Process Optimization Engineer – Automotive Manufacturing

GKN Automotive

Newton, NC

JOB DETAILS
LOCATION
Newton, NC
POSTED
12 days ago

Are You Wired for Operational Excellence?

Do you see a production line and instantly imagine a more efficient flow? When quality drifts, do you reach for data, root causes, and corrective actions? If your answer is yes, you might be the engineer who helps us push automotive manufacturing to its next frontier.

Our Mission

As a global leader in advanced automotive components, we combine technology investment with a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement. We empower engineers to turn bold ideas into dependable, scalable operations—advancing performance, safety, and sustainability.

Your Mission

Design, implement, and elevate manufacturing processes that deliver on safety, quality, and efficiency—in a fast-paced environment where innovation and precision set the tone.

What Success Looks Like

  • New products launch seamlessly because you ensured manufacturability early and guided rigorous trials and ramps.
  • Process issues don’t linger—your root-cause work leads to corrective actions that prevent recurrence.
  • Documentation and controls are living systems—PFMEAs, control plans, and work instructions evolve with the process.
  • Waste, variation, and cost decline through structured continuous improvement and data-driven decisions.

Required Toolkit

  • Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or related field.
  • Track record of analyzing production data and improving process capability and flow.
  • Excellent communication matched with strong, structured problem-solving.

Nice to Have

  • Direct experience with automotive manufacturing processes and standards.
  • Comfort with CAD and process simulation tools to optimize layouts, tooling, and cycle balance.
  • Lean and Six Sigma know-how applied to real-world improvements.
  • Ability to lead cross-functional projects and align stakeholders.
  • Up to 3 years in a manufacturing engineering capacity.

Who Should Apply

Recent graduates and early-career engineers (up to 3 years of experience) who are proactive, adaptable, and energized by collaborative problem-solving.

A Quick Scenario

A pilot run reveals a subtle increase in rework. You map the process, validate measurement systems, run a cause-and-effect analysis, and confirm a tooling wear pattern. You introduce a revised maintenance interval, update the control plan, retrain operators, and track capability restoration—closing the loop with cross-functional partners. That’s the kind of impact you’ll make here.

About the Company

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GKN Automotive