Senior Lead Project Engineer

Staff Unlimited Recruitment; Gqeberha; On-site; ZAR 600,000 - 900,000; Full time

Job summary

Staff Unlimited Recruitment is seeking an experienced engineering professional to lead automotive projects through the full product lifecycle, from concept through SOP. You will drive technical decisions to satisfy customer requirements, quality standards, and programme timing, while coordinating across design, quality, production and supply chain teams.

The role includes acting as the primary technical interface for German OEMs and international teams, managing engineering documentation, and

Qualifications

• Experience leading automotive engineering projects across the product lifecycle.
• Ability to coordinate engineering activities across design, quality, production and supply chain.
• Experience with Engineering Change Requests (ECRs) and change control.

Responsibilities

• Lead engineering projects through all phases from concept to SOP.
• Drive technical decisions to meet customer requirements, quality standards and timing.
• Coordinate activities across design, quality, production and supply chain teams.
• Act as primary technical interface for German OEM customers and international teams.
• Prepare, review and maintain engineering documentation including specs, EC docs and BOMs.
• Support supplier validation and tooling qualifications for production.
• Lead production readiness activities for new vehicle programmes.

Job description

Key Accountabilities:

Project & Programme Management:

• Lead engineering projects through every phase of the product lifecycle, from concept development and feasibility studies through design validation to Start of Production (SOP).

• Drive technical decision-making to ensure projects are delivered within customer requirements, quality standards and programme timing.

• Coordinate engineering activities across design, quality, production and supply chain teams.

Engineering Change Control:

• Manage Engineering Change Requests (ECRs) throughout active production.

• Evaluate, approve and implement engineering changes while ensuring uninterrupted production and supply continuity.

• Maintain configuration control and engineering integrity throughout programme life.

Product & Process Engineering

• Develop and optimise painted exterior automotive components to meet stringent Class-A surface appearance and durability standards.

• Define paint application processes, tooling requirements and substrate specifications.

• Support continuous improvement initiatives aimed at improving product quality, manufacturing efficiency and cost performance.

Customer & Technical Interface

• Act as the primary technical representative for German OEM customers.

• Build strong relationships with international engineering teams while coordinating technical requirements with local manufacturing.

• Facilitate technical discussions, design reviews and engineering approvals across multiple stakeholders.

Documentation & Engineering Compliance

• Prepare, review and maintain all engineering documentation including:

  • Technical specifications

  • Engineering change documentation

  • Purchasing documentation

  • Bills of Materials (BOMs)

  • Parts lists

  • Technical delivery documentation

• Ensure full compliance with company quality, environmental and health and safety management systems.

Supplier Development

• Assess, audit and support Tier 2 and Tier 3 suppliers including tooling manufacturers, raw material suppliers and paint or chemical suppliers.

• Verify supplier capability against German OEM engineering, quality and cosmetic standards.

• Support procurement through technical supplier validation.

Innovation & Product Development

• Research new product concepts and manufacturing technologies.

• Conduct patent investigations and intellectual property reviews.

• Perform competitor benchmarking and tear-down analysis to identify opportunities for innovation, performance enhancement and cost reduction.

Production Launch Support

• Lead production readiness activities for new vehicle programmes.

• Ensure successful launch, production ramp-up and programme run-out with minimal disruption.