Head of Vehicle Level Engineering
About The Position
The Head of Vehicle Level Engineering (VLE) is accountable for defining, integrating, and delivering vehicle solutions that meet customer needs, regulatory requirements, and business objectives as part of the Engineering & Technology Department at DTNA. This role ensures successful delivery of product design and engineering objectives and provides end to end vehicle level technical leadership across the product development lifecycle, ensuring clarity, consistency, and collaboration across engineering disciplines. Operating at the intersection of customer and market needs, vehicle architecture, systems engineering, product engineering, design, project management, and validation, the Chief Engineer sets the technical direction for TN vehicle platforms and owns the integrity and execution of vehicle and system level targets. The role is central to DTNA’s shift from component centric execution toward a process and system based development model, with clear ownership, disciplined decision making, and strong integration accountability. This position plays a critical role in defining future vehicle platforms, advancing innovation, and aligning engineering execution with strategic business objectives while also enabling global collaboration and technology transfer across the broader Truck Group.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related technical field
- 12+ years of relevant experience in vehicle or product engineering
- 4+ years of senior leadership experience
- Demonstrated success leading high-performing, technical teams
- Broad expertise in heavy-duty vehicle development and engineering systems
Nice To Haves
- Master’s degree or PhD in Engineering or related discipline
- 12+ years of experience in truck engineering
- Experience leading product design and vehicle architecture development
Responsibilities
- Accountable for the technical integrity of the complete vehicle across concept, development, production, and lifecycle support, owning vehicle‑level performance, safety, compliance, quality, cost, integration, and customer value outcomes.
- Translate customer needs, market inputs, and business objectives into clear vehicle‑level requirements and specifications, ensuring alignment between product strategy and engineering execution.
- Provide end‑to‑end technical leadership for vehicle platforms, systems, and features, including product design oversight, concept evaluation, feasibility, DMU validation, integration, and lifecycle ownership.
- Define, govern, and maintain vehicle system architecture and technical baselines, ensuring disciplined requirements definition, flow‑down, traceability, and change control at vehicle and system levels.
- Lead integration of systems and features into vehicles, resolving cross‑system hardware, software, and interface issues to ensure functional, physical, and software compatibility.
- Own vehicle‑ and system‑level verification and validation, including DVP definition, test strategies, system test cases, ECU software and parameter development, and final technical sign‑off for DTNA‑developed features.
- Serve as the primary vehicle‑level engineering authority for technical decisions and trade‑offs, leading platform and product reviews, milestone readiness assessments, and executive technical forums with clear escalation and timely decision‑making to protect program commitments.
- Lead vehicle program engineering execution from concept through launch, coordinating scope, schedule, cost, risk, and deliverables while governing product changes, engineering budgets, CVDS processes, software integration, visual management, and cross‑functional issue resolution.
- Accountable for DTNA’s Product Cost Excellence program, driving enterprise‑wide cost reduction and complexity optimization while maintaining safety, quality, and customer value.
- Lead the team responsible for vehicle product design (interior and exterior), ensuring alignment with brand identity, market relevance, and future‑focused vision.
- Lead and integrate multidisciplinary design teams including design development, surface development, HMI/UX, concept modeling, and physical prototyping.
- Continuously improve vehicle‑ and system‑level processes to increase execution predictability, development speed, and product quality.
- Own systems engineering processes, methods, tools, and governance across DTNA.
- Provide regional leadership and implementation of DTAG Commercial Vehicle Development System (CVDS) within DTNA.
- Build, lead, and inspire a high‑performing Vehicle Level Engineering organization.
- Develop technical and leadership capability, fostering system‑level thinking and strong technical ownership.
- Promote a culture of clarity, accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement aligned with DTNA’s purpose and values.
Benefits
- annual variable pay bonus program
- company paid company vehicle with insurance and fuel card
- 401k company contribution with company match up to 6% as well as non-elective company contribution of 3 - 7% depending on age
- non-qualified deferred compensation plan with company contribution of 7% of variable pay
- starting at 4 weeks paid vacation
- 13+ holidays per calendar year
- Paid parental leave
- employee assistance program
- comprehensive health care plans and wellness programs
- onsite fitness (at some locations)
- tuition assistance program
- volunteer paid time off
- short-term and long-term disability plans
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
