NPI Engineer: Launch & Scale Automotive Production

International; San Antonio (TX); On-site; USD 88,000 - 132,000; Full time

Job summary

International is seeking an NPI Engineer to bridge Product Engineering and Manufacturing at our San Antonio facility. You will develop production‑ready processes and layouts, lead readiness reviews, support pilot builds, and drive launch activities across assembly and fabrication operations.

You will provide technical leadership, mentor engineers, and coordinate tooling, documentation, and ERP/MES integration to ensure safe, efficient, and scalable production of new products.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related engineering discipline.
• Experience in manufacturing engineering, industrial engineering, NPI, MPI, or production launch support.
• Knowledge of automotive/heavy‑duty truck or high‑volume manufacturing environments.
• Strong experience supporting new product introductions, engineering changes, and production launches.
• Experience with assembly and fabrication manufacturing processes.
• Working knowledge of AutoCAD or other CAD software.
• Experience with ERP and MES systems.
• Knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, JIT, ergonomics, cycle time analysis, line balancing, and facility layout.
• Experience developing PFMEAs, process flows, standard work, and manufacturing documentation.
• Strong analytical, project management, problem‑solving, and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead New Product Introduction (NPI) and Manufacturing Product Introduction (MPI) activities for new vehicle programs, engineering changes, and manufacturing improvements.
• Evaluate manufacturing impacts and develop production‑ready processes, layouts, and work methods for assembly and fabrication operations.
• Lead manufacturing readiness reviews to ensure people, processes, tooling, equipment, and documentation are prepared for launch.
• Support pilot builds, manufacturing trials, production launches, and ramp‑up activities, identifying and resolving issues throughout the process.
• Develop and maintain manufacturing documentation, including process flows, PFMEAs, standard work instructions, SOPs, and process change documentation.
• Lead time studies, line balancing, labor analysis, capacity assessments, and labor standard development to support production planning.
• Identify and coordinate requirements for tooling, fixtures, gauges, equipment, and manufacturing infrastructure.
• Coordinate tooling and equipment installation, validation, and startup with internal teams and suppliers.
• Create and maintain manufacturing layouts using AutoCAD.
• Support MES and ERP integration for new products and manufacturing processes.
• Lead structured problem‑solving and root cause analysis to drive complex manufacturing issues to resolution.
• Analyze manufacturing performance and project data using tools such as Excel, Power BI, and Minitab.
• Coordinate supplier readiness and support equipment and tooling validation activities.
• Communicate project status, risks, and recovery plans to leadership.
• Drive Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, and continuous improvement initiatives while ensuring processes meet safety, quality, and operational requirements.
• Provide technical leadership, coaching, and guidance to engineers and cross‑functional teams during launch and problem‑solving activities.

Skills

Industrial Engineering

Manufacturing Engineering

NPI

MPI

Production launches

AutoCAD

ERP

MES

Lean Manufacturing

Six Sigma

JIT

Ergonomics

Cycle time analysis

Line balancing

PFMEAs

Process flows

Standard work

Manufacturing documentation

Education

Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related

Master's degree in related engineering discipline

Tools

AutoCAD

ERP

MES

Job description

International is seeking an NPI Engineer to bridge Product Engineering and Manufacturing at our San Antonio facility. You will develop production‑ready processes and layouts, lead readiness reviews, support pilot builds, and drive launch activities across assembly and fabrication operations.

You will provide technical leadership, mentor engineers, and coordinate tooling, documentation, and ERP/MES integration to ensure safe, efficient, and scalable production of new products.