Senior Launch Engineer

Teijin Automotive Technologies is an innovative and full-service Tier One supplier with a global presence and emphasis in development for lightweight technologies. Teijin Automotive offers employees the opportunity to join a leading edge company within the composite material industry and enjoy the benefits offered by a growing company in North America and internationally.

Essential Job Functions:

• Lead plant readiness activities for new product launches and engineering changes.
• Coordinate cross-functional launch activities between engineering, operations, quality, and materials teams.
• Develop and manage launch timelines, ensuring critical milestones are achieved to support customer program timing.
• Support the transition of programs from APQP phases into stable production.

• Lead development and validation of manufacturing processes, including equipment, tooling, and work instructions.
• Support process capability studies, run-at-rate events, and production trials.
• Ensure production lines can meet safety, quality, delivery, and cost targets prior to SOP (Start of Production).

• Partner with production leadership to ensure staffing, training, and operational readiness for new programs.
• Coordinate production trials, pilot builds, and launch builds within the manufacturing environment.
• Monitor early production performance and implement corrective actions as required.

• Support APQP activities including PFMEA, control plans, process validation, and PPAP submissions.
• Assist Quality and Engineering teams in resolving launch-related quality issues.
• Participate in customer launch reviews, audits, and readiness assessments as required.

• Lead problem-solving activities related to launch issues using structured methodologies.
• Drive process improvements to stabilize production following launch.
• Ensure lessons learned are documented and applied to future programs.

Qualifications:

• Minimum 3-5 years of manufacturing engineering experience in an automotive or high-volume manufacturing environment.
• Experience supporting new program launches within a manufacturing plant.
• Strong knowledge of automotive manufacturing processes and production systems

• Experience with Tier 1 automotive suppliers.
• Knowledge of APQP, PPAP, PFMEA, and Control Plans.
• Experience supporting customer program launches with OEMs.
• Familiarity with lean manufacturing principles and structured problem-solving methodologies.
• Experience with automated manufacturing systems, tooling, and production equipment validation

Core competencies:

• Program Launch Management
• Manufacturing Process Development
• Cross-Functional Coordination
• Problem Solving and Root Cause Analysis
• Production Readiness Planning
• Automotive Quality Systems (APQP / PPAP)

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in engineering (Manufacturing, Mechanical, Industrial, or related field).

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to work in a manufacturing environment and access production equipment and tooling areas.
• Ability to stand and walk for extended periods on the production floor.