Launch Engineer (Automotive) in Köln

At Formel D, we are looking for a Launch Engineer to support product development and launch activities at a customer site in Cologne, Germany.

The successful candidate will be responsible for coordinating and monitoring launch activities during the DCV phase, acting as a key link between engineering, production and quality teams and Formel D's product development teams.

We are looking for a technically oriented professional with experience in automotive product launches, component development and technical coordination, particularly involving bumpers and body components. The ideal candidate will have strong problem-solving skills and the ability to manage technical issues, coordinate action plans and ensure compliance with product requirements throughout the launch and validation process.

Key Responsibilities

• Product Launch Support: Support product development and launch activities during the DCV phase at the customer's manufacturing facility.
• Technical Coordination: Act as the main point of contact between the customer and engineering and development teams, identifying project requirements, objectives and technical issues.
• Planning and Follow-up: Define and coordinate work plans with the customer and relevant project teams to ensure programme objectives and deadlines are achieved.
• Technical Meetings: Participate in technical meetings at the customer's site, monitor agreed actions and prepare the corresponding reports.
• Cross-functional Collaboration: Coordinate activities with different departments, including body shop, metal stamping, manufacturing processes, assembly and electrical systems.
• Prototype Preparation: Support the preparation of components and prototypes for technical studies, testing and validation activities.
• Product Validation and Approval: Coordinate product approval activities, including the Fit to Nominal (FtN) process, managing deadlines, components and dimensional reports.
• Component Evaluation: Present components and subassemblies to customer teams, collect feedback and identify potential improvements or design modifications.
• Issue Resolution: Monitor validation results and coordinate action plans related to component fit, surface finish, part modifications and appearance approval.
• Launch Build Support: Represent the development team throughout the different launch build phases, ensuring effective communication and coordination between engineering and production.

Requirements

• Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Automotive Engineering or a related field.
• Previous experience in Launch Engineering, product launch, product development or industrialisation within the automotive industry.
• Experience with bumpers, plastic components and body parts, particularly in fit, finish and validation processes.
• Experience coordinating technical activities, tracking issues and managing action plans.
• Ability to prepare, review and interpret technical documentation, dimensional reports and validation records.
• Advanced English proficiency, essential for communication with international teams.
• Spanish is an advantage; German is desirable.
• Availability to work on-site at the customer's facilities in Cologne, Germany.

Previous experience working with automotive OEMs and familiarity with their internal processes, teams and procedures will be considered an advantage.

• Strong organisational and project coordination skills.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management abilities.
• Proactive approach to problem-solving and continuous improvement.
• Analytical skills and effective action tracking and reporting.
• Autonomy, accountability and results-oriented mindset.
• Ability to adapt to demanding industrial environments.
• Strong collaboration skills across engineering, quality and production teams.

The Ideal Candidate

We are looking for an engineering professional who combines strong technical knowledge with excellent coordination skills and can act as a bridge between product development and manufacturing.

You will be comfortable identifying and resolving technical issues, monitoring validation activities and coordinating stakeholders throughout the product launch process.

Experience with automotive body components, particularly bumpers, and a solid understanding of automotive launch processes will be especially valuable.

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