Role: Part Development Manager ME - Special Processes

Location: Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar - Aurangabad

Reporting to: Lead - Coating Technology ME - Special Processes

Team Name: Manufacturing Engineering

About the Team and the Role:

As a Part Development Manager ME for Paint Shop & PTCED, you will be the technical pivot point between Ather’s design labs, greenfield plant execution teams, and equipment suppliers. You aren't just overseeing installation; you are the architect of the surface treatment and coating processes. You will own the end-to-end greenfield setup—from layout reviews, equipment installation, utility readiness, commissioning, and trials to ramp-up and final handover.

From driving equipment erection and balancing to ensuring the 4Ms (Man, Machine, Material, Method) are flawlessly executed across paint booths, PTCED tanks, and Paint kitchens, you will be responsible for the physical integrity and aesthetic perfection of Ather’s vehicles. This role demands a technical grasp of greenfield project execution, paint automation, chemistry optimization, and quality standardizations (PPAP, APQP, PFMEA). You will be the technical SPOC for internal teams and vendors, ensuring that the "Ather Standard" is upheld from the first dry run to full-scale mass production.

Responsibilities:

Greenfield Execution & Design Review: Validate plant layouts, GA drawings, P&IDs, and piping designs to lead site erection, equipment alignment, grouting, cabling, dry/wet trials, booth balancing, and oven profiling.
Robotic Paint & PTCED Systems Integration: Drive the installation, commissioning, and conveyor integration of robotic paint booths, atomizers, paint kitchens, pretreatment/CED tanks, UF/anolyte systems, rectifiers, and chemical dosing systems.
Coating Development & Performance Testing: Lead paint and powder color development, coating system selection, and rigorous quality testing including DFT, adhesion, salt spray, humidity, stone chip, impact, bend, and oven profile validation.
Defect Troubleshooting & NPI Quality Control: Diagnose surface defects like orange peel, craters, sagging, dust, pinholes, and color mismatch using APQP, PPAP, PFMEA, Control Plans, 8D, and 5-Why root cause analysis to stabilize production.
Coordinate cross-functionally with robot suppliers, equipment vendors, civil, utilities, ETP, safety, production, quality, design, and purchase teams.
Ensure strict compliance with paint shop safety, chemical handling, fire protection, explosion-proof standards, MSDS, and environmental norms while maintaining complete project documentation.

Experience and Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Chemical, Mechanical, Electrical, Automobile, Production, or Industrial Engineering) with 12 to 18 years of working experience in automotive, EV, two-wheeler, commercial vehicle, or auto components industries.

Must have Competencies:

Strong hands-on experience in greenfield setup, installation, and commissioning of robotic paint shops and PTCED systems.
Expert command of paint booths, paint robots, atomizers, bell cups, paint kitchens, paint circulation, color change systems, ASU/exhaust units, and conveyor interfaces.
Technical mastery over pretreatment tanks, CED tanks, UF/anolyte systems, rectifiers, chemical dosing, filtration, pumps, piping layouts, and curing ovens.
Ability to review and validate plant layouts, process flows, GA drawings, P&IDs, utility drawings, foundation drawings, piping layouts, and automation interface drawings.
Deep knowledge of paint and powder development, including coating system selection, color, gloss, texture, DFT, adhesion, durability, and corrosion performance.
Hands-on expertise in troubleshooting paint defects (dust, sagging, orange peel, craters, dry spray, color mismatch, poor coverage, pinholes, roughness, poor throw power, poor adhesion).
Proficiency in paint and powder testing protocols (DFT, adhesion, impact, bend, salt spray, humidity, stone chip, color matching, oven profile validation).
Proven experience in New Product Introduction (NPI), supplier process development, project management, and process stabilization.
First principles understanding of manufacturing processes, chemical handling safety, explosion-proof standards, fire protection, and environmental norms.
Demonstrated ability to manage cross-functional teams, external vendors, suppliers, and civil/utility contractors.

Good to have Competencies:

Familiarity with energy optimization and sustainability practices in automotive paint shops.
APQP, PPAP, PFMEA, Control Plans, 8D, and 5-Why Analysis.

Want to know more?

At Ather, we've built India's first intelligent scooter, from scratch. Based on the philosophy of clean design and smart technology, we are transforming the urban commute experience. We are expanding in India, and in the coming years, we look forward to scaling up and launching more products globally. Today, our product offerings include the Ather 450X, 450S, 450 Apex, Rizta and Konarc. Beyond the product, we are also setting up an extensive charging network and re-imagining end-to-end ownership experience. To know more, check out our Careers site and our Substack.

Be You, With Us.

The Ather story doesn't write itself - our people do. We believe everyone is equal, but not the same. Diversity is our strength, and building an inclusive and equitable workplace begins with acknowledging and embracing our differences. We are an equal opportunity employer, and our team reflects a wide range of identities, experiences, and perspectives - all united by a shared passion to shape the Ather journey.