Strategic Design Engineering, Global Supply Manager - Mechanicals

Apple • Cupertino, CA

1d

About The Position

We are part of Apple’s Beats Org and will work closely with cross-functional teams to help launch innovative yet cost-efficient products on ambitious timelines. Mechanical components define the look, feel and expression of Beats’ unique brand within Apple; they are also integral to product performance and reliability. This role will be directly responsible for working with engineering to guide design for manufacturability and cost, defining sustainable sourcing strategy by factoring in cross-functional inputs, and developing robust working relationships with internal (cross-functional) and external (supplier) partners towards helping execute for cost, quality, capacity, supply. Successful SDE GSMs thrive in a rapidly changing environment and constantly drive excellence across their own responsibilities as well as that of team members and partners. They frequently leverage strategic internal relationships to effectively collaborate with engineering, operations and other Apple teams. They are able to make smart decisions with the information available, think and stay focused under pressure, and communicate concisely and effectively with senior management as well as peers.

Requirements

• BS in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering or related engineering field
• Intimate knowledge / understanding of a typical stage/gate product development process
• Strong technical background, with an ability to quickly understand various aspects of a product’s design, and the manufacturing processes necessary to materialize the design, and assembly and testing steps needed to execute it at scale
• Factory experience, particularly related to forming and finishing processes related to plastics, composites, and metal.
• FATP experience, ideally within consumer electronics
• Deep expertise with “should cost” modeling and developing (and maintaining) a costed BOM
• Strong PM-ing skills… ability to manage wide and diverse activities with disparate stakeholders, by focusing on key deliverables and effectively driving next steps
• Excellent presentation and interpersonal skills, capable of working in multinational environments
• Excellent soft skills; flexibility to adapt to dynamic and rapidly changing environments
• Ability to travel ~20% internationally, ~30% domestically

Nice To Haves

• BSME, or equivalent. MBA a plus
• Product design exposure or experience, with a deep interest in designing for cost
• Managing a costed BOM during early product architecture. Ability to identify, manage, and drive Opportunities and Risks
• Experience working across functions (Industrial design, Product design, Manufacturing design, Operations), and with suppliers… ability to influence across multi-functional teams
• Top-notch analytical skills, with ability to toggle between detail-orientated and strategic, large-picture thinking
• “Team lead” experience, guiding / leading less experienced teammates within subject matter area

Responsibilities

• Engage with engineering teams during early product development phases to drive overall architecture towards the right cost by providing quick feedback on baseline architecture, challenging teams on underlying assumptions, and helping identify and evaluate alternatives
• Where relevant, work with early development supplier partners to help define overall architecture, while still balancing for cost
• Investigate and propose alternative manufacturing processes, materials, designs, and suppliers that optimize cost for our x-functional engineering partners
• Manage overall mechanicals cost BOM, and influence cross-functional teams to validate and implement creative alternatives needed to meet cost target
• Collaborate closely with partners in Ops to understand down-stream (FATP) impact of upstream design decisions, and work closely with Engineering teams and supplier partners to optimize
• Identify the right supplier partners to work with (and think broadly, about the right strategy) to secure product quality, supply, and long-term cost-competitiveness, all on an aggressive, timeline
• Develop supplier relationships to “train” vendor mind-sets to align with strategic organizational needs
• Identify and drive “special projects” related to costs, and develop into scalable cost solutions that can be applied across various Apple products over time
• Liaise between operational cross-functional teams and operations-focused GSM teammates as needed, to support quality, capacity, and supply

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level