Product Platform Development Engineer

Company Description

Continental develops pioneering technologies and services for sustainable and connected mobility of people and their goods. Founded in 1871, the technology company offers safe, efficient, intelligent and affordable solutions for vehicles, machines, traffic and transportation.

The ContiTech group sector develops and manufactures cross-material, environmentally friendly and intelligent products and systems for the automotive industry, railway engineering, mining, agriculture and other key industries – guided by the vision of “smart and sustainable solutions beyond rubber.”

Within ContiTech, the Dynamic & Suspension Solutions (DSS) product group designs and manufactures air springs – rubber-and-fabric bellows that carry loads and isolate vibration using air pressure. Our air-spring portfolio is organized into product platforms, each covering a family of applications:

• Commercial Vehicle: rolling-lobe air springs for vehicle axle suspension

• Sleeve Type: air springs for driver-seat and cabin suspension

• Railway: suspension systems for rail bogies

• Industrial actuator & isolator: convoluted bellows

• Expansion joints: compensators for fluid lines

This position owns the Sleeve Type (seat & cabin) air-spring platform. Our products are material-focused (mainly rubber and thermoplastics); the actual material development is performed by Material Platform Development and steered by Product Platform Development – i.e. by this role.

Job Description

As Product Platform Development Engineer, you create and maintain the customer-focused air-spring platform for the Sleeve Type family across all Industrial Business Areas – consolidating materials, components and specifications, driving global cost-saving and sustainability measures, and leading platform-extension (base development) projects from concept to first production.

Your tasks

Build & own the platform

• Create and maintain the customer-focused Sleeve Type air-spring platform for all Industrial Business Areas

• Build the platform by collecting Bill of Material (BOM) data and creating the material and specification overview.

• Develop the strategic product portfolio by defining strategic materials and specifications, ensuring product requirements are covered in all markets.

• Consolidate materials and components and drive global cost-saving, complexity reduction and sustainability measures.

Align & coordinate

• Align the platform strategy with Regional Product Management, Product Development, Application Engineering, Material Platform Development and Operations.

• Translate global strategy and local plant activities into one coordinated platform strategy together with the regional teams.

Lead & steer projects

• Run efficient project management within the Product Life Cycle (PLC) / Base Development (D1) process landscape, with clear stakeholder communication.

• Lead: project, design reviews and gate reviews.

• Steer: material development, CAD (Computer-Aided Design), FEA (Finite Element Analysis), prototype production, product testing, Tech Centers, production concept, Supply Chain Management (SCM) concept, profitability checks (incl. purchased components), first production run and benchmarking.

• Apply quality tools such as FMEA (Failure Mode and Effects Analysis) and Six Sigma.

Qualifications

Must-have

• Technical degree (Bachelor or higher) in engineering, material science or a related field.
• At least 5 years’ experience as a developer of new products, including hands-on product and test-concept development.
• Proven project-management / project-leadership experience.
• Development-methodology experience (e.g. Design of Experiments, DOE) and understanding of production concepts.
• Material understanding and good cross-functional understanding.
• Experience in international customer relations with cultural sensitivity.
• Excellent communication skills in English; native-language proficiency an advantage.
• Understanding of the wider business context.

Preferred

• Experience with rubber / elastomer (and ideally thermoplastic) materials or air-spring products.

Additional Information

You…

– can inspire your stakeholders and contacts through effective communication with high intercultural sensitivity?

– are convinced that networking and knowledge sharing are key drivers for success?

– are open to new working styles and new processes?

– are willing and able to overcome resistance?

– are motivated by sustainability topics?

You’re welcome in our team!

Ready to drive with Continental? Take the first step and fill in the online application.