DFMA Production Engineer / Project Manager
Guide innovative products from design to series production, as the link between designers, clients and manufacturers.
Are you interested in realising innovative, high quality products for a wide range of industries? Production Heroes is looking for a Production Engineer with at least 3 years of relevant experience, preferably in DFMA, manufacturing techniques and industrialisation, to strengthen our team.
As a DFMA Production Engineer / Project Manager you guide highly varied projects and product innovations from design to production. You support your clients' design teams on everything from supply chain and sourcing to DFMA, material choices and the full route towards production tooling and assemblies. You also think along proactively about product optimisations and opportunities to extend brands and collections.
In this role you are the link between designers, clients and manufacturers. You make sure the industrialisation of new products runs smoothly while keeping continuous oversight of quality, feasibility, cost and planning. You are also responsible for drawing up and following up quotations, both for new requests and for existing projects such as repeat orders of parts, and for recording requests, quotes and client contacts carefully in our CRM. You work with our extensive worldwide network of validated production partners. And because every project is bespoke, you regularly go looking for new manufacturers, materials, components and production options.
What you will do
- Project management around starting up and facilitating series production at our partner factories: coordinating communication, planning and progress between clients, manufacturers and suppliers.
- Mapping out client wishes, technical requirements, quality standards, certifications, cost and planning.
- Advising on suitable manufacturing techniques, materials, finishes and suppliers.
- Requesting, assessing and drawing up production quotations, and safeguarding commercial agreements and margins.
- Sourcing suitable manufacturers, suppliers, materials and components inside and outside our existing production network.
- Providing DFMA input and, where needed, optimising CAD models and technical production documentation.
- Guiding tooling and mould trajectories, samples and pilot runs towards series production.
- Assessing and validating samples and production parts, and drawing up quality control documentation.
- Spotting and solving risks around quality, budget, lead time and production progress.
- Visiting clients and production partners, in the Netherlands and internationally when a project calls for it.
- Carefully recording and following up leads, quotes, projects, appointments and communication in the CRM system.
What we ask
- Preferably a degree in industrial design, mechanical engineering or industrial engineering & management at HBO or WO level.
- At least 3 years of relevant experience in a manufacturing environment, preferably as an industrial designer or DFMA / NPD engineer.
- Familiarity with the possibilities, pitfalls and challenges of both the design and the production process (injection moulding, extrusion, rotational moulding, blow moulding, thermoforming, and more).
- Extensive experience with SolidWorks or a comparable 3D CAD package.
- Experienced in reading and creating technical drawings, including dimensioning, tolerances, material choices and finishes.
- Extensive experience with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel).
- Experience with ERP/CRM systems (Zoho is a plus).
- Experience with process automation and applying AI in day to day work (Claude is a plus).
- You speak fluent Dutch and are strong in English, spoken and written.
Who you are
- You work accurately and in a structured way, communicate well and switch easily between tasks.
- You are good at building and maintaining relationships with partners and clients.
- Critical, and able to make decisions in the interest of all stakeholders.
- You know the industrialisation process and act in time when things threaten to run differently than expected.
- You are strong in managing client expectations and can deliver difficult or disappointing messages professionally and constructively.
- You handle time pressure from clients well.
- You are good at multitasking and keep the overview, because there are always several projects running at once.
What we offer
- An informal, fast growing organisation with a professional atmosphere and an open culture.
- A beautiful office in a 1920s former school building in Breda, with a generous garden for lunch outside in summer.
- Creative, easygoing colleagues who are all closely involved in the company, with plenty of room to bring in your own ideas.
- No two days the same, so the work never gets boring and you learn a great deal.
- A good salary, solid secondary benefits and profit sharing.
- At least two team outings a year, monthly knowledge sessions, and a foosball table that sees a lot of action during breaks and after work.