cost, productivity, and workforce utilization.

The position does not replace Operations leadership or independently administer personnel actions but is expected to drive execution, coordinate corrective actions, and escalate unresolved performance or accountability concerns

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

Industrial Engineering / Process Development

• Define industrialization objectives, budgets, timing, process assumptions, and production-readiness plans.
• Improve manufacturing processes, layouts, material flow, workstations, labor standards, cycle times, capacity, and ergonomics.
• Use customer requirements, process feedback, and lessons learned to develop reliable, repeatable manufacturing solutions.
• Lead or support DFM&A, PFMEA, process-risk analysis, validation, control plans, standard work, and error-proofing.
• Lead trials, prototype builds, runoffs, time studies, line balancing, capability analysis, and corrective actions.

Operational Excellence / Continuous Improvement

• Lead Lean and continuous improvement initiatives across production.
• Facilitate Kaizen events, root-cause analysis, structured problem-solving, and waste reduction.
• Maintain the plant productivity roadmap, including priorities, owners, timing, savings, and verified results.
• Reduce cycle time, scrap, rework, downtime, and other non-value-added activities.
• Lead cost and productivity projects and ensure gains are sustained.
• Coordinate Operational Excellence reviews and report performance, risks, and barriers to site leadership.

Capacity Planning / Labor Efficiency

• Maintain capacity models based on demand, product mix, labor, equipment capability, downtime, and constraints.
• Identify bottlenecks and develop capacity or constraint-removal plans.
• Establish labor standards through time studies, work measurement, and validated production data.
• Translate demand and takt requirements into staffing, skill, and shift needs.
• Monitor labor efficiency, productivity, OEE, capacity utilization, and direct labor cost.
• Recommend staffing, line-balance, workstation, automation, and material-flow improvements.

Functional Leadership / Production Execution

• Partner with Production Leads to convert production plans and improvement priorities into effective floor execution.
• Provide technical direction on standard work, line balance, staffing, takt adherence, bottleneck response, and escalation priorities.
• Coach Production Leads and employees on Lean methods, visual management, problem-solving, and performance improvement.
• Conduct floor reviews, identify deviations, determine root causes, and coordinate corrective actions.
• Verify action completion and effectiveness, escalating unresolved barriers or repeated nonconformance.
• Support stronger shift handoffs, accountability, communication, cross-training, and consistent operating standards.
• Influence execution without direct personnel authority; formal supervisory and disciplinary decisions remain with Operations leadership.

Equipment / Launch / Ramp-Up

• Develop equipment specifications, technical reviews, and acceptance criteria with cross-functional teams.
• Support supplier selection, equipment build, factory and site acceptance, commissioning, startup, and handoff.
• Verify safety, ergonomics, capability, Run Rate readiness, cycle time, labor efficiency, maintainability, documentation, and training before release.
• Support end-of-line testing, battery systems, power electronics, automation, controls, and production issues within the role’s technical scope.

Documentation / Training / Governance

• Maintain controlled process documents, standard work, layouts, labor standards, lessons learned, and training materials.
• Train Production Leads, operators, technicians, and new employees on approved processes and continuous improvement expectations.
• Support PFMEA, process-risk reduction, Run@Rate, corrective actions, customer requirements, and audit readiness.
• Stop production when safety, quality, regulatory, or product-integrity risks arise.
• Follow company policies, OSHA requirements, ISO/IATF standards, customer requirements, environmental rules, and document-control practices.

Performs other duties and responsibilities as assigned to support business objectives, customer requirements, operational needs, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to sit, stand, walk, bend, reach, and move throughout office, lab, warehouse, and production areas as needed.
• Ability to use a computer, keyboard, phone, and standard office equipment for extended periods.
• Ability to occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds; heavier items require assistance or mechanical lifting equipment.
• Ability to wear required PPE and follow all site safety requirements while in production or test areas.
• Ability to observe workstations, conduct time studies, validate layouts, participate in equipment trials, and access manufacturing/test areas as required.

Work Environment

• Work is performed in a combination of office, engineering, lab, warehouse, and manufacturing floor environments.
• Manufacturing areas may include moving equipment, powered industrial trucks, electrical test equipment, noise, temperature variation, and PPE requirements.
• May require occasional schedule flexibility to support production, customer needs, launches, audits, equipment trials, or urgent quality/engineering issues.
• Frequent interaction with production equipment, automation, test benches, suppliers, and cross-functional project teams; occasional travel may be required.

Evaluation Metrics/KPIs

• Labor efficiency and productivity performance versus approved standards and budget.
• Cycle time, line balance, takt attainment, throughput, and direct labor cost per unit.
• Capacity utilization, bottleneck reduction, staffing-model accuracy, and readiness for customer demand.
• OEE, equipment utilization, downtime reduction, and Run@Rate performance.
• Verified continuous improvement and cost savings delivered against the plant productivity roadmap.
• Reduction in scrap, rework, process instability, excess labor, ergonomic risk, and recurring manufacturing losses.
• Timely closure and sustained effectiveness of Kaizen, PFMEA, safety, quality, and process-improvement actions.
• Production Lead adoption of standard work, visual management, escalation routines, and daily accountability practices.
• Industrial deliverables completed on time and within approved project budget and launch timing.
• Accurate and current capacity models, labor standards, standard work, layouts, training materials, and controlled documents.

Qualifications

Education / Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, Industrial Automation, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical discipline preferred; equivalent experience may be considered.
• Five or more years of industrial engineering, manufacturing engineering, process engineering, automation, operational excellence, or related manufacturing experience preferred.
• Automotive manufacturing experience preferred; battery systems, power electronics, electrical test equipment, high-complexity assembly, or launch experience strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience leading continuous improvement, capacity planning, labor optimization, time studies, line balancing, plant-layout improvement, or productivity programs.
• Experience coaching or functionally directing Production Leads, team leaders, supervisors, operators, or cross-functional project teams is strongly preferred.

Technical Skills

• Strong knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma or structured problem-solving, time studies, work measurement, capacity analysis, labor planning, standard work, plant-layout design, and value-stream improvement.
• Knowledge of industrial equipment, automation, robotics, controls, data collection, machine safety, ergonomic design, and manufacturing-process development.
• Knowledge of DFM&A, PFMEA, process control, Run Rate, OEE, labor efficiency, cycle-time analysis, takt time, bottleneck analysis, and continuous improvement methods.
• Experience with test methods for power electronics or battery systems, end-of-line testing, battery-pack assembly, cabling, diagnostics, laser welding, assembly, testing, or packaging preferred.
• Programming or technical exposure to Siemens PLC, LabVIEW, MATLAB, Python, C, PSpice/OrCAD, dSPACE, Vector/ETAS, or similar tools preferred.
• Advanced Excel and data-analysis capability required; Power BI experience preferred. Experience with SAP, CAD/layout tools, SharePoint, Teams, and project-tracking systems is beneficial.

Professional Competencies

• Strong floor presence, communication, facilitation, coaching, and cross-functional leadership skills, with the ability to influence without direct authority.
• Able to set clear technical expectations, challenge ineffective practices constructively, drive action closure, and escalate accountability concerns appropriately.
• Analytical, rigorous, curious, persuasive, and comfortable balancing safety, quality, delivery, cost, people, and launch-timing priorities.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, work independently, use data to make decisions, and communicate risks or barriers promptly.
• Team-oriented and adaptable in a multicultural, fast-changing manufacturing environment, with a strong commitment to continuous improvement and operational discipline.