Senior Program Manager - IM

In billions of syringes and in every second car worldwide, Datwyler components make an important contribution to the safety of patients and drivers. The high-tech company focuses on high-quality, system-critical elastomer components and holds leading positions in attractive global markets such as healthcare, mobility, connectivity, general industry and food & beverage. With over 25 production sites on four continents, sales in more than 100 countries and over 8,000 employees, the company, headquartered in Switzerland, generates annual sales of more than CHF 1,000 million.

Our employees are the heart of Datwyler - we treat each other with respect, trust and appreciation. We have strong roots and values that have been well established in our 100-year corporate history. Become part of our great team as a...

Senior Program Manager – Injection Molding

Goal

With focus on Injection Molding, Responsible for leading the end-to-end project management lifecycle of automotive rubber sealing components – from customer requirements analysis, design development, prototyping, testing validation, production readiness to mass production delivery. Ensures projects meet customer requirements and comply with IATF 16949/industry-specific standards within Quality (Q), Cost (C), and Delivery (D) targets.

Serves as the critical link between cross-functional teams (engineering, production in China, R&D) and stakeholders to drive innovation in injection-molded rubber sealing solutions, particularly for evolving automotive needs (e.g., EV battery seals, high-temperature underhood applications).

Key Responsibilities

1. End-to-End Project Management: Lead master project planning (APQP milestones), control critical phases (design freeze, tooling kickoff, PPAP submission), and ensure alignment with customer timelines (e.g., OEM launch schedules for new vehicle platforms) and production in China.
2. Cross-Functional Leadership: Mobilize and drive core teams (tooling design, process development, prototyping, quality) in China to resolve technical conflicts (e.g., mold flow vs. sealing performance trade-offs); host weekly project reviews to track progress and escalate bottlenecks.
3. Technical Oversight of Injection Molding: Collaborate with process development teams in China to define injection molding parameters (temperature, pressure, cycle time) aligned with rubber material properties (e.g., EPDM shrinkage rates); provide feedback to concept and tooling design teams to optimize mold geometry for sealing functionality.
4. Risk Management & Problem Solving: Proactively identify industry-specific risks (e.g., material batch variations affecting seal compression set, mold wear impacting dimensional precision) and mitigate using 8D/FMEA/5Why methodologies; lead root-cause analysis for field failures (e.g., leakages) and implement corrective actions.
5. Customer & Supply Chain Coordination: Serve as primary interface for customers, managing engineering change requests (ECR) related to sealing performance (e.g., contact pressure adjustments); collaborate with purchasing to qualify critical suppliers in China (e.g., mold makers, rubber compound suppliers) and ensure supply chain resilience for high-precision components.
6. Quality & Compliance Assurance: Ensure project execution complies with IATF 16949, OEM standards (e.g., Toyota TSM, Ford WSS), and sealing-specific regulations (e.g., REACH for material safety); review DFMEA/PFMEA for sealing risks (e.g., assembly misalignment) and validate control plans/PPAP documentation for production in China.
7. Knowledge Transfer & Innovation: Lead project retrospectives (Lessons Learned) to update knowledge repositories on injection-molded sealing best practices in China; drive adoption of new technologies (e.g., 3D-printed prototype molds, AI-driven process simulation) to reduce development cycles for complex seals.
8. Prototyping & Production Handover: Coordinate with prototyping teams in China to validate injection-molded samples against sealing requirements (e.g., leak testing, NVH performance); ensure smooth handover to operations with complete process documents, BOMs, and inspection standards for mass production.

Profile

• Bachelor's degree in Polymer Materials, Mechanical Engineering, Automotive Engineering, Project Management, or related field.
• 5+ years in automotive component project management, with ≥3 years focused on Injection Molding.
• Full lifecycle leadership of ≥2 sealing projects from RFQ to SOP.
• English capable of daily verbal and written work is a MUST.
• Mastery of Injection Molding (design of concept, tooling and process).
• Deep knowledge of EPDM material properties, sealing design principles (contact pressure/NVH control).
• Proficient in APQP/PPAP/FMEA and OEM standards (e.g., Toyota TSM, Ford WSS).

Be yourself at Datwyler

We are convinced that people make the difference. At Datwyler, you will experience diversity and a wide range of career opportunities that only an international company can provide. Together, we are increasing our agility, accelerating digitalization and fostering sustainability. For motivated and talented employees, we offer interesting development opportunities with training and assignments in a global environment. With us, you can contribute with all of your creativity and all your ideas.

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