Customer Quality Advisor - Castrol

Job description

Job Family Group: Procurement & Supply Chain Management Group Job Description: This is a Castrol requisition and the successful candidate will become part of the Castrol ring-fence ahead of the Castrol divestment later in 2026. From the point of the divestment, you will be employed fully by Castrol and no longer be a bp employee. ” Apply now!! Castrol is a global leader in lubricants and part of the bp Group, one of the world’s largest energy companies. In India, Castrol is a publicly listed company, leading in the Automotive, Industrial, and Marine lubricant sectors. With iconic brands, steadfast innovation, strong customer relationships, and a team of highly motivated employees, we have maintained our market leadership in India for over a century. Our robust manufacturing and distribution network in India helps us reach consumers through more than 135,000 outlets. At Castrol, success knows no bounds. We offer a fast-paced learning environment where you can develop your career, whether in specialized functions or on a general management track. Castrol India has a proud legacy of championing top talent for leadership roles, both locally and globally. This is a role within the Castrol organisation, and the successful candidate will become part of the Castrol ring-fence. If you are part of the ring-fence, it is expected that your employment will move with Castrol to new ownership Job Purpose​: The Customer Quality Advisor ensures that customer quality requirements, change communications, and compliance commitments are translated into robust, consistent, and customer‑trusted processes across the organization. The role acts as the central authority and credible customer interface for Customer Specific Requirements (CSR), Change Management Communication (CMC), and related quality topics, balancing customer expectations with regulatory, legal, and operational feasibility. By providing governance, expert guidance, and enablement, the role safeguards customer satisfaction, audit readiness, and license to operate, while enabling the business to manage change, complexity, and growth in a structured and sustainable way. Key Accountabilities: A. Customer Quality Excellence Tool & Process Governance CQE Tool Governance & Enhancements Provide strategic ownership and guidance for the Customer Quality Tool (CQT), ensuring alignment with customer expectations and ISO standards across CSR and CMC. Define global Castrol standards and translate business needs into clear tool and enhancement specifications. Lead global rollout and adoption, acting as focal point for regions, and product management. Enable effective adoption through training concepts and knowledge transfer. CQE (CSR & CMC) Process Leadership Provide end to end leadership of CSR and CMC processes across regions. Define, govern, and continuously improve global Castrol standards. Act as Process Owner, monitoring KPIs, approving OMS processes, and representing CSR/CMC in audits. Drive consistent adoption through training and partner alignment. B. Customer Specific Requirements (CSR) CSR Coaching Enable effective CSR implementation through training and coaching of Sales, distributors, and internal partners. Develop and deliver targeted training materials and sessions. Lead structured CSR updates via Area Meetings, GAM forums, and other platforms. Strengthen organizational capability and consistent CSR application. CSR Expertise Act as CSR Subject Matter Expert, defining standards and authoritative responses. Evaluate and pre comment on new or changed CSRs, linking to affected processes, products, and sites. Lead compliance assessments, compile compliance matrices, and resolve gaps in cooperation with Sales. Govern CSR quality through expert approvals, guidance, and data oversight. C. Special Customer Requirements PPAP / PQA Management Serve as primary customer interface for PPAP and PQA matters. Lead negotiations on scope, avoidance strategies, and lifecycle decisions for catalogue products. Own technical and quality content of customer commitments. Proactively manage customer expectations on PPAP/PQA topics. IMDS / Disclosures Act as customer contact for IMDS and disclosure inquiries. Assess justification, guide expectations, and resolve IMDS related issues. Coordinate with internal experts to close data gaps. Ensure clear, timely customer communication. D. Change Management Communication (CMC) CMC Coaching Drive effective change adoption through training and coaching on CMC topics. Develop targeted communication materials and deliver sessions on demand. Provide recurring updates to Sales and partners via Area Meetings and GAM forums. Reinforce consistent execution of change management processes. CMC Expertise Act as CMC Subject Matter Expert defining Castrol CMC standards. Drive CMC decision making based on CSR, Sales, and CMC data. Lead customer change communication, standard letters, RFC approvals, and discrepancy handling. Govern effectiveness via KPIs and support pivotal initiatives (PCC, audits, RCAs). E. General Customer Quality Consultancy Act as trusted quality partner for complex customer and product issues. Lead troubleshooting and cross functional resolution (deviations, re-qualifications, shortages). Support business and GSC in securing customer waivers and agreements. Provide expert input to RFQs, tenders, contracts, and localisation initiatives. Participate in critical and recurring customer meetings as a credible interface. F. Customer Audits Support During Customer Audits Support customer audits by clarifying scope, purpose, and logistics. Coordinate cross functional audit preparation with Sales, Technology, and GSC. Prepare CSR and CMC processes and data for audits. Train and guide BUs on audit relevant process interfaces. G. Supplier Performance Ratings (Non OEM) Provide expert support on supplier ratings from non OEM customers. Engage with customers in case of C ratings and support deviation explanations. Assess current and future risks linked to ratings. Maintain deep expertise in customer rating systems, CSRs, and related processes. Education: Bachelor’s degree Experience: 5 to 8 years of experience in customerfacing quality roles (e.g. Customer Quality, Quality Engineering, Quality Assurance, Process Management, Sales or GSC) within automotive, industrial, or other regulated industries, with direct exposure to OEM customers. Proven track record in working with Customer Specific Requirements (CSRs), including their interpretation, negotiation support, implementation, and ongoing governance across multiple customers. Strong hands‑on experience with IATF 16949 (formerly ISO/TS 16949) and customer‑specific standards such as VDA, QS‑9000, Ford Q1, and VW Formel‑Q. Demonstrated experience in process management and the practical application of core quality tools (including APQP, PPAP, FMEA, and 8D) across end‑to‑end value chains, with close collaboration across Sales, Global Supply Chain (GSC), and Operations. Skills & Competencies: Strong experience in managing Customer Specific Requirements (CSRs) and customer requirements in complex, standards‑driven environments (automotive, industrial, or other regulated industries). Solid to advanced knowledge of international quality and automotive standards, such as ISO, VDA, AIAG, and APQP (including sector‑specific variants). Proven ability to interpret customer audits, supplier ratings, and assessments, including deviation handling, corrective actions, and issue management. Hands‑on experience in process ownership or governance, particularly for customer requirements, quality processes, or change management (CMC or equivalent). Strong understanding of how customer requirements translate into internal processes, product changes, and plant or supply‑chain impact. Experience supporting or leading customer change communication, including structured decision‑making, customer notifications, and follow‑up actions. Confidence acting as a credible customer interface, including discussions with customer quality managers and central customer contacts. Excellent leadership skills, working effectively with Sales, Technology, Supply Chain, Quality, Legal, and IT. Ability to balance customer expectations with business feasibility, risk, and compliance considerations. Excellent written and verbal English communication skills, with the ability to explain complex technical and process topics clearly. Ability to develop and deliver training, coaching, or knowledge‑transfer activities, enabling consistent understanding and application across teams and regions. Strong analytical and problem‑solving capability, including practical use of quality core tools (e.g. root cause analysis, corrective action planning, 8D). Experience working with customer or quality management tools, databases, or workflow systems, and contributing to process or tool improvements. Awareness of legal and contractual implications related to customer requirements, quality agreements, and change notifications. Additional language skills (e.g. German) for direct customer engagement in international OEM or industrial environments are an advantage. Experience in global, cross‑regional environments and supporting rollouts, transformations, or enterprise‑wide initiatives is beneficial!! Culture: We believes in creating a culture that allows you to live our purpose, play to win while caring for others - and there is a huge focus on diversity equity and inclusion. We are a very open and respectful organization, where there is a lot of respect given to listening to all perspectives and hence people are encouraged to speak up, contribute at all levels irrespective of level or department. The marketing team is a bunch of energetic and passionate individuals from varied backgrounds, and we thrive on being able to learn from each other as well as a lot of external orientation from the best in the industry. we deeply value partnerships especially with our sales colleagues and strongly believe in the power of igniting one team to be able to break barriers, challenge status quo and create new achievements. We support our people to learn and grow in a diverse and exciting environment. We believe that our team is strengthened by diversity. We are committed to crafting an inclusive environment in which everyone is respected and treated fairly. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform crucial job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation Travel Requirement: Negligible travel should be expected with this role Relocation Assistance: This role is eligible for relocation within country Remote Type: This position is a hybrid of office/remote working Skills: Agility core practices, Agility tools, Business Acumen, Commercial Acumen, Digital Fluency, Inventory Management, Logistics Management, Negotiating, Negotiation planning and preparation, Project Management, Risk Management, Strategic Thinking, Supplier Relationship Management, Supply chain management, Sustainability awareness and action, Value creation and management ​ Legal Disclaimer: We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, socioeconomic status, neurodiversity/neurocognitive functioning, veteran status or disability status. Individuals with an accessibility need may request an adjustment/accommodation related to bp’s recruiting process (e.g., accessing the job application, completing required assessments, participating in telephone screenings or interviews, etc.). If you would like to request an adjustment/accommodation related to the recruitment process, please contact us . If you are selected for a position and depending upon your role, your employment may be contingent upon adherence to local policy. This may include pre-placement drug screening, medical review of physical fitness for the role, and background checks.