Product Engineer

Yanfeng•Novi, MI

About The Position

The Product Engineer owns the product design, development, and launch support of assigned programs and helps enhance Yanfeng’s global technical capabilities and product portfolio. The role focuses on steering wheel and airbag systems, including their design, validation, and release, and serves as the single point of customer contact for assigned programs. The Product Engineer works with customer engineering teams, Yanfeng leadership, and Program Management to maintain effective relationships, communicate significant launch, production, or timing issues, and ensure engineering resources and budget goals are met from program award through start of production. The position also manages product-development documentation and processes under Yanfeng standards and systems, and may perform other duties assigned by the Manager. The role requires automotive product engineering experience, particularly with steering wheels and airbag modules, along with knowledge of testing, materials, manufacturing processes, tolerance analysis, and CAE. Domestic and international travel may be required up to 25%. Employees must meet applicable operating-system, environmental health and safety, product safety, compliance, and information-security requirements; follow company policies; maintain regular attendance; and work additional hours or overtime as needed. Yanfeng describes itself as a global automotive supplier focused in North America on automotive interiors, seating, electronics, and passive safety systems. The company highlights sustainability, innovation, diversity, equity, and inclusion. Its employee-development opportunities include development programs, continuous learning, mentorship, volunteerism, and onboarding.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, such as Mechanical, Aerospace, or a similar field.
3–5+ years of experience in the automotive industry, preferably including at least two successful product launches and preferably launches with North American OEMs.
Experience with steering wheel and/or airbag modules.
Experience leading programs and teams with full engineering responsibility.
Experience with airbag module testing and performance analysis.
Knowledge of plastic part design for injection molding.
Knowledge of injection mold tooling, including gates, parting lines, and actions, as it relates to part design.
Knowledge of plastic resin and materials selection for airbag modules and steering wheel components.
Ability to develop component and sub-assembly GD&T tolerancing and tolerance stack-up studies in support of manufacturing and craftsmanship goals.
Knowledge of leather- and PUR-wrapping processes and design limitations for steering wheels and driver airbags.
Experience using CAE as a design and product optimization tool.
Ability to communicate professionally and respectfully in a team environment and address issues directly in a data-driven manner.
Self-motivated and enthusiastic, with a coaching style.
Ability to travel domestically and internationally as needed, up to 25%.
Ability to work additional hours or overtime as needed or assigned.
Ability to multitask, work cooperatively, interact professionally, and maintain predictable and regular attendance.

Nice To Haves

Chinese and/or Spanish language skills.
PMP training or Program Management experience.
Driver airbag experience.
Experience with product launches for North American OEMs.

Responsibilities

Demonstrate expertise in steering wheel and driver, curtain, side, passenger, and/or knee airbag systems, including best-practice designs, legal validation requirements, North American customer standards, industry trends, and competitors’ technology.
Lead design, validation, and release of steering wheel and airbag systems using the YF product development process.
Manage and maintain documents, processes, and procedures using YFSS standards and systems, including YFiOS, PMP, Lean, CPP, CMP, EPIC, and BEP.
Understand customers’ engineering organizations and build relationships with key engineering and technology decision-makers.
Inform customer engineering and Yanfeng leadership of significant launch, production, or timing issues.
Serve as the single point of customer contact for assigned programs.
Work with Program Management to ensure engineering resources and budget goals are met from program award through SOP.
Manage multiple tasks and deadlines simultaneously.
Perform other duties as assigned by the Manager.
Meet function-related IOS, EHS, product safety, compliance, information-security, and confidentiality requirements; comply with company policies and procedures.
Work additional hours or overtime as needed or assigned to complete duties on time.
Interact professionally with customers, suppliers, vendors, and employees at all levels, work cooperatively, and maintain predictable and regular attendance.
Travel domestically and internationally as needed, up to 25%.