OEM Approvals & Product Supper Engineer

Job Description Job Title: OEM Product Approval & support engineer 
Contract Type: Long-term contract (12 months)
Location: Nanterre, France 

Role Overview We are seeking an experienced Technical Engineer to manage OEM product approval (homologation) activities for lubricants across automotive, marine, and industrial applications. The role involves close collaboration with OEMs, internal product engineering teams, R&D, laboratories, and commercial stakeholders, supporting both current products and future development programs.

Key Responsibilities OEM Product Approval (Homologation)

• Launch, coordinate, and manage lubricant approval processes with OEMs (Automotive and Marine).
• Act as the primary technical interface with OEMs, responding to technical queries in collaboration with product engineers.
• Monitor approval progress and provide regular status updates, highlighting risks, delays, and mitigation actions.

Product Development & Validation

• Track development and validation activities for new and existing lubricant formulations.
• Coordinate engine tests, bench tests, and physico-chemical analyses with internal and external laboratories.
• Support the industrialisation of new products across direct and indirect supply scopes.

OEM Projects & Tenders

• Contribute to strategic OEM development projects.
• Provide technical input and formulation support for OEM tenders (regional and global).
• Perform technical gap analyses and support preparation of future OEM tenders.
• Participate in the development of candidate products for upcoming bid opportunities.

Quality, Processes & Systems

• Maintain accurate records of OEM approvals within internal systems (e.g. LMDB, SharePoint).
• Support activities related to test and validation vehicles.
• Manage administrative follow-up within SAP, including:
  • Creation and tracking of approval-related purchase orders.
  • Verification of order receipt with finance teams.
  • Monitoring payment of OEM-issued invoices.

Key Stakeholders & Interfaces

• Product Engineering & R&D teams
• External laboratories and additive suppliers
• OEM customers (Automotive, Marine, Industrial)
• Quality, Finance, and Procurement departments

Deliverables

• OEM approval letters and certificates
• Approval tracking dashboards and quality KPIs
• Technical contributions to OEM projects and tenders
• Monthly activity reports
• Fully up-to-date approval databases

Required Qualifications & Experience

• Engineering degree in Chemistry, Mechanical Engineering, or Quality (or equivalent).
• Strong understanding of lubricant formulations and validation processes.
• Experience working with OEMs and structured approval environments.
• Ability to manage multiple stakeholders and parallel technical processes.

Language & Systems Requirements

• French: Fluent
• English: Minimum B2 (professional working level)
• Proficient in SAP and Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, Teams)

With over 90 years' combined experience, NES Fircroft (NES) is proud to be the world's leading engineering staffing provider spanning the Oil & Gas, Power & Renewables, Chemicals, Construction & Infrastructure, Life Sciences, Mining and Manufacturing sectors worldwide. With more than 80 offices in 45 countries, we are able to provide our clients with the engineering and technical expertise they need, wherever and whenever it is needed. We offer contractors far more than a traditional recruitment service, supporting with everything from securing visas and work permits, to providing market-leading benefits packages and accommodation, ensuring they are safely and compliantly able to support our clients.