Performance engineer Jobs in Dearborn, MI

Manufacturing Launch Engineer Body Construction & Closures

The Manufacturing Launch Engineer Body Construction & Closures Engineering provides end-to-end manufacturing engineering leadership for new automotive model programs, from early development through plant launch and production acceleration. This role ensures that Body Construction and Closures manufacturing processes, tooling, equipment, facilities, and operator workstations are production-ready, safe, efficient, and capable of consistently meeting quality, dimensional, throughput, and cost objectives. The position is highly hands-on and plant-floor focused, offering significant visibility and career-defining exposure within vehicle operations and launch environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead manufacturing engineering execution for Body Construction and Closures across the full program timeline, from early development through launch and early production acceleration.
• Drive manufacturing readiness, launch deliverables, exit criteria, open-issue closure, and cross-functional alignment to meet program milestones.
• Provide on-site launch support during major build phases, tooling installations, and plant execution windows, working directly on the plant floor.
• Support extended shifts, nights, and alternating weekends as required by launch, installation, and commissioning schedules.
• Support manufacturing processes associated with body structures and closure systems, including doors, hoods, liftgates/decklids, fenders, and related assemblies.
• Provide engineering support for hemming, welding and joining, adhesive and sealer application, fastening, material handling, automated tooling, fixtures, and dimensional assembly processes.
• Evaluate manufacturability and process feasibility, including part presentation, locating strategy, tooling access, joining accessibility, clearances, gaps, flushness, and dimensional interfaces.
• Support integration of closure assemblies with upstream Body Construction and downstream Final Assembly requirements to ensure seamless production flow.
• Lead resolution of manufacturing concerns impacting closure fit, function, dimensional compliance, appearance, and production throughput.
• Lead Body and Closures tooling installation, start-up, commissioning, prove-out, and production validation activities.
• Support tooling buy-offs at supplier and vendor facilities and drive open tooling and process concerns to closure.
• Implement new or modified production equipment, operator workstations, fixtures, and facilities driven by product or process changes.
• Ensure tooling and equipment consistently achieve required cycle time, quality, dimensional, ergonomic, and production targets.
• Support and lead manufacturing build events such as DCV, TT, PP, MP, pilot, prototype, and launch builds.
• Conduct pre-build manufacturing validation to ensure tooling, process documentation, quality controls, manpower, and material flow are ready for each build phase.
• Capture lessons learned from build events and drive corrective actions into subsequent builds and production processes.
• Drive manufacturing quality during launch by identifying, containing, analyzing, and resolving production and dimensional concerns.
• Apply structured problem-solving methodologies to determine root cause and implement sustainable corrective actions.
• Support PFMEA, control plans, dimensional validation, process capability, error-proofing, and quality-at-the-source initiatives.
• Utilize manufacturing and quality data to identify trends, prioritize corrective actions, and improve process performance.
• Partner with Quality, Product Engineering, Plant Manufacturing, tooling suppliers, and launch teams to resolve fit-and-finish, dimensional, functional, and process-related concerns.
• Support verification of corrective actions during subsequent builds and production runs to ensure durability and effectiveness.
• Develop, modify, and maintain process sheets and formal manufacturing and assembly process instructions.
• Ensure process changes and lessons learned are incorporated into production documentation and required manufacturing systems.
• Compile and distribute daily launch metrics, issue lists, quality status, and acceleration reporting to provide clear visibility across the launch organization.
• Identify and drive resolution of manufacturing issues impacting safety, quality, cost, delivery, labor, dimensional performance, and throughput.
• Drive production acceleration by identifying bottlenecks and process constraints and coordinating countermeasures.
• Maintain and update PFMEA, SCCAF, and related quality and process documentation based on physical build and production learnings.
• Support error-proofing implementation and verification for new and modified manufacturing processes.
• Ensure new tooling and processes meet internal ergonomic and safety requirements and support safe operator workstations.
• Complete preventive maintenance planning and documentation for new tooling and equipment, including maintenance tasks, spare parts, and industrial material requirements where applicable.
• Interface with Product Development, Quality, STA, MP&L, plant manufacturing teams, suppliers, and tooling vendors to remove roadblocks and drive deliverables to closure.
• Coordinate with Body, Closures, Dimensional Engineering, Quality, and Final Assembly teams when concerns cross manufacturing areas.
• Provide supplier and tooling-vendor oversight from statement-of-work development through tool design, build, buy-off, installation, launch, and production acceleration.
• Operate effectively under aggressive launch timing, taking ownership of manufacturing issues and driving timely resolutions.
• Influence tooling and station design decisions and be accountable for safety, quality, throughput, and readiness metrics throughout launch.

Essential Skills

• Bachelors degree in Mechanical, Manufacturing, Industrial, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical discipline, or equivalent relevant experience.
• 2+ years of experience supporting automotive manufacturing launches, new model programs, or new process and tooling installations.
• Experience with Body Construction and/or Closures Manufacturing, preferably involving doors, hoods, liftgates/decklids, hemming, joining, fastening, or dimensional assembly.
• Experience leading manufacturing projects within an automotive launch environment.
• Hands-on experience with automotive tooling installation, commissioning, prove-out, and production launch.
• Working knowledge of manufacturing quality tools, including PFMEA, control plans, dimensional quality, root-cause analysis, and structured problem solving.
• Experience supporting new process equipment and/or new model vehicle launches.
• Experience with closures manufacturing processes, including hemming, fastening, welding and joining, sealing and adhesives, fixtures, automation, and dimensional fit-up.
• Understanding of gap and flush, dimensional variation, closure fit and function, and manufacturing contributors to vehicle fit-and-finish concerns.
• Tooling, process, quality, dimensional, and facility-equipment experience in an automotive production environment.
• Experience with commissioning, tooling buy-off, capability validation, and production prove-out.
• Working knowledge of PFMEA, Control Plans, SPC, process capability, control charts, data collection, and corrective-action methodologies.
• Experience with structured problem-solving methodologies such as 8D, 5 Why, Fishbone/Ishikawa, or Six Sigma; Green Belt experience is a plus.
• Ability to interpret manufacturing and quality data and translate findings into actionable tooling or process improvements.
• Experience with CAD and manufacturability and feasibility reviews, including weld and join access, flange conditions, gaps and clearances, locating strategies, tooling access, and closure interfaces.
• Experience with virtual manufacturing tools and translating virtual validation into plant-floor execution is preferred.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and Outlook for launch metrics, issue tracking, reporting, and leadership presentations.
• Ability to operate effectively under aggressive launch timing and work independently with minimal direct supervision.
• Strong manufacturing quality mindset and ability to identify and resolve quality concerns during tooling prove-out, build events, launch, and production acceleration.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience in engineering management, manufacturing operations, and launch vehicle programs.
• Experience in manufacturing engineering, process engineering, and body engineering within automotive environments.
• Experience with final assembly processes and integration with Body Construction and Closures operations.
• Hands-on exposure to tooling installation, process development, and manufacturing process optimization.
• Familiarity with error-proofing strategies and quality-at-the-source initiatives.
• Comfort working in highly visible launch programs where performance leads to greater scope and future leadership opportunities.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams, including Product Development, Quality, STA, MP&L, plant manufacturing, suppliers, and tooling vendors.
• Strong communication skills for compiling and presenting launch metrics, issue lists, and quality status to leadership.
• Demonstrated ownership mindset, taking responsibility for resolving manufacturing issues and driving production readiness.
• Experience with virtual manufacturing and translating digital validation into