Assistant Manager, Sales Engineering

Yamaha Fine Technologies is an automotive supplier manufacturing real material interior trims for the automotive sector. The team located in the U.S. works with internal & external stakeholders for developing interior trims and creating value by managing customers’ relationships in North America.

Purpose of Role

Provide effective technical and design proposals to improve customer satisfaction and win new programs and new business. This is a remote position based in Detroit, MI.

Key Accountabilities Include

Lead sales engineering activities to ensure accurate, timely, and high‑quality technical support to customers across multiple programs.

Ensure customer requirements are fully understood and translated into feasible designs

Manage product development timelines and technical deliverables

Drive effective technical communication with customers and internal stakeholders

Ensure material and validation compliance to support production readiness

Support customer satisfaction through quality and issue resolution

Contribute to technology development, team capability, and continuous improvement

Primary Responsibilities Include

Manage multiple program timelines, ensuring on‑time customer approvals for tools, designs, prototypes, and validation milestones.

Work closely with customers, Japan team, production, materials, and quality teams to ensure clear understanding of requirements and feasible, manufacturable solutions.

Provide technical input, feasibility assessment, and solution development to support new customer opportunities and future programs.

Prepare and manage quality deliverables (PPAP, APQP, AAR, FTN) and support investigation and resolution of quality events with customers and internal teams.

Support benchmarking of competitor technologies and communicate emerging engineering concepts and capabilities to customers and YCJ.

Serve as a subject‑matter expert in manufacturing processes, materials, and design principles, while training and mentoring junior sales engineers.

Core Functional Competencies

Project Integration: Ensure that all of a project's work elements are coordinated, including project planning and execution processes

Project Management: Plans, organizes, and manages tasks and resources to bring about successful completion of a specific project.

Quality Control: Maintain curriculum and instruction quality standards

Consultative Sales Skills: Ability to alleviate channel partner's pain points and recommend products and services that meet channel partners' needs

Customer/Dealer Problem Resolution: Gather and analyze information to understand root causes of issues and determine appropriate solutions

Technical Product Acumen: Demonstrate in-depth knowledge of Yamaha's products and services

Core Behavioral Competencies

Yamaha Way (Will, Integrity, Initiative, Challenge, Commitment)

Customer Focus

Instills Trust

Drives Results

Manages Conflict

Develops Talent

Ensures Accountability

Qualifications

Ideal

Strong technical background in product design, manufacturing processes, and feasibility analysis

Proven ability to coordinate cross‑functional teams across engineering, production, quality, and materials

Experience managing multiple programs, timelines, and customer deliverables simultaneously

Effective communication and negotiation skills with customers, suppliers, and stakeholders

Travel up to 50%, including international travel

Preferred

Experience providing technical leadership or mentoring within an engineering team

Experience in the automotive industry, particularly supporting OEM customers

Knowledge of plastic injection molding and related manufacturing processes

Background working with multi-region teams, international customers, or programs involving cross-border engineering collaboration

Familiarity with automotive product launch and quality processes (e.g., APQP, PPAP, DV/PV)

Demonstrated ability to support customer‑facing engineering discussions and negotiations

Live in the Detroit metropolitan area

Here’s What We’ll Bring

Comprehensive benefits package including Medical, Vision, Dental, LTD, Life-Insurance and 401k with match AND automatic contributions

Performance based bonus program

Robust employee wellness programs including free music lessons

Generous Wellness reimbursement program

Tobacco cessation reward program

Private concerts from award winning artists

Discounted hotel, travel, entertainment, and other attractions

Employee product purchase program

Casual dress

Vacation, sick-time and personal floating holidays

Monthly events, for example -- Bring Your Dog to Work Day, Employee Singing Competitions, Spirit Week and other fun events

Inclusive and passionate culture

We foster a culture in which everyone feels welcomed, included, and valued; and recognize that diversity contributes to the success of Yamaha