Plant Vehicle Engineering Lead, Structured Problem Solving

ABOUT SLATE

At Slate, we’re building safe, reliable vehicles that people can afford, personalize and love-and doing it here in the USA as part of our commitment to reindustrialization. The spirit of DIY and customization runs throughout every element of a Slate, because people should have control over how their trucks look, feel, and represent them.

| WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR:

Slate is looking for a hands-on Plant Vehicle Engineering Lead, Structured Problem Solving to support launch readiness, production quality, chronic issue resolution, and continuous improvement across the Slate manufacturing plant. This role will serve as the Plant Vehicle Engineering team's expert in structured problem solving, root cause analysis, variation reduction, corrective action validation, and defect elimination across vehicle systems and production processes.

This role serves as a technical problem-solving leader between the manufacturing plant, Plant Vehicle Engineering, Design & Release Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, Suppliers, Production, Safety, Vehicle Integration, Service, and other cross-functional teams. The position focuses on solving complex and recurring plant issues, coaching teams through disciplined root cause analysis, protecting product intent in production, and improving build quality through data-driven problem solving.

This role does not own production release of individual component designs. It is responsible for leading high-priority investigations, developing problem-solving strategies, validating permanent corrective actions, improving issue resolution capability, and building structured problem-solving discipline across Plant Vehicle Engineering and the broader manufacturing organization.

| WORK AUTHORIZATION REQUIREMENT:

Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States on a permanent basis. We are unable to offer visa sponsorship at this time.

| WHAT YOU GET TO DO:

Structured Problem Solving Leadership

• Lead complex, cross-functional root cause investigations for launch, production, quality, supplier, and vehicle integration issues affecting build quality, throughput, safety, or customer satisfaction.
• Apply advanced structured problem-solving methods such as Six Sigma, Shainin Red X, 8D, Kepner-Tregoe, 5-Why, fishbone analysis, hypothesis testing, DOE, measurement system analysis, and statistical analysis as appropriate.
• Develop clear problem definitions, investigation strategies, evidence plans, measurement plans, containment strategies, corrective actions, and validation plans.
• Serve as a technical coach to Plant Vehicle Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, Production, Supplier Quality, and Design & Release teams on disciplined problem solving and root cause methodology.

Production Issue Resolution

• Investigate, diagnose, and resolve high-impact production issues related to fit/function, craftsmanship, process variation, installation quality, dimensional concerns, electrical interfaces, torque requirements, component interfaces, and system integration.
• Analyze production data, audit findings, repair trends, warranty/service feedback, supplier concerns, end-of-line results, and plant feedback to identify risks, trends, and improvement opportunities.
• Lead or support containment, clean points, breakpoints, suspect material management, deviation/waiver decisions, and validation of permanent corrective actions.
• Ensure problem-solving activity results in durable fixes that improve first-time quality, reduce rework, eliminate recurring defects, and strengthen production robustness.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Design & Release Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, Production, Suppliers, Safety, Vehicle Integration, Service, and plant leadership to resolve plant and vehicle-level concerns.
• Communicate issue status, risks, containment plans, corrective actions, validation results, breakpoints, and support needs to affected teams and leadership.
• Translate plant learnings into product and process improvements that improve manufacturability, serviceability, quality, safety, and launch readiness.
• Support escalation and decision-making for high-risk issues, including safety-critical characteristics, no-build/no-ship situations, containment effectiveness, and corrective action readiness.

Engineering Change & Launch Support

• Support launch build phases from prototype and pilot through production ramp, including issue triage, prioritization, root cause investigation, containment, breakpoint management, readiness reporting, and lessons learned.
• Support engineering change implementation by helping teams validate problem statements, technical risk, build trial results, process readiness, and corrective action effectiveness.
• Participate in Design for Manufacturing and Assembly reviews, PFMEA input, control plan reviews, quality readiness reviews, and launch lessons learned.
• Help identify systemic risks across commodities, processes, and interfaces before they become repeat issues in production.

Capability Building & Continuous Improvement

• Build structured problem-solving capability across the Plant Vehicle Engineering team through coaching, mentoring, standards, practical tools, and hands-on project support.
• Develop and standardize problem-solving templates, investigation playbooks, escalation criteria, data review methods, and corrective action validation expectations.
• Support process improvements that reduce defects, improve first-time quality, minimize rework, improve throughput, and strengthen production consistency.
• Drive continuous improvement actions that improve overall build quality, issue closure discipline, launch execution, and production robustness across vehicle systems.

Success Measures

• Improve first-time quality by eliminating recurring and systemic build issues.
• Reduce rework and repeat defects through effective root cause analysis and permanent corrective actions.
• Improve launch readiness by strengthening issue triage, containment, readiness reporting, and closure discipline.
• Improve containment effectiveness through evidence-based criteria, clean points, breakpoints, and validation.
• Accelerate issue resolution by coaching teams through structured problem solving and data-driven decision-making.
• Build structured problem-solving capability across Plant Vehicle Engineering and the broader manufacturing organization.

| WHAT YOU BRING TO THE TEAM:

Education and Experience

• 12+ years of related automotive engineering, manufacturing engineering, plant vehicle engineering, launch, quality, problem solving, or similar experience preferred; equivalent hands-on automotive launch, manufacturing, or product engineering experience will be considered.
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Industrial Engineering, Quality, Statistics, or related technical field preferred; advanced technical experience may be considered in lieu of degree.
• Certification or demonstrated equivalent capability as a Six Sigma Master Black Belt, Shainin Red X Journeyman, or Shainin Red X Master strongly preferred.
• Experience leading complex, cross-functional root cause investigations in a manufacturing, launch, quality, or vehicle engineering environment.
• Experience supporting vehicle development and launch, with an understanding of the product lifecycle from concept through production ramp and mass production.

Skills

• Expert-level understanding of structured problem solving, variation reduction, root cause analysis, corrective action validation, data analysis, and manufacturing issue resolution.
• Strong understanding of BOMs, engineering change control, manufacturability, assembly methods, process validation, quality metrics, design reviews, launch readiness, and cost-reduction methodologies.
• Ability to read and interpret drawings, schematics, technical documents, specifications, quality standards, control plans, PFMEAs, and inspection requirements.
• Demonstrated ability to lead technical discussions, challenge assumptions, separate correlation from causation, and drive teams toward evidence-based conclusions.
• Experience with statistical tools and methods, such as SPC, MSA, DOE, hypothesis testing, capability analysis, regression, multivariate analysis, and data visualization.
• Experience with issue tracking, change management, quality systems, deviation/waiver processes, containment tracking, production breakpoint control, and corrective action management.
• Strong technical, interpersonal, and communication skills with the ability to influence without authority and build effective cross-functional relationships.
• Ability to manage multiple high-priority investigations, projects, and assignments simultaneously in a fast-paced launch and manufacturing environment.
• Hands-on experience supporting assembly lines and driving improvements in build quality, process stability, launch execution, and production robustness.
• Experience with CATIA, SOLIDWORKS, AutoCAD, Minitab, JMP, Power BI, Excel, or similar engineering, statistical, and data analysis tools preferred.
• Ability to work on the plant floor more than 50% of the time.
• Flexibility to take on additional tasks and ownership of different functional areas, as needed.
• Ability to travel domestically up to 20%.
• Must be willing to relocate to Warsaw, Indiana. Relocation assistance will be provided.

WHY JOIN TEAM SLATE?

At Slate, we’re fueled by grit, determination, and attention to detail. The start-up spirit of ingenuity and resourcefulness move our business forward. Team Slate fosters a culture of excellence, innovation, and mutual respect, and is motivated by shared principles.

• Safety First

• Delight Customers

• One Team

• Relentless Improvement

• Fast, Frugal, and Scrappy

• Respectful Collaboration

• Positive Legacy

WE WANT TO WORK WITH PEOPLE THAT REFLECT THE COMMUNITIES IN WHICH WE OPERATE.

Slate is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, veteran status, marital status, parental status, cultural background, organizational level, work styles, tenure and life experiences. Or for any other reason.

Slate is committed to providing reasonable accommodation for qualified individuals with disabilities in our job application procedures. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, you may contact us at

[email protected].