NPI Quality Engineer

1. NPI Project Management

• Lead NPI activities from prototype build to pilot production and mass-production handover.
• Prepare and maintain NPI project plans, timelines, milestones, and action trackers.
• Drive cross-functional meetings and ensure timely closure of open points.
• Identify project risks, dependencies, and potential delays and drive mitigation actions.
• Ensure NPI milestones are completed as per project/customer timelines.
• Manage multiple NPI projects simultaneously.

2. Product & Engineering Readiness

• Review and validate BOM, drawings, specifications, part numbers, revisions, and engineering requirements before production.
• Ensure product design is suitable for manufacturing and assembly.
• Coordinate with R&D/Design teams for design-related issues identified during prototype and pilot builds.
• Review engineering changes and ensure proper implementation through ECR/ECN.
• Ensure change implementation is controlled across Production, Quality, Supplier, and related functions.

3. Manufacturing & Process Readiness

• • Drive manufacturing readiness for new products before pilot and mass production.
  • Coordinate SMT, THT, Wave Soldering, PCB Assembly, Mechanical Assembly, Programming, FCT, PDI, and Final Inspection activities.
  • Identify process gaps during prototype/pilot builds and drive corrective actions.
  • Ensure availability and readiness of all production equipment, tooling, fixtures, jigs, testers, and workstations.
  • Support process optimization, cycle-time improvement, and line balancing.

4. Production Readiness & Pilot Build

• • Plan and execute prototype, EVT/DVT/PVT or equivalent pilot builds as applicable.
  • Conduct Production Readiness Reviews (PRR) before production release.
  • Ensure material, manpower, tooling, fixtures, test equipment, documentation, and process readiness before builds.
  • Monitor pilot production and identify recurring process/product issues.
  • Track first-pass yield, rejection, rework, and production performance during ramp-up.
  • Drive closure of all critical issues before mass-production release.

5. Tooling, Fixture & Test Equipment

• • Coordinate development of production jigs, fixtures, pallets, test setups, FCT/PDI systems, programming tools, and inspection fixtures.
  • Review fixture/tooling designs with relevant teams.
  • Ensure tooling and fixture validation is completed before production.
  • Establish preventive maintenance and ownership requirements for critical production fixtures and testers.
  • Ensure test equipment capability and repeatability before production release.

6. Quality & Process Documentation

• • Coordinate preparation and review of:
    • Process Flow Diagram (PFD)
    • PFMEA
    • Control Plan
    • Work Instructions (WI)
    • SOP
    • Inspection Standards
    • Packaging Standards
    • PPAP documents
    • Validation reports
    • Process validation records
  • Ensure documents are released before production and are aligned with the latest engineering revision.
  • Drive RCA, 8D, CAPA, and corrective/preventive actions for NPI-related issues.
  • Incorporate lessons learned from previous projects into new product development.

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10. NPI-to-Production Handover

• • Ensure complete and controlled handover of the product from NPI to Production.
  • Verify availability of:
    • Approved BOM
    • Released drawings
    • Approved firmware/software
    • SOP/WI
    • PFD/PFMEA/Control Plan
    • Test specifications
    • Validated fixtures and jigs
    • Inspection criteria
    • Packaging standards
    • Quality records
  • Conduct formal production handover and ensure all critical open points are closed.

Key Competencies

• • • NPI Project Ownership
    • Cross-functional Team Management
    • Production Readiness
    • Manufacturing Process Development
    • Problem Solving & RCA
    • ECN/ECR Management
    • Supplier Management
    • Customer Coordination
    • Quality & Process Documentation
    • Risk Management
    • Project Planning & Execution
    • Strong Communication and Follow-up
    • Data Analysis and Decision Making