Job Description
Lead Material Flow Engineer - [Forward Model Costing and Implementation - Powertrain] Leading Material Flow activities for PT Program Study and Implementation
Responsibilities
Key Responsibilities:
- Provide site-wide technical leadership and governance for material flow systems across Powertrain Operations.
- Define strategy, standards, risk controls, and long-range capability to ensure safe, compliant, cost-effective, and robust operations suitable for local India-region supplier material delivery and logistics conditions.
- Serve as site Technical Authority for MFE standards including automation compatibility, digital replenishment governance, and advanced storage solutions.
Site MFE Strategy & Internal Dunnage Standards:
- Define and maintain site-wide standards for internal dunnage architectures (e.g., repack racks, kit bins/racks, sequence racks), container families, rack standards, protection standards, labelling/traceability standards for internal use and line-side needs.
- Drive standardization and reuse across multiple product families and manufacturing areas to reduce complexity and lifecycle cost.
- Define site standards for automation-compatible internal dunnage and material presentation (container family rules, rack interface requirements, identification/label orientation, and drop-zone standards).
- Define standards for lean/dynamic storage solutions (layout guardrails, FIFO enforcement methods, identification/traceability expectations).
Technical Governance & Approval Authority:
- Own MFE change control governance: deviation approval rules, audit systems, escalation paths, and compliance cadence.
- Approve high-impact MFE concepts affecting safety, quality, footprint, or cost; ensure solutions are operationally sustainable.
- Provide technical approval for AGV/AMR interfaces and storage automation concepts as they relate to MFE (handoff design, internal container compatibility, traceability controls), ensuring operability and compliance.
Risk Management & Business Continuity:
- Establish contingency plans for internal dunnage/container shortages, supplier material delivery disruptions, and logistics disruptions.
- Define controls relevant to Chennai/India conditions (humidity/monsoon exposure risk for internal parts, corrosion prevention escalation for internal handling, yard-handling rules where applicable).
Strategic Supplier (Material Delivery) and Partner Leadership:
- Lead technical engagement with strategic logistics partners; support technical terms in contracts and performance metrics.
- Drive supplier capability upgrades through standards, audits, and development plans related to material delivery and presentation.
Capability Building:
- Build MFE engineering capability: training plans, templates, technical playbooks, lessons learned, and mentoring structure across SG5SG7.
- Build site capability in analytics-led MFE (standard dashboards, common KPIs, audit approach) and enable training on digital/automation fundamentals for SG5SG7.
Executive Communication:
- Present MFE status, risks, roadmap, and key decisions to plant leadership and regional stakeholders; align priorities across functions.
Technology Roadmap:
- Own and maintain the MFE technology roadmap for the site (automation adoption plan, digital replenishment maturity path, storage modernization strategy) aligned to plant priorities
Leadership Competencies
- Strategic thinking with practical execution orientation.
- Strong influencing skills across functions and external partners.
- High accountability, integrity, and disciplined decision-making.
- Develops people and builds sustainable systems.
Organizational Competencies
- Deep expertise in internal returnable dunnage/container systems (e.g., repack racks, kit bins/racks, sequence racks), lifecycle management, and plant logistics interfaces.
- Strong governance mindset and risk management capability.
- Commercial acumen (total cost ownership for internal logistics, supplier material delivery performance management).
- Deep understanding of intralogistics automation interfaces and standards (AGV/AMR readiness requirements, digital identification, automation-safe layouts).
Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in engineering (Mechanical/Industrial/Production/Material Flow or related); advanced degree is a plus.
Typically, 5 to 8 years experience with demonstrated leadership in MFE systems and plant logistics.
Strong track record of standardization, governance, and measurable performance improvement.
