Senior Application Engineer - Advanced Manufacturing

Key Responsibilities

• Lead advanced fastening and inspection applications aligned with program, plant, and business objectives.
• Own and maintain Scope of Development Work (SODW) for fastening and inspection across program phases.
• Support and participate in MRL 4–7 gate reviews, driving technical readiness and compliance with GM standards.
• Serve as PET technical lead or core contributor, coordinating across engineering, plants, and suppliers.
• Develop and validate plant process use cases (layouts, simulations) tied back to SODW.
• Integrate solutions, timing, and resource needs into the Manufacturing Planning Study (MPS).
• Benchmark off-the-shelf solutions and engage strategic suppliers for capability, cost, and scalability.
• Collaborate with fastening and inspection SMEs to define requirements, review concepts, and validate solutions.
• Support launch execution from development through plant implementation, including builds, trials, and ramp-up.
• Develop and maintain technical cost and timing inputs to support resource planning.
• Support and influence Design for Automation (DFA) early in the product development cycle.
• Capture and deploy lessons learned from development, launches, and plant operations.
• Clearly communicate technical status, risks, readiness, and recommendations to stakeholders and leadership.

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of manufacturing experience, with strong focus on manufacturing engineering in assembly or powertrain.
• Hands-on experience with fastening or inspection systems (e.g., torque tools, vision systems).
• Strong technical communication skills for diverse technical and non-technical audiences.
• Proven ability to work independently, own complex technical problems, and deliver results through disciplined execution.

Preferred Qualifications

• Deep manufacturing engineering process knowledge.
• Automotive industry experience.
• Experience supporting launches, working with suppliers, and executing technical strategy.
• Ability to operate effectively in cross-functional, global, and high-pressure environments.
• Master’s degree or higher in a relevant technical discipline.