NPI Engineer
Our client is a technology-oriented company developing advanced manufacturing and engineering solutions for highly complex industrial applications. The organization specializes in transforming innovative customer designs into robust, scalable production systems, operating in demanding environments where technical excellence, quality, and operational performance are critical. Working within multidisciplinary teams and global supply chains, the company delivers sophisticated products for high-technology industries through a culture focused on continuous improvement, engineering rigor, and manufacturing excellence.
The NPI Engineer is responsible for leading the industrialization of new products from initial concept through successful transfer into serial production. Acting as the technical owner of the New Product Introduction process, the role ensures that customer designs are translated into efficient, manufacturable, and cost-effective production processes while maintaining the highest quality standards. The position requires close collaboration with engineering, quality, operations, supply chain, and external manufacturing partners to deliver first-time-right production readiness.
Responsibilities
Product Industrialization
- Translate customer specifications and engineering designs into manufacturable, scalable, and cost-efficient production concepts.
- Define the complete product and manufacturing process flow from prototype through serial production.
- Ensure manufacturability while balancing quality, cost, and operational efficiency.
Production Process Development
- Design and implement serial production processes, including production layouts, tooling strategies, ERP configurations, quality controls, and work instructions.
- Define qualification methodologies and production readiness plans.
- Support successful product transfer into manufacturing operations.
Process Validation and Quality Assurance
- Lead process validation activities using structured methodologies such as Design FMEA, Process FMEA, Statistical Process Control (SPC), and 8D problem-solving.
- Drive zero-defect product introductions through robust quality planning and risk mitigation.
- Ensure production processes comply with technical and quality requirements.
Project Coordination and Supplier Collaboration
- Coordinate technical activities throughout the complete NPI lifecycle in collaboration with cross-functional teams.
- Monitor project progress, costs, delivery performance, quality objectives, and project risks.
- Collaborate with international suppliers to ensure manufacturability, quality assurance, and supply continuity.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, or a closely related engineering discipline.
- Demonstrable experience in New Product Introduction (NPI), industrialization, or manufacturing engineering within high-technology production environments.
- Strong knowledge of assembly processes, manufacturing technologies, tooling, production equipment, and industrial qualification methodologies.
- Practical experience with FMEA, SPC, 8D, and structured quality improvement tools.
- Strong project coordination, stakeholder management, and problem-solving skills.
- Professional proficiency in both Dutch and English.
Preferred Experience
- Experience working in low-volume, high-complexity manufacturing environments.
- Exposure to semiconductor, precision engineering, mechatronics, or other advanced technology industries.
- Experience collaborating with international suppliers and multidisciplinary engineering teams.
- Strong understanding of manufacturing process optimization, risk management, and continuous improvement methodologies.