Product Development Manager – Gaskets & Sealing Systems

Automotive R&D / Product Development Manager – Gaskets & Sealing Systems

Panchkula, Haryana, India | Full-Time | Onsite / Hybrid

End Client: Automotive Components Manufacturer

About the Role

Our client is looking for an experienced Automotive R&D / Product Development Manager to lead product design, engineering development, simulation, validation and commercialization activities for automotive sealing and thermal-management products.

The ideal candidate will have strong experience in automotive gasket and sealing products, particularly Cylinder Head Gaskets (CHG/MLS), secondary gaskets, rubber-metal components and heat shields. This role will combine hands-on engineering expertise with project leadership, customer interaction, supplier development and cross-functional coordination.

The successful candidate will work closely with OEM customers, manufacturing, quality, supply chain, suppliers and internal engineering teams to take products from concept and design through simulation, prototype development, validation and production.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end R&D and New Product Development (NPD) activities for automotive sealing and related products.
• Manage product development from requirement analysis, concept development, design, simulation and prototype builds through testing, validation and commercialization.
• Develop and review product designs for Cylinder Head Gaskets, MLS gaskets, secondary gaskets, rubber-metal components and heat shields.
• Lead engineering analysis using Finite Element Analysis (FEA), CAE and CFD to evaluate product performance, durability, sealing behavior, thermal performance and structural integrity.
• Use tools such as ABAQUS, ANSYS, HyperMesh, CATIA, TOSCA and Isight for product development and engineering analysis.
• Conduct product benchmarking, reverse engineering, design optimization and value engineering.
• Lead DFMEA, design reviews, engineering change management, root-cause analysis and issue resolution.
• Translate customer requirements and Voice of Customer into technical product specifications and development plans.
• Coordinate with OEM customers and internal teams on technical requirements, product modifications, validation and field-performance issues.
• Lead product validation activities, including physical testing, engine testing, endurance testing, thermal shock testing and correlation of simulation results with physical test data.
• Work closely with Manufacturing, Quality, Supply Chain and Sales/Operations to ensure successful product launch and ongoing customer support.
• Lead supplier development, supplier technical assessments and material/process improvement initiatives.
• Identify opportunities for cost reduction, weight reduction, yield improvement and manufacturing efficiency without compromising product performance.
• Manage project plans, milestones, risks, budgets and technical deliverables across multiple product-development programs.
• Provide technical leadership and mentoring to engineers working across design, CAE/FEA, validation and product development.
• Investigate field failures and customer quality issues and drive structured root-cause and corrective-action activities.
• Support localization, engineering changes and product industrialization activities.
• Prepare and present technical findings, project status, risks and recommendations to senior management and customers.

Required Skills / What You Bring

• 10+ years of experience in Automotive R&D, Product Development, Engineering Design or CAE/FEA.
• Strong experience with automotive sealing products / gaskets, preferably Cylinder Head Gaskets, MLS gaskets or related sealing systems.
• Strong understanding of product development from concept through validation and production.
• Hands-on experience with FEA / CAE and engineering simulation.
• Experience with ABAQUS and/or ANSYS.
• Working knowledge of CATIA, HyperMesh, TOSCA, Isight or similar engineering tools.
• Experience with DFMEA, APQP, validation, root-cause analysis and engineering change management.
• Experience working directly with OEM customers and automotive suppliers.
• Strong project and program management capabilities.
• Experience managing cross-functional engineering teams.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing, supplier development and quality processes.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving and technical communication skills.

Nice to Have

• Experience with rubber-metal components, NVH products or heat shields.
• Experience with CFD / fluid-flow analysis.
• Experience in design optimization and lightweighting.
• PMP or equivalent project-management certification.
• Experience with automotive electrification / EV technologies.
• Experience working with global OEM engineering teams.

Compensation

Compensation will be determined based on experience, qualifications, and other relevant factors.

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