Job Title: Automotive Warranty Management Lead
Location: Palo Alto, CA (Onsite)
Duration: Contract
Role Overview:
Lead the design and optimization of Warranty Operations, Return Material Authorization (RMA), Product Investigation, and OEM Support processes within an Automotive Tier 1 environment.
The SME will provide industry expertise and best practices for warranty claim management, product returns, failure analysis, reverse logistics, and customer support operations. This role will partner closely with Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, Logistics, Product Support, and Business Process teams to establish a scalable and compliant Warranty Return Management capability.
Key Responsibilities:
Warranty & RMA Strategy
• Lead design of the end-to-end Warranty Return Management operating model.
• Define RMA lifecycle processes, controls, and governance.
• Establish warranty policies, return authorization criteria, and escalation procedures.
• Align processes with OEM customer requirements and automotive industry best practices.
Warranty Operations & Returns Management
Define processes for:
• Return intake and authorization
• Product tracking and traceability
• Reverse logistics
• Disposition management
• Warranty recovery and closure
• Establish service-level expectations and customer communication standards.
• Develop processes to manage No Trouble Found (NTF) returns and repeat failures.
• Product Investigation & Failure Analysis
• Define investigation workflows for returned products.
Establish methodologies for:
• Hardware diagnostics
• Software log analysis
• System-level investigation
• Root-cause analysis
• Create disposition frameworks covering repair, rework, scrap, and engineering retention.
• Governance & Performance Management
• Define warranty governance structure and operating controls.
Establish KPIs and performance measures, including:
• Return volume
• Aging and backlog
• Warranty turnaround time
• Root-cause completion rate
• NTF rate
• SLA attainment
• Warranty exposure
• Support executive reporting and operational reviews.
Key Deliverables:
• Warranty Return Management Operating Model
• End-to-End RMA Framework
• Warranty Governance Model
• Return Authorization Policies
• Failure Analysis Framework
• Product Disposition Framework
• Service Level Framework
• Warranty KPI Catalogue
• Escalation Matrix
• Warranty & RMA Roadmap Recommendations
Mandatory Skills:
• 10+ years of experience in:
• Automotive Warranty Operations
• Product Support
• RMA Management
• Field Quality or Technical Support
• Experience supporting OEM customers and post-SOP operations.
• Tier 1 supplier experience strongly preferred.
Knowledge & Skills:
Deep understanding of:
• Warranty management processes
• RMA operations
• Reverse logistics
• Product investigation and failure analysis
• Customer support and escalation management
Knowledge of automotive quality methodologies including:
• 8D
• APQP
• PPAP
• IATF 16949
• Familiarity with SAP, PLM, defect management, and service management tools.
Leadership & Communication:
• Strong workshop facilitation skills.
• Ability to influence cross-functional teams and executive stakeholders.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and communication abilities.
Success Measures:
• Well-defined Warranty & RMA operating model.
• Reduced return processing cycle times.
• Improved root-cause identification and disposition effectiveness.
• Enhanced OEM satisfaction and SLA performance.
• Clear governance, KPIs, and operational visibility.
• Scalable warranty support capability aligned to RVT growth objectives.
