Engineering Design Assurance Manager

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Engineering Design Assurance Manager – Plymouth, MN - Hybrid

Daikin Applied is seeking an Engineering Design Assurance Manager who will lead the Design Assurance (DA) function to ensure product quality is designed into products from concept through launch. The Manager will own design risk identification, assessment, and reduction by driving requirements quality, design robustness, validation effectiveness, and readiness for manufacturing. They will act as an embedded engineering partner to influence design decisions and ensure products meet performance, reliability, and compliance expectations at launch—not by inspection, but by shaping the design itself.

Come be a part of an exciting journey at Daikin Applied, where innovation and excellence drive our every endeavor!

Location: Hybrid - Plymouth, MN

Your Responsibilities:

Compliance (Gate Discipline) – Enable Quality Decisions

• Drive execution of NPI gate processes (DDR, ORR, BCRR) to ensure decisions are based on objective evidence
• Ensure deliverables are complete, accurate, and reflect true risk status—not checklist compliance
• Surface risks, gaps, and mitigation plans to support informed go/no-go decisions
• Act as a decision support partner for quality readiness, not a downstream gate inspector

Requirements Quality (Upstream Alignment) – Own “What Good Looks Like”

• Own requirements quality across programs, ensuring clarity, completeness, testability, and traceability
• Establish and enforce linkage between customer needs, system requirements, and engineering specifications
• Implement closed-loop feedback mechanisms (e.g., HQR) from validation, manufacturing, and field performance into requirements
• Ensure requirements are fully integrated into DFMEA and validation planning

Design Robustness (Engineering Design Quality) – Own Design Risk

• Own DFMEA quality, completeness, and effectiveness across all programs
• Ensure system understanding through boundary diagrams, interface analysis, and functional composition
• Lead identification, prioritization, and mitigation of design risks before design freeze
• Challenge assumptions, failure modes, and engineering trade-offs to improve robustness
• Drive use of modeling, simulation, and analytical methods to reduce risk early in development

Validation Effectiveness (Prove It Works) – Own Evidence of Performance

• Own validation strategy and ensure alignment to requirements and identified risks
• Ensure DVP&R provides adequate coverage of critical requirements, use conditions, and failure modes
• Evaluate validation results to confirm product performance, reliability, and safety
• Drive closure of validation gaps prior to key decision points
• Ensure validation demonstrates real-world use conditions, not just lab compliance

Manufacturing Readiness (Execution Risk) – Ensure Design Transfers Cleanly

• Ensure alignment between design intent and manufacturing controls (PFMEA, Control Plans)
• Partner with Operations and Quality to confirm critical risks are mitigated prior to launch
• Support pilot builds, ECS/MCS, and Safe Launch activities to validate production readiness
• Ensure learning from manufacturing and field issues is driven back into design and requirements

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Embed within engineering teams to influence design decisions from concept through launch
• Partner with Product Management, Operations, Supply Chain, and Quality to align on risk and performance expectations
• Drive accountability for design quality across teams—not centralized within Design Assurance
• Lead structured, risk-based discussions in design and readiness reviews

Metrics & Continuous Improvement

• Define and manage leading indicators tied to:
  • Requirements quality
  • DFMEA effectiveness (risk identification and closure)
  • Validation coverage and gap closure
  • Launch readiness risk
• Use data to proactively identify design risks and drive early corrective actions
• Continuously improve Design Assurance methods, tools, and integration into NPI processes

Your Qualifications:

• Bachelor’ s Degree in Engineering, or a related technical discipline
• 6+ years of experience in product development, design engineering, or design assurance roles
• 4+ years leading teams or enterprise-level initiatives
• Design & Risk Ownership
  • Deep expertise in DFMEA, system-level risk analysis, and failure mode identification
  • Ability to drive risk-based decision-making and ensure risks are actively reduced—not just documented
  • Strong understanding of system architecture, interfaces, and failure mechanisms
• Requirements & Systems Thinking
  • Expertise in requirements definition, decomposition, and traceability (customer → system → component → validation)
  • Ability to assess requirements for clarity, completeness, and testability
  • Experience implementing closed-loop learning systems (e.g., HQR, field feedback into requirements)
• Validation & Verification Rigor
  • Deep knowledge of validation strategy development and DVP&R construction
  • Ability to assess test coverage relative to requirements and identified risks
  • Experience evaluating validation results against real-world use conditions
  • Strong understanding of verification vs. validation and their role in design assurance
• Engineering Influence & Decision-Making
  • Demonstrated ability to challenge engineering assumptions and influence design trade-offs
  • Skilled in facilitating risk-based design discussions and driving accountability
  • Ability to operate as a peer to engineering leaders—not an external auditor
• Manufacturing & Product Realization
  • Working knowledge of PFMEA, control plans, and production risk mitigation
  • Understanding of how design decisions impact manufacturability, variability, and field performance
  • Ability to bridge design intent into production execution
• Data & Analytical Capability
  • Strong analytical skills to interpret data, identify patterns, and drive proactive risk reduction
  • Experience defining and using leading indicators tied to design quality and program risk
  • Ability to translate technical risk into clear, actionable insights for leadership
• Quality Systems & Standards
  • Strong knowledge of design control frameworks and quality systems (e.g., ISO 9001, ASHRAE, UL, ASME)
  • Understanding of how regulatory and compliance requirements translate into design constraints
• Leadership & Change Management
  • Proven ability to drive cultural change toward designing in quality vs. inspecting it
  • Strong cross-functional leadership and influence skills in a matrixed organization
  • Ability to scale consistent Design Assurance practices across multiple programs

Your Benefits:

Daikin Applied offers the following benefits for this position, subject to applicable eligibility requirements: 

• Multiple medical insurance plan options + dental and vision insurance  
• 401K retirement plan with employer match
• Paid time off and company paid holidays
• Paid sick time in accordance with the federal, state and local law
• Tuition Reimbursement after 6 months of continuous service 

Work visa sponsorship is not available for this position

The typical annual base salary for this position ranges from $100,800 - $171,700 plus a 15% bonus in Minnesota.  The range displayed represents the pay range for all positions in the job grade which these positions fall. Individual base pay will depend on a wide range of factors including your skills, qualifications, experience, and location.

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If you're looking for an engaging career with growth opportunities in a supportive environment, you'll love a career at Daikin Applied!