Supervisor Quality Assurance, Ford Energy in , United States

Ford Energy Supervisor, Quality Assurance

Ford Energy is a newly formed, wholly-owned subsidiary of Ford Motor Company dedicated to accelerating U.S. energy independence. Leveraging Ford's century of manufacturing excellence and world-class battery energy storage systems (BESS) technology, Ford Energy designs, manufactures, and services grid-scale and commercial DC battery energy storage systems (BESS). Ford Energy is uniquely positioned to capture the growing demand for reliable, US-built energy storage systems. We are not just building batteries; we are building the infrastructure for the next of the American grid.
In this position, the Supervisor, Quality Assurance leads the team of engineers responsible for the full quality lifecycle of Ford Energy's BESS products

from factory validation through field performance, issue resolution, documentation control, and the systems that connect them. This role manages the Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) Process Engineer, Technical Documentation Engineer, Quality & Field Data Engineer, Issue Tracking & Root Cause Analysis Engineer, and PLM System Set-Up Engineer, ensuring these functions operate as a coordinated system rather than in isolation. The Supervisor is accountable for the team's output, development, and alignment with broader Quality organization priorities, and serves as the primary escalation point when quality issues span multiple functional areas

translating field and production signals into coordinated corrective action, and ensuring the systems, data, and documentation underpinning quality decisions are trustworthy, current, and audit-ready.
Responsibilities

What you'll do...
Team Leadership & Development

Directly manage and develop a team spanning FAT/production testing, technical documentation, field data analytics, issue tracking/RCA, and PLM systems.
Set individual and team goals aligned to Quality organization priorities; conduct performance reviews, coaching, and career development planning.
Allocate team capacity across competing priorities (new product introduction, field escapes, audit prep, systems rollout).
Recruit, onboard, and ramp new team members as the group scales.

Cross-Functional Quality System Ownership

Ensure alignment between production test criteria (FAT/EOL), field data signals, and RCA/CAPA outputs so that quality issues are closed-loop from detection to resolution.
Own the end-to-end quality data flow: production test results ? field performance data ? issue tracking ? root cause ? corrective action ? documentation ? PLM record.
Serve as the escalation point for quality issues that cross functional boundaries (e.g., a field failure requiring FAT process change, RCA, documentation update, and PLM revision).
Represent the Quality team in cross-functional reviews with Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and Field Service leadership.

Field Data & Continuous Improvement

Oversee the collection, analysis, and reporting of field and production quality data (DPPM, RMA rate, yield, first-pass yield, customer complaints) to identify systemic trends.
Drive structured problem-solving (8D, 5-Why, fishbone, fault tree analysis) for high-priority issues, ensuring root cause and permanent corrective action

not just containment.
Champion continuous improvement initiatives across test processes, documentation standards, and issue-tracking workflows.

Systems, Documentation & Audit Readiness

Ensure PLM system setup, document control, and quality records remain consistent, traceable, and audit-ready across the organization.
Support internal, customer, and third-party audits (ISO 9001, IATF 16949, or similar), acting as a management-level point of contact.
Review and approve key documentation (test procedures, RCA reports, DFMEA/PFMEA records) prior to release or escalation.

Qualifications

You'll have...
Bachelor's degree in Engineering (Electrical, Mechanical, Industrial) or related technical field.
7+ years of experience in quality engineering, manufacturing quality, or related roles, including experience in high-voltage battery, power electronics, or energy storage products.
2+ years of direct people management or team lead experience.
Demonstrated experience with root cause analysis and CAPA processes (8D, 5-Why, fishbone, fault tree).
Experience supporting or leading customer, regulatory, or certification-body audits.
Strong cross-functional communication skills; comfortable representing Quality to senior engineering and manufacturing leadership.
Even Better, you may have...
Six Sigma Black Belt or Green Belt certification.
Experience managing a team spanning multiple quality disciplines (test engineering, documentation, data analytics, PLM).
Direct experience with stationary BESS products and field service data.
Familiarity with PLM-integrated document control and quality data systems (Windchill, MasterControl, or similar).
ASQ Certified Quality Engineer (CQE) or Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence (CMQ/OE).
PLM systems (Windchill or similar) and document control software (SharePoint, MasterControl)
Issue tracking / CAPA systems (e.g., Jira, TrackWise, or similar)
SPC and yield analysis tools (Minitab, JMP)
Field data dashboards and BI tools (Power BI, Tableau)
SCADA/automated test data acquisition systems
Physical Demands & Working Conditions

This role is primarily performed in an office, laboratory, manufacturing, or supplier environment, depending on program needs.
Occasional work in high-voltage or industrial environments may be required, with appropriate training and personal protective equipment (PPE).
Ability and willingness to travel occasionally to support testing, supplier, manufacturing, or customer activities.

Location & Travel

This position is based in Dearborn, Michigan.
Travel may be required to support supplier, manufacturing, laboratory, and customer activities.