JOB DESCRIPTION – WIRING HARNESS DEVELOPMENT ENGINEER
Department: Engineering / New Product Development (NPD)
Function: Wiring Harness Development – Automotive, Home Appliances & Toy/Electric Ride-On Products
Reporting To: Plant Head / Director / Quality Head
Employment Type: Full-Time
1. JOB PURPOSE
The Wiring Harness Development Engineer will be responsible for the complete development of new wiring harnesses from customer drawings, specifications, BOMs or physical samples.
The engineer should independently understand customer requirements, prepare/revise drawings in AutoCAD, develop a complete BOM, identify suitable wires, terminals, connectors and accessories, manufacture prototype/sample wiring harnesses, test them and transfer successfully developed products to regular production.
The objective of this position is to ensure:
Fast Development + Correct BOM + Right Sample First Time + Accurate Documentation + Smooth Production Handover
2. KEY RESPONSIBILITIESA. CUSTOMER DRAWING & SAMPLE STUDY
- Study customer drawings, specifications, BOMs and physical samples.
- Understand complete electrical and mechanical requirements of the wiring harness.
- Identify:
- Wire sizes/gauges
- Wire colours
- Wire lengths
- Terminals
- Connectors
- Seals
- Sleeves
- Heat-shrink tubes
- PVC/cotton/fleece tapes
- Clips and clamps
- Fuses and fuse holders
- Switches
- LEDs
- Diodes/resistors, where applicable
- Battery terminals/connectors
- Other electrical components
- Identify missing or unclear information before development.
- Prepare technical queries for customer clarification where required.
3. AUTOCAD & ENGINEERING DRAWINGS
Candidate must have good working knowledge of AutoCAD.
Responsible for:
- Preparing wiring harness drawings.
- Preparing drawings from physical samples.
- Revising customer drawings for internal manufacturing use where required.
- Preparing dimensional layouts.
- Showing branch lengths and overall dimensions.
- Showing connector and terminal details.
- Identifying wire colour and wire size.
- Showing sleeves, tapes, clips and other accessories.
- Preparing/revising drawings after engineering changes.
- Maintaining proper drawing revision control.
The drawing should contain sufficient information so that Production and Quality can manufacture and inspect the harness without depending on verbal instructions.
4. COMPLETE BOM PREPARATION
The Development Engineer will prepare an accurate Bill of Material (BOM) for every new wiring harness.
BOM should include:
ItemRequired InformationWiresType, size/gauge, colour, length & quantityTerminalsPart No., type & quantityConnectorsPart No., cavity & quantitySealsType & quantitySleevesType, size & lengthTapesType, width & estimated consumptionHeat ShrinkSize, length & quantityClips/ClampsPart No. & quantityFuse/Fuse HolderRating/type & quantitySwitchesSpecification & quantityLEDsVoltage/type/colour & quantityOther ComponentsComplete specification & quantity
BOM must be checked against the final developed sample before release.
5. SAMPLE / PROTOTYPE HARNESS DEVELOPMENT
The candidate must be hands-on and capable of personally making prototype wiring harnesses.
Should be able to perform/understand:
- Wire cutting
- Wire stripping
- Terminal crimping
- Manual crimping for development
- Connector insertion
- Wire routing
- Branch formation
- Taping
- Sleeving
- Heat shrinking
- Soldering, where required
- Switch/LED/fuse assembly
- Clip and accessory installation
- Final dressing of harness
Candidate should not depend completely on production operators for development.
The engineer should be capable of making the first development sample himself/herself when required.
6. TERMINAL, CONNECTOR & COMPONENT IDENTIFICATION
The engineer should have good practical knowledge of wiring harness components.
Responsible for:
- Identifying terminals and connectors from samples/drawings.
- Finding equivalent components where exact components are unavailable.
- Coordinating with Purchase/Vendors for sourcing.
- Checking compatibility between:
- Wire and terminal
- Terminal and connector
- Seal and wire
- Terminal and applicator/tool
- Maintaining component/sample references for future developments.
7. CRIMPING DEVELOPMENT
Responsible for defining and validating crimping requirements including:
- Correct terminal
- Correct wire size
- Crimp height
- Crimp width, where applicable
- Conductor crimp
- Insulation crimp
- Bell mouth
- Brush length
- Cut-off tab
- Pull force
- Terminal deformation
- Applicator/tool requirement
Coordinate with Quality for crimp validation and pull-force testing.
8. SAMPLE TESTING & VALIDATION
Before submitting a sample to the customer, ensure checking for:
- Continuity
- Open circuit
- Short circuit
- Wrong wiring/cross wiring
- Correct cavity/pin position
- Polarity
- Overall dimensions
- Branch dimensions
- Connector orientation
- Terminal locking
- Pull-force/crimp quality
- Visual workmanship
- Switch/LED/functionality, where applicable
Development sample should be verified against the drawing, BOM and customer specification before dispatch.
9. REVERSE ENGINEERING FROM PHYSICAL SAMPLE
Candidate should be capable of developing a wiring harness even when the customer provides only a physical sample.
The engineer should:
- Study the complete sample.
- Measure all dimensions.
- Identify wire specifications.
- Identify terminals/connectors.
- Identify sleeves/tapes/accessories.
- Prepare an AutoCAD drawing.
- Prepare complete BOM.
- Source/identify required components.
- Manufacture prototype.
- Test the prototype.
- Compare prototype with original sample.
- Prepare final development documentation.
10. DEVELOPMENT JIG / FIXTURE
- Prepare harness board/layout requirements.
- Define nail/fixture locations.
- Support development of assembly boards.
- Develop simple checking fixtures where required.
- Suggest poka-yoke to prevent wrong routing or wrong assembly.
- Ensure production jig matches approved drawing/sample.
11. PROCESS DEVELOPMENT
After sample approval, define the manufacturing process.
Prepare/support:
- Process Flow
- Work Instructions
- Operation Sequence
- Machine/Tool Requirements
- Crimping Requirements
- Harness Board Requirements
- Inspection Points
- Testing Requirements
- Poka-Yoke Requirements
- Packing Requirements
The product should not remain dependent on the Development Engineer after handover.
12. PRODUCTION HANDOVER
Once development is approved:
- Freeze final drawing.
- Freeze final BOM.
- Freeze approved sample/master sample.
- Define process sequence.
- Define required tools/applicators.
- Define quality checkpoints.
- Train Production Supervisor/Operators.
- Support initial production lot.
- Resolve initial production problems.
- Obtain Production and Quality handover confirmation.
Development is considered complete only when Production can manufacture the product repeatedly as per specification.
13. COSTING SUPPORT
Provide accurate technical inputs to Management/Costing/Purchase for quotation.
Should calculate/provide:
- Total wire consumption
- Connector quantities
- Terminal quantities
- Sleeve consumption
- Tape consumption
- Heat-shrink consumption
- Accessories
- Estimated process time
- Number of crimping operations
- Number of assembly operations
- Testing requirement
- Special tooling requirement
- Harness board/jig requirement
- Expected development/tooling cost
The engineer should understand that an incorrect BOM can directly result in incorrect customer pricing and financial loss to the company.
14. NEW COMPONENT & VENDOR DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT
Coordinate with Purchase for:
- New wires
- Terminals
- Connectors
- Sleeves
- Tapes
- Clips
- Switches
- LEDs
- Fuses
- Other electrical components
Provide samples/specifications to Purchase and technically approve alternatives with Quality wherever applicable.
15. ENGINEERING CHANGE MANAGEMENT
Responsible for controlling customer and internal engineering changes.
For every revision/change:
- Understand the change.
- Update drawing.
- Update BOM.
- Update sample.
- Update process documents.
- Identify affected existing stock/WIP.
- Inform Production, Quality, Stores and Purchase.
- Maintain revision history.
Old and new revisions must not get mixed.
16. DEVELOPMENT DOCUMENTATION
Maintain complete development records including:
- Customer Drawing
- Internal Drawing
- AutoCAD Files
- BOM
- Customer Sample Details
- Development Sample
- Component Specifications
- Sample Inspection Report
- Test Report
- Crimp Data
- Pull-Test Data
- Development Trial Report
- Tool/Jig Requirement
- Engineering Change Records
- Approved Master Sample
- Production Handover Documents
17. DEVELOPMENT TRACKER
Maintain a live development tracker containing:
InformationStatusCustomerPart NumberProduct DescriptionDrawing ReceivedSample ReceivedBOM PreparedComponents AvailableComponents PendingDrawing PreparedSample PreparedInternal TestingSample SubmittedCustomer ApprovalChanges RequiredProduction HandoverTarget DateActual Completion Date
Any delay must have a clear reason, responsible person and next action date.
18. QUALIFICATION
Preferred Qualification:
Diploma / B.Tech / BE in:
- Electrical Engineering
- Electronics Engineering
- Automobile Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
or equivalent technical qualification with relevant wiring harness experience.
19. EXPERIENCE
Preferred: 2–5 years of practical experience in wiring harness development/manufacturing.
Preference should be given to candidates having experience in:
- Automotive wiring harnesses
- Home-appliance wiring harnesses
- Toy/electric ride-on wiring harnesses
- Electrical assemblies
- AutoCAD
- Prototype/sample development
- BOM preparation
20. ESSENTIAL TECHNICAL SKILLS
The candidate should have:
- Good AutoCAD knowledge – Mandatory
- Wiring harness sample-making capability – Mandatory
- BOM preparation – Mandatory
- Engineering drawing reading
- Wire specification knowledge
- Terminal and connector knowledge
- Crimping knowledge
- Pull-force testing knowledge
- Continuity testing
- Basic electrical understanding
- Vernier and measuring instrument knowledge
- MS Excel knowledge
- Basic costing understanding
- Good documentation skills
21. REQUIRED PERSONAL SKILLS
The candidate should be:
- Technically strong and practically hands-on.
- Curious and interested in developing new products.
- Good at reverse engineering.
- Capable of finding solutions when information is incomplete.
- Detail-oriented.
- Quick learner.
- Responsible for deadlines.
- Good at coordination with Purchase, Production and Quality.
- Able to communicate technical issues clearly.
- Comfortable working both on computer and shop floor.
- Capable of handling multiple developments simultaneously.
- Focused on getting the development right the first time.
22. KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS (KPIs)KPIExpected PerformanceDevelopment completionWithin Target DateDrawing accuracyTarget 100%BOM accuracyTarget 100%Sample right-first-timeContinuous ImprovementSample rejection by customerTarget ZeroDevelopment lead timeContinuous ReductionComponent identificationWithin Target TimeDrawing/BOM revision control100%Development documentation100%Production handoverComplete & On TimeRepeat development errorsTarget Zero23. CANDIDATE SELECTION – NON-NEGOTIABLE REQUIREMENTS
For this position, a candidate should not be selected only on the basis of interview answers.
Before final selection, the candidate should preferably be given a practical test:
Practical Test 1 – AutoCAD
Give the candidate a simple wiring harness sample/sketch and ask them to prepare a basic AutoCAD drawing.
Practical Test 2 – BOM
Give a physical wiring harness and ask the candidate to prepare its complete BOM in Excel.
Practical Test 3 – Sample Making
Provide wires, terminals, connectors and a sample/drawing and ask the candidate to make a small wiring harness.
Practical Test 4 – Component Identification
Show 5–10 different terminals/connectors/wires and ask the candidate to identify their application/specification.
Practical Test 5 – Problem Solving
Give a sample where the exact connector/terminal is unavailable and ask the candidate how they would proceed with the development.
A candidate who knows AutoCAD but cannot practically understand and make a wiring harness should not be considered suitable for this particular role.
24. CORE OWNERSHIP
The Wiring Harness Development Engineer should take complete ownership of:
CUSTOMER REQUIREMENT → DRAWING → BOM → COMPONENT IDENTIFICATION → SAMPLE MAKING → TESTING → CUSTOMER APPROVAL → PRODUCTION HANDOVER
Main expectation:
“Convert a customer drawing, requirement or physical sample into a technically correct, costable, testable and production-ready wiring harness with minimum development time and minimum errors.”
Pay: ₹20,000.00 - ₹25,000.00 per month
Work Location: In person
