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Job Description
MATERIAL PROCESS ENGINEER, ADVANCED MATERIALS
SOUTHFIELD, MI / WORLD HEADQUARTERS
As a Material Process Engineer on the Advanced Materials team, you will develop and implement material-flow, warehouse, and intralogistics solutions for Lear's North American just-in-time (JIT) manufacturing facilities. The role supports new program launches and existing operations by translating production requirements into safe, scalable, and cost-effective material-handling concepts, facility layouts, equipment specifications, and implementation plans. You will work cross-functionally with plant operations, program management, engineering, supply chain, IT/OT, purchasing, finance, safety, and external suppliers from early concept through launch stabilization and operational handoff.
Responsibilities
Your work will include, but not be limited to:
- Represent the Advanced Materials team in new program launch planning and guide program and plant teams toward material-flow solutions that support a safe, stable, and successful launch.
- Develop end-to-end material-flow concepts for receiving, storage, replenishment, lineside presentation, empty-container return, work-in-process, and finished-goods movement.
- Create and maintain facility, warehouse, supermarket, and lineside layouts using AutoCAD or equivalent tools, incorporating aisle strategy, equipment interfaces, ergonomics, safety, fire-protection, and future expansion requirements.
- Perform capacity and supply-chain studies, including PFEP analysis, inventory and days-on-hand requirements, storage density, dock and route capacity, labor demand, equipment utilization, and launch-volume scenarios.
- Build digital models and discrete-event simulations to validate concepts, identify constraints, size equipment and labor, and improve current and future plant operations.
- Benchmark, evaluate, and implement Industry 4.0 and warehouse-automation solutions, including ASRS, AMRs, AGVs, vertical lift modules, conveyors, shuttles, flow racks, automated storage and retrieval, and related control systems.
- Define functional requirements and interfaces for warehouse management, warehouse control, SCADA, MES, ERP, and other operational technology systems in partnership with IT/OT and controls teams.
- Lead RFI and RFQ activities, including scope-of-work development, technical specifications, bid clarification, supplier evaluation, commercial and technical alignment, and award recommendations.
- Manage projects from concept through installation, commissioning, validation, and handoff, including schedule, budget, risks, open issues, change control, and stakeholder communication.
- Develop acceptance criteria and support design reviews, simulation reviews, factory acceptance testing, site acceptance testing, user acceptance testing, ramp-up, and post-launch performance verification.
- Prepare capital requests and cost-benefit analyses using labor, space, inventory, quality, throughput, safety, and operational-risk impacts; present recommendations to senior management for approval.
- Partner directly with plant management and operations leaders to implement continuous-improvement projects that improve material flow, warehouse design, labor productivity, space utilization, inventory accuracy, safety, and launch readiness.
- Identify internal and external supply-chain constraints, determine root causes, develop countermeasures, and drive implementation through closure.
- Develop standards, design guidelines, lessons learned, and reusable specifications that improve consistency across Lear facilities and future programs.
- Track project performance against defined targets and support operational handoff through training, documentation, spare-parts planning, maintenance strategy, and sustained-performance follow-up.
Experience Requirements
Your Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree in industrial engineering, manufacturing engineering, mechanical engineering, supply chain management, logistics, or a related technical field.
- Two to four years of experience in material flow, industrial engineering, manufacturing engineering, supply chain, logistics, or a related function; experience leading projects or workstreams is preferred.
- Demonstrated ability to convert production and supply-chain requirements into practical layouts, equipment concepts, specifications, and implementation plans.
- Strong analytical capability, including data analysis, capacity modeling, business-case development, and structured problem solving.
- Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office, particularly Excel and PowerPoint; working knowledge of Microsoft Project or comparable scheduling tools.
- Ability to build effective relationships with plant employees, cross-functional teams, senior leaders, and external suppliers.
- Strong written, verbal, and presentation skills, with the ability to communicate technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences.
- Demonstrated ability to work cross-functionally, influence without direct authority, and drive decisions and implementation.
- Self-directed and detail-oriented, with the ability to manage multiple projects, priorities, deadlines, and changing launch requirements with limited supervision.
- Ability to work effectively in manufacturing and construction environments and comply with applicable safety requirements.
Requirements Continued
Bonus If You Have:
- AutoCAD experience and the ability to develop or review 2D facility and material-flow layouts.
- Experience with discrete-event simulation or digital-modeling tools such as Twiserian, ProModel, or similar.
- Knowledge of lean manufacturing, PFEP, material presentation, supermarket design, tugger or milk-run routing, line balancing, and continuous-improvement methods.
- Experience in an automotive manufacturing facility, preferably a JIT or just-in-sequence environment.
- Experience with warehouse automation technologies such as AMRs, AGVs, ASRS, vertical lift modules, conveyors, shuttles, flow racks, and automated picking or replenishment systems.
- Experience with WMS, WCS, MES, ERP, SCADA, controls, or industrial system integration.
- Experience developing equipment specifications, managing suppliers, supporting capital approvals, and executing FAT, SAT, commissioning, or launch validation.
Working Hours/ Expectations:
- Hybrid schedule with four days per week in the office or at a manufacturing facility, based on business and project needs.
- Travel up to 25%, with periods of increased travel based on program launch timing, supplier activities, installation, commissioning, and plant support.
- Flexibility to support off-shift, weekend, or extended-hour activities during critical installation, testing, launch, or issue-resolution periods, as needed.
Advantages of working at Lear in the Advanced Materials Group
- Direct exposure to senior management, plant leadership, program teams, and global engineering functions.
- Opportunity to influence material-flow strategy from early concept through launch and operational stabilization.
- Broad, end-to-end understanding of Lear's supply-chain, manufacturing, and launch processes.
- Hands-on experience with advanced automation, digital engineering, operational technology, and large-scale capital projects.
- Opportunity to develop standards and solutions that can be reused across multiple Lear facilities and programs.
Equal Opportunity Employer
Lear Corporation is committed to fair, merit‑based employment practices and equal opportunity.
We provide reasonable accommodations in accordance with applicable law. For assistance during the application process, contact your recruiter directly.
Applicants must submit their resume for consideration using our applicant tracking system. Due to the high volume of applications received, only candidates selected for interviews will be contacted. Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the country where the position is located. Unsolicited resumes from search firms, employment agencies, or similar, will not be paid a fee and will become the property of Lear Corporation.
