Lead Engineer- Mechanical Design (Nirlep)

JOB PURPOSE

Lead Engineer – Product Development & Innovation will serve as the R&D Single Point of Contact (SPOC) for the Cookware and Pressure Cooker categories under the Nirlep brand. The individual will partner closely with Marketing, Materials Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, Manufacturing and OEM/ODM partners to identify product opportunities, define technical requirements, evaluate concepts, guide product development, drive validation and ensure successful commercialization of new products.

The role will own technical decision-making throughout the NPD lifecycle and provide engineering direction to OEM partners for achieving desired product performance, quality, reliability, cost and consumer experience targets. The individual will also be responsible for identifying emerging technologies, materials, coatings and claim opportunities that can create competitive differentiation for the Nirlep portfolio.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Technical Support in NPD planning

• Act as the primary R&D interface for Marketing for Cookware and Pressure Cooker categories.
• Translate consumer insights, category gaps and business requirements into technical product requirements.
• Support identification of new product opportunities, portfolio extensions and category adjacencies.
• Participate in product concept reviews and define target specifications, performance criteria and cost objectives.
• Provide technical recommendations to Marketing teams during product strategy and portfolio planning discussions.
• Support business case development through technical feasibility, risk and competitive assessments.

Technical Product Development

• Lead technical development of cookware and pressure cooker products through OEM and ODM partners.
• Define engineering requirements, CTQs (Critical to Quality characteristics) and performance targets.
• Provide technical guidance and development direction to OEM partners.
• Review and approve product concepts, specifications, engineering proposals, drawings and design changes submitted by OEMs.
• Challenge and improve OEM designs from perspectives of performance, reliability, manufacturability, safety, consumer experience and cost competitiveness.
• Ensure final products meet Nirlep brand standards and quality expectations.
• Support value engineering and cost optimization initiatives without compromising performance or quality.

OEM Partner evaluation

• Participate in CFT with OEM partner evaluation from perspective of CTQs. Raise necessary ref flags. Ensure strict compliances

Technology integration/Scouting, Materials Innovation integration & Claim Development and Cost Excellence

• Cocreate with Coe's on global trends in cookware and pressure cooker technologies, materials, coatings and consumer propositions.
• Partner with Materials Engineering, Advanced Development teams and technology partners to identify differentiated product opportunities.
• Benchmark leading domestic and global brands to identify innovation and cost opportunities and future product platforms.
• Develop and substantiate consumer-relevant claims related to performance, durability, safety and cooking experience.
• Recommend innovative claims in alignment with Nirlep brand strategy

Evaluate Validation Reports and Support till commercialization

• Review validation results, identify technical risks and drive corrective actions with OEM partners.
• Provide tech input in pilot production, manufacturing readiness and successful product commercialization.
• Ensure compliance with applicable safety, quality and regulatory requirements.

EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

• BE/B. Tech – Mechanical or relevant engineering discipline
• Preferred: Postgraduate qualification in Engineering or Management

WORK EXPERIENCE

• 10–15 years of experience in Product Development.

Mandatory experience in both:

• Cookware Industry
• Pressure Cooker Industry

CERTIFICATIONS

Six Sigma BB, AI generalist training will be added advantage

PREFERRED/ ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENT

Experience in new product development and lifecycle projects

INTERNAL / EXTERNAL INTERFACE

Internal: R&D, Manufacturing, Quality, Supply Chain, Finance/Commercial/Marketing

External: Suppliers (FG and Components), testing labs, prototype labs

FUNCTIONAL COMPETENCIES

Category & Product Expertise

• Strong understanding of cookware and pressure cooker product architectures.
• Knowledge of cookware materials, coatings and manufacturing processes.
• Strong understanding of consumer requirements, product performance and category trends.
• Product benchmarking and competitive analysis.

Product Development Excellence

• Consumer-led product development.
• NPD process management.
• Product specification development.
• Supplier technical development.
• Commercialization and industrialization.
• Design-to-Value and cost optimization.

Validation & Reliability Excellence

• Product validation planning.
• Reliability assessment.
• DFMEA and risk management.
• Root Cause Analysis.
• Statistical interpretation and data-driven decision making.
• Compliance and regulatory awareness.

Innovation & Technology Leadership

• Awareness of new tech trends and opportunities

BEHAVIORAL COMPETENCIES

• Think Beyond
• Put Customers first
• Collaborate to Win
• Develop Talent
• Be the Best
• Be Agile