NPI Engineer

Zign Group; Nieuwegein; On-site; EUR 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Zign Group in Nieuwegein, the Netherlands, seeks an NPI Engineer to lead the transfer of product designs into robust manufacturing processes at our partners. You bridge development, supply chain and production, working with multidisciplinary experts to ensure products perform reliably in real-world use.

Requirements include a technical degree and 3+ years in NPI and design transfer within regulated environments, plus experience with multidisciplinary products and working with contract

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in a technical field.
• Minimum 3 years’ experience in NPI and design transfer.
• Experience with multidisciplinary products (mechanics/electronics/embedded software).
• Experience working with contract manufacturers and external partners.
• Familiarity with ISO 9001; ISO 13485 is an advantage.
• Experience with BOMs, production documentation, and test procedures.
• Strong English communication; Dutch preferred.

Responsibilities

• Execute NPI activities from prototype through production release.
• Coordinate design transfer with manufacturing partners.
• Translate design specs into reliable, scalable manufacturing processes.
• Define and manage NPI plans, milestones, and readiness criteria.
• Release production documentation (BOMs, drawings, work instructions).
• Assess manufacturing feasibility, risks related to capability, quality, cost, lead time.
• Support DFM/DFA activities and First Article Inspections.
• Act as interface between development teams and external partners.
• Coordinate lifecycle changes and manufacturability updates.
• Support root cause investigations and continuous improvement.

Skills

NPI experience

Design transfer

Manufacturing engineering

Regulated environment

Supplier collaboration

English communication

Dutch language

Education

Bachelor’s/Master’s in engineering

Tools

ISO 9001 knowledge

ISO 13485 knowledge

FAI

Gage R&R

Process validation

Job description

Are you an engineer who enjoys bringing complex technical products from development into reliable production? At Zign, we are looking for an NPI Engineer who can lead the transfer of product designs into robust, scalable manufacturing processes at our manufacturing partners.

Zign helps ambitious companies turn complex technical ideas into reliable products that can be manufactured, scaled and supported throughout their lifecycle. As an NPI Engineer within our team, you will work on high-tech products in demanding and regulated markets such as Medical Devices, energy equipment, industrial systems and other advanced technical applications.

Our typical products combine electronics, injection-moulded parts, sheet metal, and other mechanical, optical, packaging or specialist components, depending on the application. The supply chains we manage are mainly based in Europe, complemented by sourcing and manufacturing partners in Asia where this adds the right capability, scalability or cost position.

For an NPI Engineer, this means a role with visible impact: you will help bridge development, supply chain and production, work closely with multidisciplinary experts, and contribute directly to products that need to perform reliably in the real world.

About the role

As NPI Engineer, you are responsible for the successful introduction and ongoing manufacturability of new products. You coordinate design transfer, industrialization, manufacturing readiness, supplier alignment and lifecycle activities. Your goal is to ensure that technical, quality, operational and commercial requirements are addressed before production release and during continued manufacturing.

What will you do

• Execute NPI activities from prototype phase through production release.
• Coordinate design transfer with manufacturing partners in line with applicable standards and QMS requirements.
• Translate design specifications into reliable and scalable manufacturing processes.
• Define and manage NPI plans, milestones, deliverables, readiness criteria, pilot builds, validation builds and first production runs.
• Ensure complete and timely release of production documentation such as BOMs, drawings, work instructions, test procedures and quality records.
• Assess manufacturing feasibility and risks related to capability, quality, cost, lead time and scalability.
• Support DFM/DFA activities, First Article Inspections, production acceptance and process validation where applicable.
• Act as the technical interface between Zign’s development teams and external manufacturing partners.
• Coordinate lifecycle changes, product improvements, obsolescence topics and manufacturability updates.
• Support root cause investigations, CAPAs, supplier evaluations and continuous improvement activities.

What you bring

We are looking for someone who is curious, analytical and eager to learn, with the ambition to build a career in quality. You do not need to know everything yet, but you do have some relevant work experience and enjoy being practically involved in different aspects of product development, engineering or production.

• A Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electronics, Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering or a comparable technical field.
• Minimum 3 years’ experience with NPI, design transfer, manufacturing engineering, industrialization or product development in a regulated environment.
• Experience with multidisciplinary products involving mechanics, electronics and/or embedded software.
• Experience working with contract manufacturers, suppliers and external production partners.
• Familiarity with ISO 9001; knowledge of ISO 13485 is an advantage.
• Experience with BOMs, production documentation, work instructions and test procedures.
• Familiarity with FAI, process validation, gauge R&R, TMV, risk management and root cause analysis.
• Strong English communication skills. Dutch is preferred; other languages are beneficial.

Your way of working

You are structured, analytical and pragmatic. You take ownership, identify gaps and risks early, and know how to keep progress in multidisciplinary projects with multiple stakeholders. You communicate clearly, collaborate constructively and balance quality, planning, cost and manufacturability in your decision-making.

What we offer

At Zign, you work on challenging high-tech product development and manufacturing projects in a professional, entrepreneurial environment. You will have a visible role in bringing products from engineering into production, working closely with internal teams and specialist manufacturing partners. The role offers variety, responsibility and the opportunity to contribute directly to improved products, processes and supplier performance.

Practical information

• Reports to: Operations Director
• Location: Nieuwegein, the Netherlands
• Travel: regular travel to production facilities within and outside Europe, expected up to 25% of the time
• This is a position for 32-40 hours a week.