New Product Quality Specialist - Mechanical

You’ll be working with the New Product Quality team at Exponent Energy

What you will do:

We are seeking an experienced New Product Quality Specialist - Mechanical to lead quality assurance activities for new product development in electric vehicle systems, including battery packs, charging systems, and vehicle components. This role will ensure mechanical design integrity, manufacturing feasibility, and compliance with automotive quality standards throughout the product development lifecycle.

Responsibilities

Product Development Quality

• Lead APQP (Advanced Product Quality Planning) activities for new mechanical components and systems including battery enclosures, thermal management systems, and structural components
• Conduct design reviews (DFM/DFA) to ensure manufacturability, assembly feasibility, and quality requirements are met
• Develop and execute DVP&R (Design Verification Plan & Report) for mechanical systems
• Coordinate PPAP (Production Part Approval Process) submissions and ensure supplier readiness

Standards and Compliance

• Ensure compliance with automotive standards including IATF 16949, AIS 038, AIS 156, ISO 21782-6, and IS 17017
• Implement quality requirements for battery pack mechanical design, including vibration, shock, and crash safety specifications
• Verify adherence to dimensional tolerancing (GD&T), material specifications, and surface finish requirements

Failure Analysis and Prevention

• Lead root cause analysis (8D, 5-Why, Fishbone) for mechanical failures during development and validation phases
• Implement FMEA (Failure Mode and Effects Analysis) for mechanical systems and drive risk mitigation actions
• Monitor and analyze field failure data to implement design improvements

Testing and Validation

• Define quality checkpoints and acceptance criteria for mechanical validation testing
• Coordinate environmental, durability, and performance testing of battery enclosures, cooling systems, and vehicle structures
• Review test reports and ensure closure of non-conformances before production release

Cross-functional Collaboration

• Interface with design, manufacturing, and validation teams to resolve quality issues
• Support EBOM to MBOM conversion with quality considerations

The ideal candidate requires:

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or equivalent
• Master's degree preferred

Experience

• 8-10 years of experience in automotive quality, with at least 5 years in new product development
• Hands-on experience with EV battery systems, power electronics, or automotive structural components
• Proven track record of managing APQP/PPAP processes from concept to production

Technical Skills

• Strong understanding of mechanical design principles, materials (CRCA, HSLA, aluminum alloys), and manufacturing processes (stamping, welding, machining, die-casting)
• Proficiency in GD&T interpretation and tolerance analysis
• Experience with quality tools: FMEA, Control Plans, MSA, SPC, 8D problem solving
• Knowledge of battery pack mechanical design requirements including thermal management, sealing, and structural integrity

Standards Knowledge

• Working knowledge of IATF 16949, ISO 9001, and Indian automotive standards (AIS series)
• Understanding of battery safety standards and testing requirements
• Knowledge of automotive testing standards for environmental and durability validation

What matters

• High ownership of work. 
• Quality of work
• Approach towards problem-solving
• Dissatisfaction towards mediocre work
• Resilient attitude to bounce back after failing
• Ideal experience range of 4 to 8 years of relevant experience

About Us

Exponent simplifies energy for EVs.

Co-founded by Arun Vinayak (Ather Energy's Founding Partner & Former Chief Product Officer) and Sanjay Byalal (Former hardware strategic sourcing and cell strategy lead, Ather and Former Supply Chain Lead, HUL), Exponent focuses on solving two sides of the energy problem by building the e^pump (charging station) and e^pack (battery pack) which together unlock 15-min rapid charging.

The 200+ strong team of passionate builders have a ton of EV experience and are currently looking for more builders to join one of the best EV teams in India to build & scale Exponent.