Senior Production Engineer

About the role

The Senior Production Engineer leads manufacturing process optimization, production improvement initiatives, and advanced problem-solving activities within a highly automated automotive production environment. This role is responsible for driving operational excellence through process development, equipment optimization, capacity planning, and continuous improvement while supporting production goals for safety, quality, delivery, and cost. The Senior Production Engineer serves as a technical resource and mentor to engineering and production teams and plays a key role in supporting new model launches and automation initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Lead production engineering activities to support safety, quality, productivity, and operational performance targets.
• Analyze manufacturing processes and identify opportunities to improve efficiency, reduce waste, and optimize production flow.
• Lead root cause investigations for complex production, quality, and equipment-related issues and implement corrective actions.
• Develop, implement, and sustain process improvements to improve throughput, reduce downtime, and lower manufacturing costs.
• Support and lead new equipment installations, process validation activities, and production line launches.
• Develop and maintain manufacturing standards, process documentation, work instructions, and engineering specifications.
• Monitor and analyze key production metrics, including OEE, cycle time, downtime, scrap, and productivity performance.
• Evaluate manufacturing equipment and automation systems to improve reliability and operational efficiency.
• Lead capital improvement and automation projects from planning through implementation.
• Coordinate with Production, Maintenance, Quality, Supply Chain, and Engineering teams to resolve manufacturing challenges.
• Support production capacity planning, line balancing, staffing analysis, and workflow optimization.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives utilizing Lean Manufacturing, Kaizen, Six Sigma, and 5S methodologies.
• Mentor and provide technical guidance to Production Engineers, technicians, and production personnel.
• Participate in Gemba walks, production audits, and risk assessments to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Ensure compliance with company safety, environmental, quality, and regulatory requirements.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related engineering field
• 5+ years of experience in manufacturing, production engineering, or process engineering.
• Experience leading manufacturing improvement and troubleshooting initiatives in a production environment

Skills

• Strong knowledge of manufacturing processes and production systems.
• Advanced problem-solving and root cause analysis skills.
• Ability to analyze production data and develop strategic improvement plans.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and other Microsoft Office applications.
• Experience developing and implementing process improvements.
• Strong project management and organizational skills.
• Excellent communication and collaboration abilities.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and lead cross-functional teams.
• Understanding of production KPI