Engineering Manager, Chassis Design

Blue Bird Careers•Fort Valley, GA

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The Chassis Design Engineering Manager oversees the daily operations of the Chassis Engineering Design group, supporting current production needs and developing and deploying future programs aligned with corporate strategy. The manager ensures product designs are robust, cost-effective, manufacturable, and compliant with applicable regulations. This position directly supervises salaried design engineers and manages development activities across multiple concurrent projects. The role leads forward-model development for internal-combustion-engine (ICE) powertrain and chassis systems for school buses, from requirements and design through bill-of-material creation, validation, and product launch. It also serves as the technical subject-matter lead for ICE powertrain and emissions technology, and works across functions to deliver projects to quality, budget, and schedule goals.

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.
U.S. citizenship or permanent residency, and authorization to work in the United States; proof of employment eligibility is required at hire.
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.
Fundamental understanding of engineering development and design-release processes.
Outstanding work ethic and a motivational leadership style.
Ability to anticipate and understand customer needs and provide guidance.
Strong interpersonal and customer relationship skills, including handling difficult and sensitive matters.
Strong project-management skills and ability to influence stakeholders.
Ability to communicate complex details clearly and work collaboratively while balancing stakeholder needs with corporate objectives.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in engineering.
Prior experience with vehicle chassis or powertrain design and integration.
Formal root-cause-analysis training, such as Shanin, Blackbelt, or Fishbone tools.
Experience working with suppliers on product design, feasibility, quality improvement, and cost reduction.
Exposure to difficult or complex projects.

Responsibilities

Lead the Chassis Engineering Design group in forward-model development for school bus ICE powertrain and chassis systems, including requirements development, design, bill-of-material creation, validation, and product launch.
Serve as the technical subject-matter lead for ICE powertrain and emissions technology.
Maintain knowledge of trends, technologies, materials, and best practices and apply it to improve product designs and production efficiency.
Review engineering drawings and projects for technical accuracy and feasibility.
Establish system-level requirements and DFMEAs, and develop robust validation plans for each vehicle platform.
Collaborate with other Blue Bird functions to deliver projects to quality targets, budget constraints, and schedule.
Lead ongoing issue resolution, quality improvement, and cost-optimization activities.
Develop the team through coaching, goal setting, performance evaluation, and feedback.
Deliver solutions that meet program goals, applicable specifications, and quality expectations.
Ensure designs comply with applicable federal, state, and customer requirements.