Product Engineer - Exterior Trim

Job description:

WHAT TO EXPECT

In addition to delivering Modern Luxury Exterior Design, we also have ever-increasing functional demands like pedestrian protection, aerodynamic efficiency, cooling airflow delivery, low speed impacts and quality feel. It is a key technical department within the product creation process, leading the engineering from concept to customer. There are strong links to the Design Studio, Perceived Quality and Vehicle Engineering. Working here, your engineering skills will balance functional demands with retaining JLR Design Leadership that delights and excites customers and set us apart from the competition.

As Product Owner in the Exterior Trim Concept Squad, you will be responsible, in collaboration with a cross-functional team, for the delivery of feasible product concepts and robust content definition for our new products during the Concept Strategy Phase of vehicle programmes. This role is ideal for someone with an agile mindset and automotive exterior trim product development experience, distilling business value and stakeholder needs into roadmaps and refined product backlogs.


Key Accountabilities and Responsibilities


* Add optimal product value in a cross-functional team ("squad") with collective responsibility for:
o Delivery of a technically robust concept that is aligned with Body Exterior Trim Strategy and Bill of Design
o Delivery of a product offer that is feasible, appropriately balanced (cost v weight v design v other attributes), and technically compatible (where possible) with adjacent components and vehicle attributes (with a defined gap and opportunity plan where compatibility is not feasible) and with sufficient detail to enable accurate cost estimation
o Delivery of the Product Backlog Items in priority order as determined by the Product Owner and working within the squad's Agile culture
o Preparation and submission of formal & supporting documentation when appropriate
o Maintenance of a record of supporting evidence that demonstrates why the squad's proposal is complete and competitive against appropriate benchmarks
o Successful resolution of technical conflicts to achieve the overall product assumptions and attributes in line with the target costs, weight, commonality and variety
o Pro-active investigation and benchmarking of competitor products
* Undertake any other appropriate work as directed by their line manager in connection with their job as may be requested


WHAT YOU NEED

Knowledge and experience

Essential:
* Experienced in the development and engineering delivery of automotive trim products, ideally exterior trim such as Bumpers, Ornamentation, Active Aero & Underfloor Aero
* Strong capability to predict technical risks and identify solution opportunities
* Strong virtual engineering tool skills (e.g., geometry analysis & review in CATIA, Enovia)
* Relevant engineering degree, or equivalent knowledge & skills gained through experience
* Excellent communication skills both oral and written


Desirable:
* Understanding of design aesthetic sensitivity, vehicle aerodynamic principles, pedestrian injury avoidance solutions, perceived quality assessment, manufacturing processes and tolerances, thermal management, airborne noise management etc
* Understanding of Systems Engineering techniques - breaking down customer needs and vehicle attributes into system and component-level solutions
* Experience of concept creation/concept selection to solve complex interactions between competing functions and systems
* Experience and strong working knowledge of Agile/Scrum product delivery frameworks such as Scrum, Scrumban or SAFe, as a hardware developer
* Detailed knowledge of JLR Exterior Trim product portfolio