Engineering Customer Leader
Forvia · Lyon · €50–€60/hr (stated in the posting)
Forvia, a sustainable mobility technology leader
We pioneer technology for mobility experience that matter to people.
At MATERI'ACT, a FORVIA division, we're driving the future of sustainable mobility. As a leading provider of sustainable materials, we play a key role in delivering FORVIA's CO₂ reduction roadmap in line with the Paris Agreement.
Joining our team means working at the forefront of innovation, where clean technologies and next-generation materials come together to shape the vehicles of tomorrow. Collaborate with the world's leading automotive brands and make a real impact on the future of mobility.
Your mission, roles and responsibilities
In close collaboration with Sales Leaders, the Engineering Customer Leader acts as the technical interface between Materi’Act and OEM/final customers.
He/She ensures technical alignment, drives customer satisfaction, and supports the deployment of compound materials on projects worldwide.
This role bridges customer expectations and internal capabilities to ensure technical excellence, innovation, and flawless industrial implementation.
The main missions of the role are:
Lead Technical Deployment on Customer Projects
- Ensure consistent technical decision and orientation to provide best technical, timing, quality.
- Organize & pilot tryouts to assess & validate compounds (injection process, part & system), reports conclusion and action plan.
- Provide all necessary technical support to target non-event launch material deployment at customer.
Provide and Develop Technical Support
- Provide Technical support internally (Engineering, Marketing, Sales…) & externally (partners and customers)
- Provide guidance on technical specification & expectation of customers to internal department (Marketing, Sales, Engineering etc)
- Work in close collaboration with Sales and Product, Marketing & Strategy department etc
- Support peers: share best practices in the technical field of specialty, share technical & scientifical know-how, propose material solution.
- Participate or pilot technical review linked to customer and internally
- Participates in the construction and update of communication tools (internal & external)
- Participate to define target, budget and timing for system validation plan according to acquisition radar.
Support Market Development
- Act as the technical ambassador of Materi’Act at the customer and represent the customer’s technical voice internally.
- Be the key technical contact for OEMs and customers, creating strong relationships and technical intimacy.
- Support the Product Marketing & Strategy (PMS) team in identifying and assessing new opportunities through customer need analysis and feedback.
- Provide customer insights to enrich product roadmaps, technological intelligence, and competition analysis (lead by PMS).
- Lead and manage Material registrations at customer (planning, budget, deliverables) according to acquisition radar & Order In Take priorities defined by Sales Team.
- Lead technical support for all commercial targets led by sales (including serial switchs and new acquisitions).
- Propose and implement materials according to OEM and customer specifications.
Develop People and Materi’Act Knowledge
- Train internal teams and customers on compound materials, processes, and standards.
- Develop and deploy technical guidelines and best practices.
- Participate and secure Intellectual Property
- Manage appropriate collaboration & clear communication in complex environment.
Your profile and competencies to succeed
The ideal candidate will have/ be:
- Master’s degree in Materials Science, Polymer Engineering, Chemistry, or Mechanical Engineering.
- Strong understanding of plastic compounds, formulation, and transformation processes (injection molding, extrusion).
- Familiarity with automotive industry standards, sustainability trends, and customer technical validation processes.
- Fluent in English (both written and spoken); additional languages are a plus.
Experience:
- 5+ years of experience in technical or engineering roles related to material development, validation, or customer application support.
- Proven experience in OEM technical interactions and customer project management within the automotive or chemical sectors.
- Experience in cross-functional collaboration with Sales, R&D, and Marketing teams across regions.
- Prior involvement in product validation, process industrialization, or compound deployment projects.
Skills and competencies:
- Technical Expertise: Deep knowledge of material behavior, processing, and validation methods.
- Customer Orientation: Ability to translate customer needs into clear technical actions and solutions.
- Analytical Thinking: Strong capacity to analyze technical performance, test results, and customer requirements.
- Collaboration & Influence: Able to work transversally with PMS, Sales, and Engineering teams across regions.
- Communication: Excellent presentation and technical communication skills, both internally and externally.
- Project Management: Skilled at managing priorities, budgets, and deadlines within a fast-paced industrial context.
- Adaptability & Agility: Comfortable operating in an evolving, multicultural, and matrix organization.
- Continuous Improvement: Driven by quality, efficiency, and innovation in material and process performance.
The Employee is aware and ensures the respect of the Internal Rules, Code of Ethics and Management Code applicable in the establishment to which she/he is assigned.
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.
Salary Range: EUR 50-60