Design Quality Engineer

Design Quality Engineer – Plymouth, MN - HybridJoin the world's largest HVAC company, named by Forbes as one of America's Best-In-State Employers 2025!Daikin Applied is seeking a Design Quality Engineer responsible for ensuring product quality is designed, validated, and verified throughout the product development lifecycle by owning requirements quality, design risk identification, and validation effectiveness to support evidence-based readiness decisions prior to product launch. This role is embedded within engineering teams and acts as a technical partner to ensure risks are understood, mitigated, and clearly articulated before advancing through NPI decision points.Come be a part of an exciting journey at Daikin Applied, where innovation and excellence drive our every endeavor!Location: Hybrid - Plymouth, MNYour Responsibilities:Requirements Quality Ensure product and system requirements are complete, testable, and traceable from customer needs through engineeringEstablish and maintain linkage between requirements, design outputs, and validation plansIdentify gaps, ambiguity, or misalignment early in the design processSupport integration of field, reliability, and validation feedback into requirementsDesign Risk Management Lead development and continuous improvement of DFMEA to ensure comprehensive risk identification and mitigationDrive prioritization and closure of critical design risks prior to design freezeChallenge assumptions, failure modes, and design trade-offs to improve robustnessEnsure design risks are transparent, quantified, and actively managedValidation Effectiveness (Prove It Works) Define and assess validation strategy and DVP&R to ensure coverage of critical requirements and risksEvaluate validation results to confirm product performance, reliability, and safetyEnsure validation reflects real-world use conditions, not only lab complianceDrive closure of validation gaps prior to key readiness and decision pointsDesign Readiness & Decision Support Provide objective, evidence-based input into readiness reviews and decision pointsEnsure readiness assessments reflect actual product maturity and residual riskSupport clear articulation of risk acceptance decisions and trade-offsDrive consistency in how "ready" is defined across programManufacturing Readiness Alignment Ensure alignment between design intent and production capabilitySupport transition of design outputs into manufacturing controls and process definitionsIdentify and mitigate risks associated with design transfer to productionEnsure learning from manufacturing and field issues feeds back into designCross-Functional Design Collaboration Embed within engineering teams to influence design decisions from concept through launchPartner with Product Management, Engineering, Operations, and Quality functionsAct as the voice of product quality within development—not as a downstream reviewerFacilitate structured, risk-based discussions across functionsMetrics & Continuous Improvement Define and track leading indicators tied to: Requirements qualityDesign risk identification and closureValidation coverage and effectivenessReadiness risk at decision pointsUse data to proactively identify trends and drive early corrective actionsEnsure learnings from issues and CAPAs are reflected in future design practicesYour Qualifications:Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, or a related technical discipline6+ years in product development, design engineering, or quality engineering rolesDemonstrated experience working within product development or NPI environmentsDesign & Risk Expertise Strong working knowledge of DFMEA and product risk analysisUnderstanding of system-level design, interfaces, and failure mechanismsAbility to identify and prioritize risks early in developmentRequirements & Systems Thinking Experience with requirements definition, traceability, and verificationAbility to assess requirements for clarity, completeness, and testabilityValidation & Verification Knowledge of validation planning and DVP&R developmentAbility to assess test coverage relative to requirements and risksAbility to interpret validation data and support decision makingEngineering Influence Ability to challenge assumptions and influence design decisionsStrong facilitation skills for cross-functional technical discussionsAbility to operate as a peer within engineering teamsAnalytical & Problem Solving Strong analytical mindset with ability to evaluate data and identify patternsExperience applying structured problem-solving methodsAbility to translate analysis into actionable design improvementsYour Benefits:Daikin Applied offers the following benefits for this position, subject to applicable eligibility requirements:Multiple medical insurance plan options + dental and vision insurance401K retirement plan with employer matchPaid time off and company paid holidaysPaid sick time in accordance with the federal, state and local lawTuition Reimbursement after 6 months of continuous serviceWork visa sponsorship is not available for this positionThe typical annual base salary for this position ranges from $109,100 - $188,700 plus a 15% bonus in Minnesota. The range displayed represents the pay range for all positions in the job grade which these positions fall. Individual base pay will depend on a wide range of factors including your skills, qualifications, experience, and location.If you're looking for an engaging career with growth opportunities in a supportive environment, you'll love a career at Daikin Applied!