Assistant Manager - Application Development, Cellasto

Objectives of the Position

• Based on Defined Account Strategy, execute the Sales & Engineering process and the Engineering specific implementation of the business unit strategy at the customer interface
• Develop lasting customer relationships to identify business trends in and beyond the customer scope while Enabling cross-business collaboration and synergies to maximize BASF value

Main Tasks

General :

• Regular customer visits to make long term relationships by providing best technical support, collection of information on new projects, promote new applications and track competitor activities.
• Promotion of Cellasto NVH products by replacement competing & low cost materials.
• Analyze customer product designs & specifications, understand design changes and provide technical proposals/ideas / solutions after doing simulations & submit design proposals.
• Responsibility for complete project management from RFQ generation to SOP and technical support till EOP
• Customer complaints management by analysing and understanding failure modes and providing countermeasure solutions.

Strategic :

• Proactively pursue new applications, promoting Cellasto full material portfolio against competing low cost materials by conducting technical seminars at customer end
• Collaborate with team for nomination of the business / projects. Take full responsibility for managing nominated projects till SOP.
• Represent Cellasto in Team Automotive India and actively participate to promote Cellasto applications

Operational:

1. Ensure customer support by:

• Assessing customer RFQs inputs, requirements and meeting Development timelines
• Design, analyze and develop Cellasto parts to meet customer requirements.
• Understand and propose VAVE designs if feasible

2. Ensure Project Management by:

• Co-ordination between customer, internal team(Sales, Quality Control, SCM, Quality Management, Operations) and group companies for all product development activities till SOP
• Issuing proto sample orders and order follow up to meet the customer schedules
• Issuing testing orders, prepare and submit test reports and follow up for successful completion of part validation tests as per agreed timeline with customer
• Update CDB documentations with 100% hygiene
• Validation report preparation and final submission to customer. Follow up with customer for report approval & PSW release
• Record all project documents as per APQP / IATF16949 and BASF guidelines until and upload on CDB

3. Customer complaint management

• Analyze and understand the failure modes;
• Cascade the information within CFT and initiate countermeasure actions
• Ensure part design change and validation as a part of countermeasure action, if applicable
• Initiate change management process internally and at customer end, if required
• Submit the action plan (in 8D format) to customer
• Follow up for all action items, monitor improvement outcome and information sharing with customer
• Coordination with group companies for Cellasto Project Management activities
• Be part of GKAM/RKAM and support Global teams with India inputs as well get support for India projects
• Regular customer visits and collection of information related to new projects, competitors’ activities etc and support to create strategies accordingly.
• Customer Mapping, understand the organization map for key OEM’s & Tier I’s in India/Global and prepare decision making matrix and develop strategy accordingly
• Support Sales & Engineering function activities for customer Audits by documentation preparation, coordination with other functions for successful Audit.
• Support activities to improve plant operational performance by designing right product first time, rejection rate reduction activities etc.

4. GKAM Technical Support

• Be part of all technical development projects of Cellasto in GKAM
• Participate and Support in RFI / RFQs analysis, support in solution design to Project Leader
• Support in Testing & development activities at plant for Global projects as and when required
• Team work with all GKAM colleagues for successful project management and Start of production

Required Competencies:

• Technical skills of design of automotive parts
• Knowledge of Automotive product development process, documentations & customer requirements
• Excellent communication skills
• Customer focus and Collaborate for achievement
• Entrepreneurial drive and Innovation focus

Minimum Education and Qualification Required for the Position

• Education: Bachelor of Engineering & CAD/CAM Certifications
• Working Experience: 6-10 Years of hands on experience in Automotive TIER-I / TIER-II company
• Technical & Professional Knowledge: Designing of Automotive components & Project Management