Manufacturing Operations interview prep.

Behavioural questions to expect

1. Walk me through your manufacturing background + automotive supplier exposure.
2. Tell me about a program launch or ramp you've led at a supplier.
3. Why automotive supplier vs OEM / consumer electronics / aerospace / industrial machinery manufacturing?
4. Why this product family - powertrain / chassis / interiors / electronics / seating / lighting / e-drive / battery / sensors?
5. Why the firm?
6. What's your read on our product portfolio + customer mix?
7. Tell me what you understand about our operations culture + quality + launch practice.
8. Walk me through a customer program launch from RFQ through PPAP to SOP.

Technical concepts to master

• Automotive supplier shop flow + product families

  Machining + grinding + heat treatment · Injection moulding + plastics · Stamping + welding + assembly · Electronics + SMT + PCBA · End-of-line test + sequenced delivery (JIS / JIT)

• IATF 16949 + APQP + PPAP + PFMEA + control plan - supplier side

  IATF 16949 - supplier QMS · APQP - supplier deliverables under customer gate · PPAP + PSW - the production approval gate · PFMEA + control plan - supplier process risk · MSA + SPC + Cpk / Ppk

• Controlled shipping + 8D + sub-supplier governance

  CS-1 - supplier sort at own gate · CS-2 - third-party sort in addition · 8D + ICA / PCA · Sub-supplier PPAP cascade + governance · MMOG/LE + logistics performance

• EV transition + customer-mix shift

  ICE content runoff + EV content ramp · E-axle + power electronics + inverter content · Battery pack + module + cell-to-pack content · Sensors + SDV-era content · Customer mix shift - legacy OEM vs EV-native

Practical drills

• Your largest OEM customer just placed you on CS-1 after PPM jumped from 18 to 240 over two weeks on a critical-to-function machined component. Walk through your teardown + recovery plan + CS-1 exit path with the numbers you'd ask for.
• You're 4 weeks from run-at-rate on a new customer program. Walk through your PPAP-readiness review + gating decision.
• Senior leadership has asked you to scope adding EV content (e-axle housing assembly or battery cooling system) at one of your plants. You can convert an under-utilised ICE bay, build a greenfield line, or partner with a sub-supplier. Walk through your analysis + recommendation.

Smart-question anchors

• Product portfolio + ICE vs EV content mix + recent program wins
• Customer mix + share-of-wallet + EV-native vs legacy OEM balance
• Plant footprint + recent capacity + EV-content build-out moves
• PPAP + customer-scorecard posture + recent launch performance
• Controlled-shipping + 8D + warranty + recall history

Sourced from

AIAG core tool manuals (APQP, PPAP, FMEA, MSA, SPC) + IATF 16949 · AIAG / Odette MMOG/LE + supply chain references · Lean Enterprise Institute + Toyota Production System literature · Automotive News + Reuters + S&P Global Mobility + supplier industry coverage · SAE International + ASQ + Industry Week supplier quality references