Key Responsibilities

1. Lead, mentor, and guide a team of Process Excellence associates Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) specialists, and Quality Engineers to deliver measurable business outcomes
2. Allocate team resources across improvement projects, auditing schedules, and process mapping initiatives
3. Build internal consulting capability by training team members on Lean, Six Sigma, and Value Stream Mapping (VSM) methodologies
4. Map, standardize, and continuously refine end-to-end Research & Development departments from concept generation through design, validation, and commercial launch
5. Identify operational bottlenecks, waste, and variation in plant operations, supply chain, and administrative workflows
6. Design and deploy Lean Six Sigma frameworks (DMAIC, Kaizen, 5S, Poka-Yoke) to optimize yield, throughput, and cycle time
7. Lead change management efforts to ensure successful adoption of new processes and practices, minimizing resistance and maximizing engagement
8. Partner with cross-functional leadership (Factory Operations, Sales, Marketing, Supply Chain, Quality Assurance, Product Design and Engineering) to implement high-impact Process Improvement initiatives
9. Work with Engineering & Product teams to streamline rapid prototyping workflows, pre-production runs, and testing phases to shorten time-to-market
10. Establish standard operating procedures (SOPs) and control points for prototype build reviews, design validation testing (DVT), and process validation testing (PVT)
11. Oversee the end-to-end documentation of core R&D processes, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and Value Stream Maps (AS-IS and TO-BE models)
12. Drive digital transformation by facilitating integration of process automation and digital workflow tools into traditional manufacturing environments
13. Establish and manage an enterprise-wide Process Compliance Audit Framework to ensure adherence to internal standards & also support certification to external standards like ISO
14. Conduct periodic process compliance audits, identify non-conformance root causes, and enforce Corrective and Preventive Action (CAPA) plans
15. Deliver regular audit compliance scorecards and risk reports to executive leadership
16. Deep understanding of DMAIC frameworks, waste elimination (Muda, Mura, Muri), cycle-time reduction, and root-cause analysis
17. Deep understanding of Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP), Stage-Gate frameworks, DFMEA/PFMEA, Prototyping cycles, and GTM readiness metrics

Ideal Candidate

1. B.E. / B.Tech / M.Tech in Mechanical, Automotive, Electrical Engineering. Master’s / MBA is a strong advantage
2. Strong domain expertise in Manufacturing or Automotive / OEM / Auto-Ancillary environments
3. 10+ years of total experience, with a significant track record in R&D Process Excellence, New Product Development (NPD), or Engineering Operations in Manufacturing or Automotive OEMs/Tier-1 suppliers
4. Demonstrated transformation experience within R&D functions across industries like Automotive, CPG, FMCG, High-Tech is mandatory for this role
5. Certifications as a Lean Practitioner, Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt, Design Thinking or Certified ISO Internal Auditor will be an added advantage