Technical Program Manager, SoftGoods
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In this highly visible role, you will support the selection, implementation & optimization of manufacturing processes for our legendary soft goods products. You will use your Mechanical Engineering experience and work cross functionally with Product Design Engineering and Industrial Design to assess product features for manufacturability, and recommend capable processes and equipment.
Core responsibilities include:
PROCESS DEVELOPMENT:
- Planning, proposing, and helping experiments to produce timely and accurate analyses used to drive design, development, and supply chain decisions.
- Provide assistance in assessing the suitability of a fabrication technology for a given part design. Planning validation exercises to demonstrate initial feasibility as well as manufacturing capability. Analyzing results of validation exercises and provide technical recommendations.
- Reviewing progress of development activities at supplier locations and serve as point of escalation for critical process related issues.
NEW PRODUCT INTRODUCTION:
- Acts as supporting engineer to drive process development and capability assessment activities, reviewing part design documentation to ensure alignment with process capability.
- Assigns specific tasks and work with Apple suppliers to support process development and/or data gathering activities. Set clear goals for results and provide timely reviews of performance throughout program.
- Help to establish validation procedures to determine acceptance of tooling into development builds as well as mass production.
SUPPLIER EXECUTION:
- Help to review supplier tool design, process flow, equipment selection, DFM, and DOE proposals. Identify shortfalls and corrective actions to ensure design compliance.
- Work with supplier engineering teams to map out process development exercises, secure resources, and commit to schedules in line with program goals
- Assess supplier factory readiness (layout, UPH, key stations) for production ramp. Identify potential execution issues and drive provide actions to mitigate risk.
- Requires 5+ experience supporting new product launches to mass production from a mechanical, tooling engineering, or product development perspective.
- Education: BS in Mechanical Engineering OR Tooling OR material Science.
- Must have demonstrated hands-on mechanical ability.
- Demonstrate excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.
- Ability to work on a variety of components that will be subassemblies or part of main assembly. Examples include, being familiar with various hardware including manufacturing and installation. molding, sanding, coating, lasers, robotic fixtures, etc.
- Experience with mechanical fabricated parts, jigs, fixtures, process tooling, and manufacturing processes is required.
- Domestic travel is requested, with in-region travel as required.
- Experience with highly cosmetic parts a plus.
- Prefer a solid understanding of DFM, DOE, GD&T, SPC techniques.
- Some experience in a manufacturing environment of high-end softgoods is advantageous.
- Post molding processes for Silicone, plastics, TPU is preferred.
- MS in Mechanical Engineering OR Tooling OR material Science is a plus.
- Knowledge of AI or ML adapt to manufacturing is a plus.
- Be familiar with data analysis tools such as JMP, Minitab, tableau. Coding(such as python, C++) and machine learning experience is a plus.