Engineering Manager, Chassis Design

Blue Bird Corporation•Fort Valley, GA

4d•Onsite

About The Position

The Chassis Design Engineering Manager oversees the daily operations of the Chassis Engineering Design group, ensuring it supports current production needs while developing and deploying future programs in support of corporate strategy and initiatives. The manager ensures product designs are robust, cost-effective, manufacturable, and compliant with applicable regulations. The role directly supervises salaried design engineers and manages development activities across multiple concurrent projects. The position leads forward-model development for internal combustion engine (ICE) powertrain and chassis systems for Blue Bird school buses, including requirements development, design, bill of materials (BOM) creation, validation, and product launch. It also serves as the technical subject matter lead for ICE powertrain and emissions technology, and collaborates across functions to deliver projects to quality targets, budget constraints, and schedule.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in engineering.
At least 10 years of automotive, commercial truck, or bus engineering experience.
At least 2 years of engineering supervisor experience.
Excellent written and oral technical communication skills.
Experience with engineering tools including DFMEA, 8D problem solving, RTVM, and interface diagrams.
Experience working in a vehicle manufacturing facility on new product introductions and ongoing issue resolution.
Experience working with suppliers on product design, feasibility, quality improvement, and cost reduction.
Fundamental understanding of engineering development and design release processes.
Outstanding work ethic and a motivational leadership style.
Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident and authorized to work in the United States; proof of employment eligibility is required at hire.

Nice To Haves

Formal root cause analysis training, such as Shainin, Black Belt, or Fishbone tools.
M.S. in Engineering.
Prior experience with vehicle chassis or powertrain design and integration.
Strong project management skills and exposure to difficult or complex projects.

Responsibilities

Lead the Chassis Engineering Design group in forward-model development for ICE powertrain and chassis systems, including requirements development, design, BOM creation, validation, and product launch.
Act as the technical subject matter lead for ICE powertrain and emissions technology.
Keep current with industry trends, developments, technologies, materials, and best practices, and apply them to improve product designs and production efficiency.
Review engineering drawings and projects for technical accuracy and feasibility.
Establish system-level requirements and DFMEA, and develop robust validation plans for each vehicle platform.
Collaborate with other Blue Bird functions to deliver projects to quality targets, within budget, and on time.
Lead ongoing issue resolution, quality improvement, and cost-optimization activities.
Develop the team through coaching, goal setting, performance evaluations, and feedback.
Deliver solutions that meet program goals, applicable specifications, and quality expectations.
Ensure designs meet applicable federal, state, and customer requirements.