Surface Material Specialist, CAB Living, Gothenburg

If you have an interest in the technical aspect of surfaces and surface materials this is the perfect position for you!

Position description
Are you passionate about materials, colours and surface quality? How to make hard requirements possible while giving the customer a strong first impression through nice-looking high-quality surfaces? The Volvo GTT, CAB Living team, is looking for a new employee in Surface Material team. Here you will work with all the visible surfaces of our Trucks. You will also have the chance to support our colleagues at Volvo Construction Equipment, Volvo Penta and Volvo Buses. 
Your future team
The Volvo GTT Surface Material team is a small group of five people within the Living team at Volvo GTT Cab Interior section. We are responsible for surface materials, including textiles, foils, nonwovens, and other materials, as well as surfaces such as plastic colors and grains, deco surfaces in paint, and other technologies. Our work are within, both the interior and exterior surfaces of trucks, collaborating closely with the Product Design team and other teams within Volvo for electronics, and chassis parts. The team is also responsible for the curtain system and seat upholsteries. The team not only work with Volvo Trucks but also support other Volvo branded products like excavators, wheel loaders, buses, and boat engines. The team has a strong and supportive spirit, helping each other to overcome obstacles. We work in an international environment with teams in India, France, and the USA. Our mission is to ensure that the surface materials and surfaces used in Volvo products are of the highest quality, focusing on user well-being, customer profitability, sustainability, and creating value for the Volvo Group. 

What you will do

You will lead the development of surface materials such as textiles, foils, nonwovens or leathers, ensuring Quality, Delivery, Cost, Features, and Sustainability (QDCFs) standards are met. The job also involve developing new colours and grains in plastics and other materials as well as deco materials such as paints and deco foils. You will develop the materials in collaboration with highly skilled suppliers and a supportive GTT team, in a deeply integrated collaboration with Product Design. Your main responsibilities will include:

•    Setting requirements and evaluating supplier work.
•    Managing the project timeline, changes, and cost evolution.
•    Acting as the primary technical contact for suppliers and leading their technical development efforts.
•    Communicating progress to various internal stakeholders, including lead engineers on several teams, product design, and purchasing.
•    Evaluating samples, including color and grain measurements.



Who you are
You have a strong background in developing surface materials, and you have worked with different materials and technologies. You have experience in setting requirements for surface materials and have led complex designs with multiple interfaces and stakeholders. You are confident in your knowledge, pragmatic in finding solutions, and skilled at balancing various demands. You have a documented proof of color vision and confidence in judging color, gloss, and surface finishes. You have experience transferring what you see into words, explaining what needs to change and how, to meet the requirements. Effective communication with internal and external stakeholders is second nature to you. You can maintain focus on objectives even under pressure, and you excel at explaining recommendations clearly. As a team player, you understand the importance of a committed timeline and your role in ensuring success.

Experience we seek:
•    M.Sc. or B.Sc. degree in textile engineering, technical design or equivalent knowledge gathered in other positions/degrees.
•    Minimum 10 years of experience in product development within the automotive industry.
•    Extensive experience leading Supplier Involvement Product Development of surface material development.
•    Very good knowledge in the development and requirement setting of textiles, foils, decor, and/or polymer materials regarding color, gloss, and graining.
•    Proficiency in communication and of requirement documentation.
•    Understanding of legal requirements and how it would affect us.
•    Familiarity with KOLA and MS Project
•    Proficiency in English, Swedish as a plus.
•    Familiarity with Agile methodologies and global team management.
What we offer
You get an opportunity to work with highly skilled colleagues in an exciting, global environment that provides opportunities to develop both professionally and personally. Our work is performed in an international environment, giving you the opportunity to interact with highly committed colleagues from different cultures. We trust the individual, act as a team, stay close to the product, and provide opportunities for growth.
Want to know more? Contact me!
Mattias Fransson, Group manager CAB Living, mattias.fransson@volvo.com.Last application date 30rd of June.