What are the responsibilities and job description for the Advanced Manufacturing Engineer-Project position at ZF Group?
About the team: The Advanced Manufacturing Project Engineer will be an integral member of a dynamic, collaborative team at ZF Axle Drives Marysville, LLC—part of Division E, Axle Drives. In this role, the engineer will partner closely with both the international Assembly Planning organization and the local Marysville Engineering team to advance innovation and operational excellence in axle drive manufacturing. This position is critical in shaping technical strategy and assembly planning across the North America region, supporting industrialization efforts and new program launches while ensuring full alignment with ZF standards and customer requirements.
What you can look forward to as the Advanced Manufacturing Project Engineer:
- Oversee assembly planning activities across the North America region, supporting both internal and external customers. Responsibilities include pre planning and concept development, capital investment analysis, specification creation, equipment vendor evaluation and selection, oversight of equipment installation and commissioning (including first run off), and the release of production equipment and manufacturing procedures.
- Develop capital investment models to estimate equipment costs and analyze cost and pricing variances between new investments and equipment changeovers.
- Conduct vendor assessments through on site evaluations and performance analyses to support supplier selection and capability verification.
- Serve as the primary customer liaison, identifying product and process requirements for new and existing programs and translating them into equipment specifications and assembly process definitions (e.g., design changes, new feature integration).
- Coordinate the planning phases of equipment installation for pre series and launch-management projects, working closely with the Manufacturing Planning team in Germany to ensure alignment with global standards and timelines.
- Establish planning tools, procedures, and corrective action strategies for production and maintenance teams to minimize operational downtime and mitigate commercial risk associated with line stoppages or cycle time deviations.
- Support change management activities related to launch timing and engineering change requests, including quotations, validation planning, scheduling, and communication with impacted departments and project stakeholders.
Your profile as the Advanced Manufacturing Project Engineer:
- B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Mechanical/Manufacturing Technology or related Engineering field.
- 5 years of project engineering experience within a Tier-1 Supplier or OEM environment.
- 3 years of in-plant manufacturing engineering experience
- 2 years of experience with Bills of Material (BOM) structures, quoting, manufacturing equipment/tooling planning, design change procedures, and the technical and manufacturing facets of product development.
- Proven project management experience; PMP certification preferred.
- Understanding of passenger car powertrain technology and basic knowledge of axle/driveline technologies.
- Ability to interpret mechanical systems, tooling concepts, and equipment functionality with strong technical/mechanical competency
- Willingness to travel domestically and internationally.
- Must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. without current or future sponsorship.
What We Offer at ZF Marysville:
- A supportive collaborative team environment
- Annual Incentive Plan
- Paid Vacation
- Personal Time
- 401k Plan
- Health Care Benefits
- Paid Holidays
- A strong diversity culture
- Supportive Employee Groups and community outreach activities