Engineering Design Assurance Manager

Daikin Applied Americas•Plymouth, MN

11d•Hybrid

About The Position

Daikin Applied is seeking an Engineering Design Assurance Manager who will lead the Design Assurance (DA) function to ensure product quality is designed into products from concept through launch. The Manager will own design risk identification, assessment, and reduction by driving requirements quality, design robustness, validation effectiveness, and readiness for manufacturing. They will act as an embedded engineering partner to influence design decisions and ensure products meet performance, reliability, and compliance expectations at launch—not by inspection, but by shaping the design itself. Come be a part of an exciting journey at Daikin Applied, where innovation and excellence drive our every endeavor!

Requirements

Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, or a related technical discipline
6+ years of experience in product development, design engineering, or design assurance roles
4+ years leading teams or enterprise-level initiatives
Deep expertise in DFMEA, system-level risk analysis, and failure mode identification
Ability to drive risk-based decision-making and ensure risks are actively reduced—not just documented
Strong understanding of system architecture, interfaces, and failure mechanisms
Expertise in requirements definition, decomposition, and traceability (customer → system → component → validation)
Ability to assess requirements for clarity, completeness, and testability
Experience implementing closed-loop learning systems (e.g., HQR, field feedback into requirements)
Deep knowledge of validation strategy development and DVP&R construction
Ability to assess test coverage relative to requirements and identified risks
Experience evaluating validation results against real-world use conditions
Strong understanding of verification vs. validation and their role in design assurance
Demonstrated ability to challenge engineering assumptions and influence design trade-offs
Skilled in facilitating risk-based design discussions and driving accountability
Ability to operate as a peer to engineering leaders—not an external auditor
Working knowledge of PFMEA, control plans, and production risk mitigation
Understanding of how design decisions impact manufacturability, variability, and field performance
Ability to bridge design intent into production execution
Strong analytical skills to interpret data, identify patterns, and drive proactive risk reduction
Experience defining and using leading indicators tied to design quality and program risk
Ability to translate technical risk into clear, actionable insights for leadership
Strong knowledge of design control frameworks and quality systems (e.g., ISO 9001, ASHRAE, UL, ASME)
Understanding of how regulatory and compliance requirements translate into design constraints
Proven ability to drive cultural change toward designing in quality vs. inspecting it
Strong cross-functional leadership and influence skills in a matrixed organization
Ability to scale consistent Design Assurance practices across multiple programs

Responsibilities

Drive execution of NPI gate processes (DDR, ORR, BCRR) to ensure decisions are based on objective evidence
Ensure deliverables are complete, accurate, and reflect true risk status—not checklist compliance
Surface risks, gaps, and mitigation plans to support informed go/no-go decisions
Act as a decision support partner for quality readiness, not a downstream gate inspector
Own requirements quality across programs, ensuring clarity, completeness, testability, and traceability
Establish and enforce linkage between customer needs, system requirements, and engineering specifications
Implement closed-loop feedback mechanisms (e.g., HQR) from validation, manufacturing, and field performance into requirements
Ensure requirements are fully integrated into DFMEA and validation planning
Own DFMEA quality, completeness, and effectiveness across all programs
Ensure system understanding through boundary diagrams, interface analysis, and functional composition
Lead identification, prioritization, and mitigation of design risks before design freeze
Challenge assumptions, failure modes, and engineering trade-offs to improve robustness
Drive use of modeling, simulation, and analytical methods to reduce risk early in development
Own validation strategy and ensure alignment to requirements and identified risks
Ensure DVP&R provides adequate coverage of critical requirements, use conditions, and failure modes
Evaluate validation results to confirm product performance, reliability, and safety
Drive closure of validation gaps prior to key decision points
Ensure validation demonstrates real-world use conditions, not just lab compliance
Ensure alignment between design intent and manufacturing controls (PFMEA, Control Plans)
Partner with Operations and Quality to confirm critical risks are mitigated prior to launch
Support pilot builds, ECS/MCS, and Safe Launch activities to validate production readiness
Ensure learning from manufacturing and field issues is driven back into design and requirements
Embed within engineering teams to influence design decisions from concept through launch
Partner with Product Management, Operations, Supply Chain, and Quality to align on risk and performance expectations
Drive accountability for design quality across teams—not centralized within Design Assurance
Lead structured, risk-based discussions in design and readiness reviews
Define and manage leading indicators tied to: Requirements quality, DFMEA effectiveness (risk identification and closure), Validation coverage and gap closure, Launch readiness risk
Use data to proactively identify design risks and drive early corrective actions
Continuously improve Design Assurance methods, tools, and integration into NPI processes