NPI Engineer

NPI ENGINEER - LEUVEN (BELGIUM) - PERMANENT POSITIONThe New Product Introduction (NPI) Engineer is responsible for managing the end-to-end process of bringing new products from design and development into full-scale manufacturing. This role ensures that products are launched on time, meet performance, quality, and cost targets, and comply with all technical, regulatory, and safety requirements.The NPI Engineer acts as a critical bridge between R&D, design teams, manufacturing, quality, supply chain, and external suppliers, coordinating activities to ensure smooth transitions from prototype to production. The role involves planning, tracking, and managing project timelines, identifying potential risks, and proactively implementing solutions to mitigate delays or issues.The ideal candidate combines strong project management and organizational skills with a solid understanding of engineering, manufacturing, and quality principles. They facilitate cross-functional collaboration, monitor progress, and provide guidance to internal and external teams to ensure product requirements are fully realized and manufacturable at scale. This role also emphasizes continuous improvement, leveraging lessons learned from previous product introductions to streamline processes, reduce time-to-market, and enhance product reliability and manufacturability.Key ResponsibilitiesPlan, coordinate, and manage all activities for the introduction of new products into manufacturingDevelop and maintain detailed NPI project plans, including timelines, milestones, resources, and risk mitigation strategiesTrack project progress, identify potential risks or roadblocks, and proactively implement corrective actionsEnsure products meet design specifications, manufacturability, cost, and quality targetsAct as the primary liaison between R&D, design teams, manufacturing, quality, supply chain, and external suppliersFacilitate design reviews, handoffs, and process validation to ensure alignment between design and production requirementsCommunicate technical and project status updates to stakeholders, managing expectations and addressing concerns promptlyEvaluate and optimize manufacturing processes to ensure production readiness for new productsSupport prototype builds, pilot runs, and pre-production testingIdentify and address production challenges, bottlenecks, and quality issues early in the introduction processCollaborate with suppliers to ensure timely delivery of components and assembliesEnsure compliance with internal quality standards, industry regulations, and safety certificationsSupport risk analysis, root cause investigations, and corrective/preventive actions related to new productsMaintain accurate technical, process, and project documentationQualifications & SkillsBachelor's degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Electronics, Industrial, or Manufacturing Engineering, or a related fieldExperience in NPI, product introduction, or manufacturing engineering, preferably in electronics, hardware, or industrial productsStrong knowledge of design for manufacturability (DFM), process development, and quality systemsExcellent project management, organizational, and problem-solving skillsAbility to work cross-functionally, managing multiple priorities and stakeholders effectivelyProficiency with project management tools (e.g., MS Project, Jira, or equivalent)The Offer:A permanent, full-time employment contractA salary & benefits package commensurate with experiencePlease send over your CV to tom.walker@vividresourcing.com or call me on +32 (0) 3 318 00 74. As always, we are open to recommendations, so please feel free to pass this on to other suitable candidates.