Department Manager, Systems & Functional Safety

FEV North America Inc•Auburn Hills, MI

About The Position

Lead and manage the Systems & Functional Safety Development Department, including strategic planning, staffing, resource allocation, performance management, and employee development. Define and execute departmental objectives, budgets, and growth strategies aligned with company goals and customer needs. Develop and maintain departmental capabilities, methodologies, tools, and best practices for systems engineering and functional safety services. Support business development activities by identifying opportunities, participating in customer engagements, and contributing to technical sales strategies. Lead the preparation of technical proposals, statements of work (SOWs), cost estimates, and project execution plans. Establish and maintain strong customer relationships, serving as a trusted technical advisor for systems engineering and functional safety solutions. Provide technical leadership and oversight for customer programs involving systems engineering, functional safety, software-defined systems, electrification, and emerging technologies. Ensure compliance with applicable industry standards and customer requirements, including ISO 26262, ASPICE, ISO/SAE 21434, and related engineering frameworks. Oversee the development, review, and approval of functional safety work products, including HARA, Functional Safety Concepts, Technical Safety Concepts, Safety Requirements, and Safety Cases. Guide systems engineering activities throughout the development lifecycle, including requirements engineering, system architecture, integration, verification, and validation. Ensure successful project execution by monitoring scope, schedule, budget, quality, technical risks, and customer satisfaction across multiple programs. Establish project governance processes and conduct regular technical, operational, and program reviews to ensure delivery excellence. Recruit, mentor, and develop engineering talent while fostering a culture of technical excellence, innovation, collaboration, and accountability. Monitor industry trends, emerging technologies, and regulatory developments to expand service offerings and strengthen the organization's competitive position. Drive innovation by generating new engineering concepts and methodologies, leading research and development initiatives, and contributing to technical publications, conferences, and patents, while translating outcomes into practical engineering solutions and service offerings.

Requirements

Extensive experience with functional safety standards, including ISO 26262, SOTIF (ISO 21448), and safety requirements in defense and aerospace domains.
Demonstrated entrepreneurial mindset with the ability to establish and scale a new engineering department or capability from the ground up, including defining structure, processes, competencies, and service offerings.
Strong knowledge of systems engineering principles, methodologies, and product development lifecycles.
Working knowledge of ASPICE, ISO/SAE 21434, IEC 61508, or related industry standards.
Experience with requirements engineering system architecture, integration, verification, and validation processes.
Knowledge of safety analysis methodologies, including HARA, FMEA, FMEDA, FTA, and DFA.
Familiarity with modern automotive and embedded systems technologies, including software-defined systems, electrification, ADAS, autonomous systems, connectivity, or embedded software development.
Experience with requirements management and systems engineering tools such as IBM DOORS, Polarion, Jama, Cameo Systems Modeler, or equivalent.
Proven ability to lead, mentor, and develop high-performing engineering teams.
Strong project management and organizational skills with demonstrated success delivering complex technical programs.
Experience in managing customer relationships and serving as a trusted technical advisor.
Demonstrated ability to identify and develop new business opportunities.
Strong financial awareness, including project budgeting, resource planning, utilization management, and profitability considerations.
Minimum of 10 years of progressive engineering experience in functional safety, safety-critical product development, systems engineering.
Minimum of 5 years of engineering leadership or management experience, including responsibility for technical teams, project delivery, and resource management.
Demonstrated experience managing multiple engineering projects and cross-functional teams in a customer-facing environment.
Experience within an engineering service, automotive, defense, aerospace, or other safety-critical industry preferred.
Proven experience supporting business development activities, proposal preparation, project estimation, and customer engagement.
Experience managing departmental budgets, staffing plans, and engineering resources preferred.
Bachelor’s degree in engineering, preferably from Electrical, Electronics, Mechatronics Engineering.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in engineering, preferably from Electrical, Electronics, Mechatronics Engineering or PhD’s Degree in engineering, preferably from Electrical, Electronics, Mechatronics Engineering.

Responsibilities

Lead and manage the Systems & Functional Safety Development Department, including strategic planning, staffing, resource allocation, performance management, and employee development.
Define and execute departmental objectives, budgets, and growth strategies aligned with company goals and customer needs.
Develop and maintain departmental capabilities, methodologies, tools, and best practices for systems engineering and functional safety services.
Support business development activities by identifying opportunities, participating in customer engagements, and contributing to technical sales strategies.
Lead the preparation of technical proposals, statements of work (SOWs), cost estimates, and project execution plans.
Establish and maintain strong customer relationships, serving as a trusted technical advisor for systems engineering and functional safety solutions.
Provide technical leadership and oversight for customer programs involving systems engineering, functional safety, software-defined systems, electrification, and emerging technologies.
Ensure compliance with applicable industry standards and customer requirements, including ISO 26262, ASPICE, ISO/SAE 21434, and related engineering frameworks.
Oversee the development, review, and approval of functional safety work products, including HARA, Functional Safety Concepts, Technical Safety Concepts, Safety Requirements, and Safety Cases.
Guide systems engineering activities throughout the development lifecycle, including requirements engineering, system architecture, integration, verification, and validation.
Ensure successful project execution by monitoring scope, schedule, budget, quality, technical risks, and customer satisfaction across multiple programs.
Establish project governance processes and conduct regular technical, operational, and program reviews to ensure delivery excellence.
Recruit, mentor, and develop engineering talent while fostering a culture of technical excellence, innovation, collaboration, and accountability.
Monitor industry trends, emerging technologies, and regulatory developments to expand service offerings and strengthen the organization's competitive position.
Drive innovation by generating new engineering concepts and methodologies, leading research and development initiatives, and contributing to technical publications, conferences, and patents, while translating outcomes into practical engineering solutions and service offerings.