Wheel-Tire Quality and NVH Supervisor

We made history and now we work to transform the future – for our customers, our communities and our families. You'll see your work on the road every day, helping people move freely and pursue their dreams. At Ford, you can build more than vehicles. Come build what matters.

If good is just never good enough for you, Ford Quality shares your passion for striving for perfection. We’re responsible for driving the continuous improvement efforts that enable Ford to deliver the highest quality products and services. Help us drive operational excellence through such innovative, proprietary initiatives as our Global Product Development System, Quality Operating System and New Model Launch. Work cross-functionally and closely with integrated teams in Manufacturing, Product Development, Purchasing, Marketing, Sales and Service.
 

In this position...

The WTJO Quality / Systems & Strategy Supervisor is a key leadership role within the UnSE organization, serving as the primary link between senior leadership and the frontline engineering workforce. This role is critical in bridging the gap between upfront program strategy and downstream execution.
This supervisor will lead a team of engineers with roles that support the global Application and Core teams, consisting of the following:

• Program Planning & Strategy Engineer: A GSR role responsible for the collection and organization of early program requests. This engineer establishes initial tire and wheel lineups, supports cost and weight target setting roundtables, manages early BOM creation, conducts scenario comparisons, and interfaces directly with Architecture and Chassis teams.
• VVWD / NVH Engineer: Dedicated to expert-level technical support for the diagnosis and resolution of VVWD and NVH quality issues for all vehicle lines manufactured globally.
• Wheel and Tire Assembly Engineer: Leads the development and optimization of wheel and tire assembly products, processes, and uniformity specifications within Ford's internal manufacturing operations and at outside suppliers.

The team reporting to this Supervisor may expand to include engineers supporting Quality / OPD activities, DV Test Logistics, and Warranty Parts Return Analysis.

What you'll do...

1. People Leadership & Talent Development

• Team Management: Manage a diverse team of GSR engineers (levels 5 through 8) and supplemental workers, spanning disciplines from early strategy to post-production quality.
• Performance Management: Conduct regular check-ins and annual reviews using the Performance Plus framework, setting clear objectives that align with Ford+ Behaviors.
• Coaching & Mentoring: Guide engineers through complex technical hurdles. Specifically, mentor the Program Planning Engineer on navigating the cross-functional landscape of early program development.
• Resource Planning: Manage workload balance across the product lifecycle—ensuring resources are allocated effectively between upfront strategy work (UN V0) and current model execution (launch/warranty).

2. Strategic Planning & Program Definition

• Upfront Strategy Leadership: Provide leadership oversight for the collection of early program requests. Ensure the team is effectively organizing inputs to establish optimized Tire and Wheel lineups that meet customer needs while respecting complexity targets.
• Tech Leader Interface: Act as the primary liaison between the Program Planning GSR and the Technical Leader. Ensure that the lineups and strategies being developed align with the long-term technical roadmap and commodity strategies set by the Tech Leader.
• Target Setting Governance: Support the team in Cost and Weight target setting roundtables. Provide guidance on scenario comparisons to ensure data-driven decisions are made during the early architecture and chassis interface phases.
• BOM & Complexity Management: Oversee early Bill of Materials (BOM) construction to ensure accuracy and readiness for Program Start (<PS>), minimizing late-stage churn.

3. Robustness Engineering & Prevention

• DFMEA Leadership: Oversee the "Design Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (DFMEA)" for your core commodities to accurately predict and mitigate risks (e.g., Tire / Wheel Assembly DFMEA).
• SCCAF & Vital Stats: Lead the Significant Characteristic Control Alignment Feature (SCCAF) process for Tire and Wheel Assembly. Identify Critical-to-Quality (CTQ) parameters and ensure clear communication to manufacturing and supplier teams.