Job Description
Innovation Project Engineer - Product
Division:  FCM DIV NORTH AMERICA
Contract Type: 
Job Location:  COLUMBUS R&D
Job Description: 

Forvia, a sustainable mobility technology leader

We pioneer technology for mobility experience that matter to people.

Your mission, roles and responsibilities

The Innovation Project Engineer – Product leads end-to-end technical development of innovation projects, translating product strategy and market insights into feasible, high-quality industrial solutions. Partnering closely with Product Line Manger and Innovation Project Engineer - Process, the role drives development from concept through pre-development and acquisition readiness while managing risk, enabling technology transfer, and ensuring alignment with business, cost, timing, and quality targets for successful downstream customer programs. 

Main Missions of the Role

Innovation Project Planning & Technical Execution

  • Plan and execute technical development for innovation projects, translating Product Line strategy into structured, executable engineering work plans.
  • Lead hands‑on engineering execution from concept through pre‑development and acquisition readiness.
  • Maintain ownership of engineering scope, deliverables, and technical progression across innovation projects.

Science‑Based Engineering & Design Maturation

  • Own the technical definition and maturation of innovation solutions using science‑based methods, including analysis, simulation, experimentation, and data‑driven design decisions.
  • Lead design development, iteration, and convergence to meet functional, durability, and performance requirements.
  • Use test results, measured data, and engineering fundamentals to guide technical trade‑offs and decision‑making.

Technical Risk & Validation Management

  • Identify, assess, and mitigate technical risk through application of DFMEA.
  • Define and execute prototype builds, testing, and validation activities to confirm assumptions and reduce uncertainty.
  • Ensure innovation solutions reach an appropriate level of technical maturity and robustness prior to targeting acquisitions or program application.

Manufacturability & Industrial Feasibility

  • Design innovation solutions with strong, efficient manufacturing methods in mind, incorporating process capability, scalability, material selection, and cost drivers early in development.
  • Collaborate with manufacturing and process experts to ensure designs are industrially feasible and suitable for high‑volume, repeatable production.
  • Ensure innovation outcomes balance technical performance with manufacturability, cost, and operational efficiency.

Cross‑Functional Collaboration & Technology Transfer

  • Partner with the Product Line Manager to align technical execution with product strategy and innovation priorities, while retaining ownership of technical planning and execution.
  • Act as the technical execution lead within cross‑functional innovation teams, supporting reviews, alignment, and decision‑making.
  • Deliver technically mature, well‑documented solutions to enable effective transfer into acquisition and downstream customer programs.

 

Your profile and competencies to succeed

The ideal candidate will have/be:

  • Minimum of a Bachelor of Science Degree in Engineering
  • Minimum 5 years in a commercial or light vehicle product development or project management role
  • Minimum 3 years in a customer facing role as program manager or commercial/sales experience
  • Lead cross-functional teams in a highly collaborative environment
  • Knowledge of manufacturing and assembly processes
  • Knowledge of product development processes
  • Working Knowledge of marketing, costing, and sales
  • Strong written and oral communication skills
  • Project Management Skills
  • Results oriented & customer focused
  • Teamwork & collaboration
  • Strong business acumen

What we can do for you

  • At Forvia, you will find an engaging and dynamic environment where you can contribute to the development of sustainable mobility leading technologies.  
  • We are the seventh-largest global automotive supplier, employing more than 157,000 people in more than 40 countries which makes a lot of opportunity for career development. 
  • We welcome energetic and agile people who can thrive in a fast-changing environment. People who share our strong values. Team players with a collaborative mindset and a passion to deliver high standards for our clients. Lifelong learners. High performers. Globally minded people who aspire to work in a transforming industry, where excellence, speed, and quality count. 
  • We cultivate a learning environment, dedicating tools and resources to ensure we remain at the forefront of mobility.  Our people enjoy an average of more than 22 hours of online and in-person training within FORVIA University (five campuses around the world) 
  • We offer a multicultural environment that values diversity and international collaboration. We believe that diversity is a strength. To create an inclusive culture where all forms of diversity create real value for the company, we have adopted gender diversity targets and inclusion action plans. 
  • Achieving CO2 Net Zero as a pioneer of the automotive industry is a priority: In June 2022, Forvia became the first global automotive group to be certified with the new SBTI Net-Zero Standard (the most ambitious standard of SBTi), aligned with the ambition of the 2015 Paris Agreement of limiting global warming to 1.5°C. Three principles guide our action: use less, use better and use longer, with a focus on recyclability and circular economy. 

Why join us

FORVIA is an automotive technology group at the heart of smarter and more sustainable mobility. We bring together expertise in electronics, clean mobility, lighting, interiors, seating, and lifecycle solutions to drive change in the automotive industry.

With a history stretching back more than a century, we are the 7th largest global automotive supplier, employing more than 157,000 people in 43 countries. You'll find our technology in around 1 out of 2 vehicles produced anywhere in the world.

In June 2022, we became the 1st global automotive group to be certified with the SBTI Net-Zero Standard. We have committed to reach CO2 Net Zero by no later than 2045.

As technological innovation and the need for sustainability transform the automotive industry, we are ideally positioned to deliver solutions that will enhance the lives of road-users everywhere.