Senior Engineer (Chassis) - Kett Engineering Corporation

Position: Chassis Design Release Engineer (Contract Position)

Reports to – Senior Manager – Chassis - Steering, Wheels & Tires

Location: Irvine, California

Position Purpose

This position will support concept design, design maturation, packaging, analysis and validation activity for spare wheels, spare tires, jacks, service kits, temporary mobility kits (compressors and sealants) and other chassis architecture components for electric vehicles. This position will work in a team environment, capturing requirements & attributes, ensuring these requirements & attributes are achieved, seeking solutions to technical challenges, and utilizing lean principles to enhance the product offering.

Major Responsibilities

Collaboratively design and implement chassis architecture components including (but not limited to); wheel, jack/service kit & structures systems, integrating with chassis component systems from concept to production

Create and develop engineering specification packages that effectively communicate to internal and external partners to ensure products meet given project parameters

Project Management of chassis component development & validation

Complete and release component documentation, including 2D drawings

Manage designed parts in the virtual environment and support virtual build and release activities

Develop collaborative relationships with suppliers, and manage them to deliver components on time and to specification

Work closely with Design, CAE, Whole Vehicle & Dynamics Teams to take components from initial conception right through to completion, ensuring all parts are delivered robustly to quality, cost and time.

Effectively balance multiple projects, responsibilities, and tasks simultaneously

Meet program timing & budget constraints whilst achieving vehicle dynamic, crash, aero, NVH and chassis attribute targets

Define validation procedures to ensure only optimized, integrated and robust designs are released

Work in a team environment towards bringing new product and technologies and techniques to the process.

Travel as necessary to support supplier visits & production engineering support

Required Skills

Bachelor's degree or Master's degree in Automotive or Mechanical engineering preferred

Demonstratable experience operating Catia V6 3DX / ENOVIA, to perform basic CAD activities such as drawing creation, packaging, measurements, assembling, sketch & surfacing and releasing.

Ability to identify optimization opportunities from CAE/testing results

2 years+ Chassis component design and/or development experience preferred.

Experience with designing for manufacture for aluminum and steel components, and understanding of production methods; casting, forging, machining, pressing, stamping etc

Experience with designing for manufacture for plastic components, and understanding of production methods; injection molding, blow molding etc

Must be familiar with DFMEA/DVPR usage and review of these documents

Solid fundamental knowledge of chassis design & vehicle dynamics

Candidates should be self-motivated and able to work in a fast-paced team environment

Excellent communication skills, able to interact effectively with domestic and international teammates & suppliers

Ability to interpret data and solve complex problems using first principles