Quality Engineer OE (Fluent in German)

Job Purpose

The OE Quality Engineer is acting as main window for Quality related activities between Bridgestone and OEM Passenger Car Manufacturers operating in EMIA region as well as in global businesses. The aim of his/her position is to assure that quality related activities are performed promptly, effectively and efficiently. This will support timely start-up of business, smooth communications along the product lifecycle including fast and proactive approach in any claim management.

The position can be based either in Italy, Castel Romano (Rome) at Tech Center Europe reporting or in Germany (Frankfurt) sales office. The incumbent will be reporting to the BSEMEA Senor Manager O.E. Quality located in Germany (Frankfurt) sales office.

Main Responsibilities:

1. Act as Quality Window with OEM

Act as window for a group of OEMs and related mounting companies in Europe for quality issues.

Maintain good communication with the target to answer all requests in prompt and effective manner. Be able to identify potential quality related topics at source and promptly manage them in order to prevent/minimize escalations.

Build solid relation and keep mutual trust relationship between Bridgestone and OEMs Quality counterparts.

2. New Product Part Approval Process (PPAP)

During the new OE product development, in close collaboration with Bridgestone Sales, Tire Development and Manufacturing Plant, get involved in the management of quality aspects and be accountable for the Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) to demonstrate that Bridgestone has developed the design and production process to meet the OEM’s requirements in order to minimize the risk of failure.

Part approval, in official PPAP format, will be documented with needed results in order to:

• Ensure that Bridgestone can meet the manufacturability and quality requirements of the parts supplied to the OEM
• Provide evidence that the OEM customer engineering design record and specification requirements are clearly understood and fulfilled by the supplier
• Demonstrate that the established manufacturing process has the potential to produce the part that consistently meets all requirements during the actual production run at the quoted production rate of the manufacturing process.

3. New / revised OEM customer specific quality requirements
   1. Gather/Obtain quality requirements from OEMs
   2. Coordinate their analysis and reply.

4. Approval of “new” plant for supply to specific OEM
   1. Perform gap analysis, internal audits and provide advice for improvement until plant is considered ready for OEM QS approval audit (for plants outside BSEMEA jointly with local BS QS contact).
   2. Prepare and support OEM plant approval audit.

5. OEM Audits/Visits to Bridgestone Plants
   1. Prepare and support all plant visits by OEM at EMEA plants.
   2. Give support to OEM QS audits performed in other BS plants located outside BSEMEA considered to be critical (jointly with local BS QS contact as necessary)

6. Claim Management
   1. In case of any quality issue or claim, set up immediate communication and all the necessary mitigation/recovery plan.
   2. Act as coordinator for the implementation and of relevant systemic corrective and preventive actions with the support of relevant functions.
   3. Ensure on-site support as well coordinating crisis management (as needed).

Education and capabilities:

Education 

Minimum:

• University degree in engineering, economy (or comparable education)

Desirable Job Specific Skills:

• Basic knowledge on Tire technology / tire manufacturing process
• Qualification as auditor of quality management system (e.g. ISO 9001, IATF 16949, VDA 6.3)
• Basic Knowledge of descriptive statistics and basic Quality tools (such as 8D report, 5 why, Fishbone analysis, etc...)

Soft Skills

• The position requires high customer focus and customer oriented mindset with excellent problem solving, negotiation and communication skills to properly coordinate activities between customer facilities (in Germany as well as worldwide) and BS headquarters, development centers, plants and/or BS subcontracted intermediate warehouses.
• Positive mindset and win-win approach will be key ingredient for the success in this role, in order to translate daily challenges in new business opportunities.
• The incumbent must be able to understand problems from customer perspective and be able to manage them with self-confidence and autonomy.
• The position requires a structured and disciplined working approach in order to successfully manage daily work, special projects and critical situations (such as potential supply cut-off , etc...).

Travel:

The position requires full availability to frequent travels (in Europe or worldwide) at Bridgestone facilities, as well as Bridgestone Plants, etc... and at the OEM clients. In rare cases on short notice and/or including weekends.

Work Experience:

The incumbent shall have consolidated five year working experience (preferably in the automotive industry: OEM or  Tier 1 /Tier 2 supplier) in quality assurance, customer service, product development, procurement or sales area.

Languages:

English, German: fluent

Driving license

Car driving license is required.