Senior APQP Engineer

Description

Position Summary: The Senior APQP Engineer is the principal quality architect for new product development and launch, ensuring risk mitigation and sustainable quality. Key Highlights: 1. Leads quality in New Product Development (NPD) and New Product Introduction (NPI). 2. Authority to stop launches if quality is insufficient. 3. Facilitates DFMEA and PFMEA sessions to mitigate risks. **POSITION OBJECTIVE:**The Senior APQP Engineer serves as the principal quality architect for New Product Development (NPD) and New Product Introduction (NPI). Responsible for ensuring design and manufacturing risks are identified, assessed, mitigated, and appropriately linked to production controls prior to market launch. This role serves as the technical quality guardian, bridging Design Engineering with Manufacturing Operations to protect brand reputation and ensure sustainable long-term quality costs. **PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:****QUALITY GOVERNANCE AND PROGRAM OVERSIGHT:*** Accountable for the full APQP process cycle, establishing reliability objectives such as target PPM or scrap reduction, and closely tracking project deliverables aligned with launch milestones (NPI). * Exercises formal **“Stop\-Ship”** and **“Gate\-Hold”** authority, halting phase transitions or launches when quality validation or risk mitigation is insufficient. * Presents data-driven and objectively evidenced **“Go/No\-Go”** recommendations to senior leadership, ensuring progression only when controls, verifications, and results demonstrate genuine readiness. **TECHNICAL RISK LINKAGE:*** FACILITATES CROSS\-FUNCTIONAL DFMEA (DESIGN) AND PFMEA (MANUFACTURING) SESSIONS TO ENSURE PROPER IDENTIFICATION, ASSESSMENT, AND MITIGATION OF RISKS. * ENSURES A “LINE OF SIGHT” TRACEABILITY BETWEEN HIGHEST\-SEVERITY RISKS, DEFINITION OF SPECIAL CHARACTERISTICS, AND INTEGRATION OF SUCH RISKS INTO PRODUCTION CONTROL PLANS. * AUDITS WEAK RISK ASSESSMENTS, CHALLENGES INSUFFICIENT ASSUMPTIONS, AND REQUIRES CORRECTIVE ACTIONS BEFORE AUTHORIZING TRANSITION TO THE NEXT PROJECT PHASE. **Process and Product Validation:** * Metrology (MSA): Leads all measurement instrument and test equipment evaluations, ensuring a 10:1 resolution ratio through Gage R\&R studies and metrological reliability verification. * Capability (SPC): Leads significant production runs to evaluate process stability and Cpk/Ppk levels prior to approval for volume production. * Validation: Coordinates comprehensive verification of new electromechanical assemblies, new technologies, and new manufacturing processes, comparing results against engineering specifications, drawings, tolerances, and product functional requirements. **Technical Risk Linkage:** * Develops and maintains “living” Control Plans, continuously updated throughout Prototype, Pre\-Launch, and Production phases. * Oversees creation, delivery, updating, and approval of PPAP packages, ensuring the process can meet quoted volumes and 100% of established quality requirements. * Integrates Lessons Learned from field failures, recurring issues, or historical deviations into new designs or processes to prevent recurrence. **Technical Risk Linkage:** * Manages the entire APQP documentation structure (including SharePoint), standardized templates, formats, and internal requirements. * Collaborates closely with Supplier Quality team to ensure components, materials, and sub\-assemblies meet internal launch readiness standards, preventing supply chain quality risks. ***This is not an exhaustive list of all position responsibilities. Additional duties may be assigned as required by business needs.*****MINIMUM POSITION REQUIREMENTS:****EDUCATION** Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Manufacturing, or Industrial Engineering.**EXPERIENCE** Minimum 5 years of verifiable experience in automotive or high\-complexity manufacturing with application of APQP/NPI methodologies.**KNOWLEDGE*** APQP and Core Tools: DFMEA, PFMEA, MSA, SPC, Control Plans, and PPAP. * MSA and Gage R\&R studies. * Process capability indices (Cpk / Ppk). * Validation of processes and electromechanical assemblies. * Use of SharePoint, Minitab, or other statistical tools (SPC, Pareto, 8D, DMAIC, 5 Whys). * Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement methodologies. * Advanced Microsoft Office (Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Outlook). **CERTIFICATIONS, LICENSES** Green Belt/Black Belt or ASQ/CQE certification (Desirable) **WORK COMPETENCIES*** Demonstrates preventive, risk\-based thinking—anticipating problems and acting before they impact quality or processes. * Exerts influence without authority through strong facilitation skills, guiding teams and achieving consensus even without direct command. * Collaborates cross\-functionally with Product and Manufacturing Engineering, integrating technical perspectives to strengthen decisions. * Maintains systemic thinking focused on the full product lifecycle, understanding interactions among design, manufacturing, and end\-use. * Applies disciplined root cause analysis and process signal interpretation to ensure sustainable improvements. **LANGUAGE SKILL*** Verbal and written fluency in English and Spanish for international collaboration. * Ability to interpret technical documents such as drawings, instructions, operation manuals, and procedures. **PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT:*** Ability to stand for extended periods during production floor audits or inspections. * Use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) per assigned area. * Work in industrial environment with exposure to moderate noise, machinery, and diverse materials. * Availability to frequently travel between production, quality, and warehouse areas. COMPANY: WATKINS WELLNESS WATMX Mon\-Fri 06:00\_16:00 (Mexico) Full time*Watkins (the “Company”) is an equal opportunity employer and* *we* *strive to employ the most qualified individuals for every position**.* *The Company makes employment decisions only based on merit. It is the Company’s policy to prohibit discrimination in any employment opportunity (including but not limited to recruitment, employment, promotion, salary increases, benefits, termination and all other terms and conditions of employment) based on race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, pregnancy, religious creed, national origin, ancestry, age, physical/mental disability, medical condition, marital/domestic partner status, military and veteran status, height, weight or any other such characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. The Company is committed to complying with all applicable laws providing equal employment opportunities. This commitment applies to all people involved in the operations of the Company regardless of where the employee is located and prohibits unlawful discrimination by any employee of the Company.* *Watkins* *is an E\-Verify employer. E\-Verify is an Internet based system operated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in partnership with the Social Security Administration (SSA) that allows participating employers to electronically verify the employment eligibility of their newly hired employees in the United States.* *E\-Verify Participation Poster:*English \& Spanish *E\-Verify Right to Work Poster:*English \& Spanish