Automotive Manufacturing, Continuous Improvement, Control Engineering, Customer Relations, Document Management, Documentation, Email Management/Administration, Environmental Regulations, Facilities Management, First Aid, Housekeeping/Cleaning, Inventory Management, Leadership, Logistics, Machine Tool, Machining, Manufacturing, Manufacturing Management, Office Equipment, Printers, Problem Solving Skills, Process Improvement, Programmable Logic Controller (PLC), Project Close-Out, Project Control, Project Engineering, Project/Program Management, Safety Compliance, Safety Process, Safety/Work Safety, Sales/Support Engineering (SE), Security Equipment, Welding, Willing to Travel
Role Overview
Based in Orion, Michigan, you’ll take point on complex equipment builds and installations for GM facilities. This contract, long-term assignment starts on a day shift (typical 6:00am start) and requires frequent travel across the United States, Canada, and Mexico as project needs evolve. The current assignment is at GM Orion, where you’ll partner closely with an established onsite leader—providing hands-on support while building the experience to step into future leadership roles on upcoming programs.
Must be familiar with GM Safety procedures and knowledge of reporting documentation. Candidates need deep knowledge of GM processes and procedures and proven success working inside GM plants. We’re looking for a leader who thrives in a customer-focused manufacturing environment.
A Day in the Life
You arrive before the line starts moving—6:00am. With plant safety and security already looped in, you confirm egress routes, check IDs and PPE compliance, and scan the yard for today’s inbound tooling. You step into the trailer office you set up—power, internet, phones, printers, desks—everything humming. You sync with your counterpart onsite leader, review overnight issues in the open-issues matrix, and get updates for the weekly Site Synopsis report.
As carriers arrive, you verify shipments, document any damage per company procedure, and forward required forms to the Installation Manager/Supervisor. Crews are dispatched: some to storage and unload areas you coordinated with the plant, others to prepped install zones. You track FOC’s, triage field engineering changes with Project and Controls Engineers, and ensure all Robot and PLC changes are backed up. Throughout the day, you monitor housekeeping and PPE, post first-aid locations and emergency numbers, and confirm hot-work permits are in place for cutting/welding.
Before lunch, you review Bi-Weekly duration chart updates and make sure biweekly duration charts are ready to send to the Installation group email. In parallel, you validate that corporate equipment has been checked in with plant security—so it can be checked out smoothly at project close. You keep an active inventory of corporate-supplied equipment (Gang Boxes, Office Trailer, Machine Shop Trailers). In customer progress meetings, you log concerns and align timing with the installation schedule—escalating risks early to PM/PE and the Installation Manager/Supervisor.
By late afternoon, you consolidate weekend time and expenses for corporate employees and contingent workers so they’re at the office first thing Monday. You close the day with a quality and environmental sweep, updating the open-issues matrix with what was accomplished, what emerged, and the plan to resolve it. Regular and predictable attendance is an essential function of this job.
What You’ll Handle
At Our Facility
- Collect all required documentation before build/install: layouts, mechanical details, and controls drawings.
- Visit customer sites in advance, flagging installation risks early to assembly supervisors and the Installation Manager/Supervisor.
- Align to the installation schedule; surface timing issues promptly to PM/PE and Installation leadership.
- Review all materials and Client requirements during in-house build; escalate gaps early.
- Attend internal buyoff and generate a concerns list to prevent onsite issues; provide lists to assembly supervisors when needed.
- Follow environmental regulations and identify any safety/environmental concerns to PM/PE and Installation leadership.
- Adhere to the Quality System and drive continuous improvement.
At the Customer Facility
- Coordinate with Plant Safety and Security for egress and site access for all personnel.
- Secure storage areas and plan equipment unloads with the plant.
- If an office/machine trailer is required, coordinate power with facilities; set up phones, printers, computers, desks, internet, and needed materials.
- Receive all shipped equipment; verify no tooling damage and document per company procedures; submit required documents to Installation leadership.
- Partner with the installation contractor and/or the customer for all Client requirements, depending on who holds the installation award.
- Ensure all employees have proper ID and safety compliance for onsite work.
- Submit time and expense documentation for corporate staff and contingent workers to the office on Monday for the prior weekend’s work.
- Work with the installation department on all corporate Client requirements throughout the program.
- Submit Bi-Weekly duration chart updates; maintain and distribute weekly Site Synopsis reports with accomplishments and issues, tracked in the corporate open-issues matrix per system.
- Track FOC’s and send them back to corporate weekly.
- Submit additional materials requests (damaged, missing, or extra) to the Installation department and Project Manager for approval.
- Submit field engineering changes to Project and/or Controls Engineers for document updates to the latest revision.
- Back up all Robot and PLC programs, especially after any change.
- Support travel logistics for each employee through the corporate main office; submit biweekly duration charts to the Installation group email.
- Enforce safety procedures, PPE, and housekeeping; share first-aid locations and emergency numbers with employees.
- Obtain permits for cutting and welding from plant security.
- Report stolen materials and/or equipment loss to plant security (if required) and to the main office per site protocol.
- Check in all corporate equipment with plant security so it can be removed from the facility during project closeout.
- Maintain an active inventory of corporate-supplied equipment (e.g., Gang Boxes, Office Trailer, Machine Shop Trailers).
- Attend customer meetings to review installation progress and log customer concerns.
Supervisory Responsibilities
Lead 5–30 installation personnel onsite. Responsibilities include training, planning and assigning work, providing direction, addressing complaints, and resolving problems, in accordance with organizational policies and applicable laws.
Qualifications
- 2–5 years of related installation/build experience or equivalent education and experience.
- One-year certificate from a college or technical school.
- Strong installation management background, proven leadership, and the ability to excel in a customer-focused manufacturing setting.
- Deep familiarity with GM processes, procedures, and safety/reporting protocols.
- Ability and willingness to travel extensively across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Schedule and Assignment
- Contract, long-term assignment; current assignment based at GM Orion (Orion, Michigan).
- Day Shift; typical start time 6:00am.
Compliance
A successful candidate will be subject to a background check and must receive satisfactory results of the same, as a condition of joining the team.