About the role
Number of Direct Reports (Solid Line): NA
Number of Direct Reports (Dotted Line): 1
Number of Outsourced Reports: NA
Purpose of the Job: Responsible for Lead the OE
Development function for an assigned customer portfolio, by defining the
technical strategy, strengthening customer relationships, ensuring successful
execution of development programs, and delivering business growth through
cross-functional leadership.
Major Responsibilities:
Own the end-to-end development portfolio for
assigned OEM customers, ensuring successful execution from RFQ to SOP while
meeting business, quality, cost, and timeline objectives.
Lead customer engagement by acting as the
primary technical interface with OEM R&D, Quality, Purchasing, and Program
Management teams to strengthen strategic partnerships and drive future business
opportunities.
Define and approve the technical development
strategy, including tyre specifications, construction, materials, design
direction, and performance targets for all assigned programs.
Review and approve technical proposals,
benchmark studies, DFMEA, Data Books, development plans, and engineering
changes to ensure robust product development.
Drive cross-functional alignment across
Materials, Compound Development, Simulation, Testing, Manufacturing, Plant
Technology, QA, SCM, and Business teams to ensure timely project execution.
Govern project execution by reviewing
development progress, project risks, resource allocation, development costs,
and milestone adherence, while ensuring timely escalation and resolution of
critical issues.
Partner with OE Sales and Business
Development teams to understand future customer requirements, support RFQs, and
enhance Apollo's competitiveness in strategic OEM programs.
Lead technical reviews with customers,
support nomination activities, and represent Apollo during development reviews,
audits, and program discussions.
Ensure compliance with APDP, Quality
Requirements (QR), PPAP, CSQSR, regulatory requirements, and Apollo engineering
standards throughout the project lifecycle.
Drive resolution of critical product quality
and field performance issues by leading technical reviews, root cause analysis,
and implementation of sustainable corrective actions.
Develop organisational capability by mentoring Product Development Managers and Development Engineers, driving succession planning, technical competency development, and a high-performance culture.
Continuously identify opportunities to improve development efficiency, customer satisfaction, technical capability, and organisational effectiveness in line with Apollo's OE growth strategy.
Skills:
Strong knowledge of tyre design, development, validation, and manufacturing processes.
In-depth understanding of OEM product development lifecycle (RFQ to SOP).
Expertise in APDP, PPAP, DFMEA, Quality Requirements (QR), and automotive quality systems.
Strong project and program management capability.
Ability to analyse technical data and make
sound engineering decisions.
Leadership
& Behavioral Skills:
Proven ability to lead cross-functional and
multi-disciplinary teams.
Strong people leadership, coaching, mentoring,
and capability development.
Effective planning, prioritisation, and resource
management.
Risk identification, problem-solving, and
decision-making skills.
Ability to drive execution in a fast-paced,
multi-project environment.
Relevant Experience: 10-15 Years exposure to tyre
design /Tyre manufacturing / Vehicle testing / OE Development
Education Qualification(s): BE - Mechanical, Polymer engineering.