Senior SSL Industrialization Engineer

Position Summary The Senior SSL Industrialization Engineer leads the industrialization of automotive Solid State Lighting (SSL) products and SMT-based manufacturing processes, ensuring robust launch readiness, process capability, and scalable production performance. This role partners closely with product & design engineering, operations, quality, supply chain, and marketing to transfer new products into stable, cost-effective manufacturing while meeting automotive customer, reliability, and quality requirements. Key Responsibilities PIT (Product Introduction Team) Leader for end-to-end industrialization of automotive SSL products, product revisions, and process changes from design transfer through launch and production ramp-up. Other project opportunities could include plant footprint, obsolescence, or traditional lighting technologies. Lead cross-functional teams across manufacturing, product engineering, quality, supply chain, marketing, packaging, accounting, and program management to align product launch plans, cost targets, timing, and operational readiness. Develop and maintain detailed project timelines and schedules to support customer RFQs, product launches, validation activities, equipment readiness, and cross-functional deliverables. Lead projects through Q-gate methodology, ensuring deliverables, risks, and readiness criteria are completed and reviewed at each phase of development and launch. Lead and coordinate make-or-buy analyses and quotation activities to support sourcing decisions, manufacturing strategy, and competitive customer proposals. Develop customer RFQ quotations by coordinating inputs across manufacturing, engineering, sourcing, packaging, finance, and commercial teams to ensure accurate costing, feasibility, timing, and launch assumptions. Identify new production technologies and collaborate with global industrialization teams to standardize equipment, processes, and best practices across regions and product lines. Coordinate SMT-related manufacturing readiness activities, including development and validation of processes for stencil printing, component placement, reflow, inspection, and test. Partner with product & design engineering to drive Design for Manufacturing (DFM), design for assembly, design for test, reliability, and cost optimization for LED, electronics, and lamp-level assemblies. Develop and maintain key launch deliverables such as process flow diagrams, PFMEA, control plans, work instructions, setup documentation, and capacity plans. Coordinate prototype, pilot, and pre-production builds to validate process capability, material flow, tooling, fixtures, and operator readiness. Collaborate with quality teams to support APQP, PPAP, process validation, and launch documentation aligned to automotive customer requirements. Support equipment specification, line balancing, automation opportunities, and capital planning for new or modified manufacturing lines. Work closely with suppliers and internal stakeholders to ensure component, material, and equipment readiness for successful product launch. Standardize best practices across SSL and SMT operations and mentor junior engineers, technicians, and cross-functional teams. Required Qualifications Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field. 10+ years of experience in manufacturing engineering, industrialization, new product introduction, or process engineering in an automotive, electronics, or high-volume production environment. Demonstrated experience launching products into production with a strong focus on SMT, electronics assembly, or automotive lighting systems. Strong knowledge of SMT/PCBA processes, process development, validation, line balancing, capacity analysis, PFMEA, control plans, and production documentation. Experience with automotive launch and quality requirements such as APQP, PPAP, MSA, SPC, and structured problem-solving. Strong project management, communication, and cross-functional stakeholder management skills, including experience working within Q-gate or stage-gate development methodologies. Preferred Qualifications Master’s degree in an engineering discipline or related field. Hands‑on familiarity with SMT equipment such as stencil printers, pick‑and‑place systems, reflow ovens, AOI, AXI, and in‑circuit or functional test solutions. Working knowledge of IPC standards, ESD controls, solder materials, stencil design, and reflow profile development. Experience with Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, DOE, and continuous improvement in a high‑volume environment. Familiarity with IATF 16949, customer‑specific automotive requirements, and supplier industrialization practices. Formal certification in Lean, Six Sigma, or project management is a plus. What Success Looks Like Automotive SSL products are launched on time with stable SMT and assembly processes, clear documentation, and acceptable yield, reliability, and quality performance. Manufacturing risks are identified early and mitigated before they impact customer launch timing, cost, or field performance. Production processes meet safety, quality, throughput, cost, and traceability requirements for automotive applications. Cross‑functional teams have clear visibility into launch readiness, process risks, and key decisions required at each milestone. Lessons learned from product launches and line performance are captured and applied to improve future SSL and SMT industrialization efforts. Travel Requirement Approximately 20% travel is required. #J-18808-Ljbffr Ams Osram