Sustaining Engineer

Aptiv•USA New Rhode Island – MFG, RI

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Sustaining Engineer is responsible for the ongoing support and management of released production products and manufacturing processes. Serving as the engineering owner for released products, this role manages all product-related changes throughout the lifecycle, including design revisions, material changes, supplier changes, cost reduction initiatives, obsolescence management, and manufacturing-driven improvements. The Sustaining Engineer is accountable for evaluating, coordinating, implementing, and documenting all changes to released products throughout their lifecycle. This position works closely with Quality, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Program Management, Customers, and Suppliers to ensure product changes are properly assessed, validated, documented, and implemented without disruption to production, quality, or customer requirements.

Requirements

Strong understanding of engineering change management and product lifecycle management processes.
Knowledge of manufacturing processes, assembly methods, tooling, fixtures, and production equipment.
Ability to assess technical, quality, manufacturing, supply chain, and commercial impacts of engineering changes.
Strong project management and organizational skills
Excellent analytical, troubleshooting, and problem-solving abilities.
Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, specifications, BOMs, and technical documentation.
Experience with configuration management and document control systems.
Strong communication and cross-functional leadership skills
Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities simultaneously.
Strong technical writing and documentation skills
Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and ERP/MRP systems.
Ability to effectively communicate with customers, suppliers, and all levels of the organization.
Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering required (Mechanical or Manufacturing Engineering preferred).
Minimum of three (3) years of engineering experience in a manufacturing environment required.
Candidates must have a proven track record of leading process improvements, implementing manufacturing equipment and tooling changes, and driving engineering projects to successful completion.
Experience managing engineering changes, drawing revisions, BOM updates, product improvements, and manufacturing change implementation.
Demonstrated experience delivering measurable improvements such as cost reduction projects, material substitutions, product redesigns, supplier change implementations, manufacturability improvements, and quality improvements.
Experience supporting released product throughout the production lifecycle.
Strong understanding of manufacturing processes, tooling, assembly operations, and supplier management.
Ability to make sound engineering decisions with minimal supervision.

Nice To Haves

Automotive manufacturing experience strongly preferred.
Working knowledge of IATF 16949 and Automotive Core Tools, including APQP, PFMEA, MSA, SPC, PPAP, and Control Plans preferred.
Experience with product validation, change control, configuration management, and technical documentation.
Engineering drawing and BOM revisions
Customer-requested product changes
Supplier-driven material or component changes
Product obsolescence and replacement projects
Cost reduction and value engineering initiatives
Product redesigns to improve manufacturability or reliability
Quality improvement projects resulting from production or customer concerns
Material substitution and component qualification projects
PPAP and customer approval activities associated with engineering changes
Capacity expansion and production optimization projects

Responsibilities

Serve as the engineering owner for released production products throughout their lifecycle.
Evaluate, coordinate, and implement engineering changes affecting released products, components, materials, specifications, manufacturing processes, and supplier-sourced parts.
Manage Change Requests (CRs), Engineering Change Orders (ECOs), and associated change management documentation.
Assess the impact of proposed changes on product performance, quality, manufacturing processes, tooling, cost, inventory, customer requirements, and regulatory compliance.
Lead cross-functional reviews of proposed changes with Engineering, Quality, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Purchasing, and Program Management.
Coordinate and execute product changes resulting from customer requests, supplier-driven changes, quality concerns, material substitutions, obsolescence issues, and cost-reduction initiatives.
Support root cause investigations and implement design, material, process, or product improvements as required.
Ensure all engineering changes are properly reviewed, validated, approved, documented, and implemented.
Maintain configuration control and product traceability throughout the product lifecycle.
Manage and maintain product documentation, including drawings, specifications, bills of materials (BOMs), and engineering standards, ensuring released product data remains accurate and aligned with approved engineering changes.
Coordinate product validation, testing, and qualification activities associated with engineering changes.
Support PPAP submissions, customer notifications, engineering change approvals, and validation activities as required.
Collaborate with suppliers to evaluate and implement supplier-initiated changes and support supplier development activities as needed.
Identify opportunities to improve manufacturability, reliability, efficiency, and product standardization.
Support product launches and end-of-life product management activities.
Develop and present technical reports, engineering analyses, implementation plans, and project updates to management.
Ensure compliance with customer requirements, internal procedures, quality management system requirements, and applicable industry standards.
Perform all other duties as assigned.