Development Engineer

Mercedes-Benz Vans•Charleston, SC

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Development Engineer provides expert technical leadership for electrical/electronic (E/E) systems support and serves as the primary liaison between product development and manufacturing operations. The role leads complex control unit and software issue resolution, validation activities, launch readiness, and preventive quality initiatives. It advises leadership on technical risks, priorities, and trade-offs while developing organizational technical capability. This is an individual-contributor position; it does not own product design, software development, release management, or operational approvals. Mercedes-Benz Vans, LLC assembles Sprinter vans for the U.S. and Canadian markets and reassembles Metris vans at its Ladson, South Carolina facility. The company describes the facility as providing more than 1,600 jobs and supporting at least 600 additional regional supplier jobs. Mercedes-Benz Vans states its commitment to an inclusive workplace and equal employment opportunity.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, mechatronics, automotive engineering, or a related discipline, or equivalent education and experience.
8+ years of progressive automotive E/E experience, including sustained technical leadership in production support or development.
Deep development ECU/software experience and proven systemic problem-solving across organizational boundaries.
Experience establishing methods, advising leadership, and developing technical leaders.
Deep ECU/software expertise and broad knowledge of E/E architecture, sensors and actuators, power, grounding, and production.
Systems thinking across CAN, LIN, automotive Ethernet, hardware/software dependencies, and workstreams.
Expert judgment in diagnostics, root-cause strategy, uncertainty, systemic risk, and validation alternatives.
Strong knowledge of change governance, deviations, configuration traceability, and launch maturity.
Ability to guide authorized diagnostic, measurement, and flashing practices while addressing software limitations, compatibility, safety, and cybersecurity.
Ability to establish scalable methods with owners, balance production needs with long-term robustness, and coach technical leaders.
Business-fluent English, executive technical communication, intercultural negotiation, and constructive challenge.
Knowledge of Monaco software.
Proficiency with engineering data, documentation, and issue tools, including translating diagnostic trends into improvements.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree.
Automotive lifecycle and launch experience.
Familiarity with Mercedes-Benz development and documentation/change-management practices.
German language skills.
MB.OS knowledge.

Responsibilities

Shape E/E support priorities, diagnostic methods, and long-term engineering capability.
Lead specialist-supported resolution of systemic ECU, software, and network concerns across hardware, configuration, and production interfaces.
Guide feasibility, compatibility, implementation, and readiness for major ECU/software changes across systems.
Align containment, permanent corrections, and deviation validity and closure with accountable owners.
Guide development ECU/software test strategies and evidence standards; advise on supplier evaluations and certification support as applicable.
Challenge launch and update readiness; align traceable development configurations, production-release separation, and approval controls with owners.
Align Charleston and North American E/E support needs with the Research & Development team.
Promote traceable issue, change, deviation, and milestone records.
Guide production and field risk assessments; advise on corrective strategies, trade-offs, maturity, and decisions.
Escalate unresolved risks or decisions requiring higher approval to owners.
Mentor senior engineers and build specialist networks and technical judgment without personnel management.
Drive prevention and measure readiness, recurrence reduction, and resolution quality.