JTEKT North America is a global leader in engineering and manufacturing automotive systems, bearing solutions, and high-performance machine tools. Our global vision is to be preferred by all stakeholders to include customers, associates, suppliers and our local communities. We employ great people that build value which surpasses the expectations of customers, build excellent products that astonish the world and build professionals who think and act autonomously. If you share our values, come find your place in our JTEKT community. We have an opportunity in our Vonore, TN manufacturing plant for a Principal Production Engineer. If you want an opportunity to make a difference and enjoy fast paced, challenging work this is the career for you!
Summary/Purpose
Leads the development and launch of manufacturing equipment and processes for automotive steering systems. Translates product designs, engineering drawings, GD&T, specifications, and customer requirements into safe, capable, reliable, and cost-effective production solutions. Manages capital equipment projects from concept and supplier selection through installation, validation, and production handoff while coordinating cross-functional teams, suppliers, and customers.
Essential Duties and Accountabilities:
Review product designs, engineering drawings, GD&T, specifications, and customer requirements to define manufacturing needs and acceptance criteria.
Develop manufacturing concepts, production processes, equipment specifications, engineering standards, and requests for quotation (RFQs).
Evaluate supplier proposals and quotations; recommend suppliers based on technical capability, cost, schedule, risk, and compliance with project requirements.
Prepare equipment cost estimates, project budgets, capital expenditure requests, and investment justifications.
Lead capital equipment projects through concept, specification, quotation, supplier selection, design review, build, runoff, installation, commissioning, validation, and production handoff.
Direct supplier design reviews and build activities, including technical follow-up, risk identification, issue resolution, and escalation.
Plan and conduct equipment trials, runoffs, and Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) at supplier and manufacturing locations.
Coordinate equipment installation, ITO, TTO, Site Acceptance Testing (SAT), commissioning, debugging, and process optimization.
Conduct capability studies, validation trials, customer production trials, and approval activities.
Apply APQP, DFM/DFA, DFMEA, PFMEA, Control Plans, poka-yoke, cycle-time analysis, and manufacturing-readiness practices to new and revised processes.
Coordinate Production, Quality, Maintenance, Safety, Purchasing, Product Engineering, suppliers, machine builders, and customer engineering to meet safety, quality, capacity, cycle-time, reliability, cost, and volume targets.
Prepare and present technical updates, project reports, manufacturing documentation, and supplier or customer contact reports.
Support product and process launches, and transition validated equipment and processes to Production and Maintenance.
Work overtime, including Saturdays and/or Sundays, when directed by the immediate supervisor or required to complete essential duties.
Perform other duties as assigned.
Supervisory Responsibilities:
This position has no direct supervisory responsibilities. It provides technical and project leadership to cross-functional teams, suppliers, and contractors.
Job Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
Advanced ability to interpret engineering drawings, GD&T, technical specifications, product designs, and customer requirements.
Ability to develop detailed equipment specifications and RFQs and to evaluate supplier quotations and proposed technical solutions.
Knowledge of DFM/DFA, DFMEA, PFMEA, Control Plans, APQP, PPAP, MSA, SPC, process capability, poka-yoke, cycle-time analysis, and production readiness.
Working knowledge of CNC machining, precision assembly,…