Principal Engineer, Product Configuration

Blue Bird Careers•Troy, MI

4d•Onsite

About The Position

Blue Bird Corporation is seeking a Principal Engineer, Product Configuration to own the engineering product structure for a next-generation commercial chassis platform from concept through production launch. This role acts as the technical authority for product configurations, engineering Bills of Material (eBOM), manufacturing Bills of Material (MBOM), option structures, efficiency, engineering releases, and configuration governance. The position requires collaboration across Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Strategic Sourcing, Product Integration, and external partners to ensure the digital product definition accurately reflects the physical vehicle throughout its lifecycle. The engineer will develop configuration management processes, standards, and engineering data structures to support scalable product development, manufacturing, service, and future product expansion. This is a high-autonomy role for an experienced engineer who excels in ambiguous environments, enjoys creating structure, and desires ownership over foundational engineering systems for a new commercial chassis platform.

Requirements

Deep understanding of configurable product development, product structures, and engineering configuration management
Strong understanding of Engineering BOMs, Manufacturing BOMs, service structures, option management, and engineering releases
Experience with PLM systems (3DEXPERIENCE), or equivalent product lifecycle management platforms
Experience integrating engineering data with ERP systems such as SAP, Oracle, Epicor, or equivalent
Strong understanding of Engineering Change Orders (ECOs), Engineering Change Notices (ECNs), revision control, and product maturity management
Ability to read engineering drawings, CAD assemblies, specifications, and vehicle product structures
Experience supporting prototype development, manufacturing launch, and production change management
Strong analytical, troubleshooting, communication, and organizational skills
Ability to provide technical direction across engineering, manufacturing, suppliers, and business functions without direct authority
Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related technical discipline
10+ years of experience supporting configurable products, engineering configuration management, product data management, vehicle integration, or commercial vehicle product development
All candidates must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States and will be required to provide proof of employment eligibility at the time of hire.

Nice To Haves

Demonstrated ownership of product structures, BOM architecture, engineering releases, and configuration management from concept through production launch
Experience developing engineering data supporting manufacturing, supply chain, and production operations
Experience working across Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Product Management, and external suppliers
Experience implementing or improving PLM, ERP, product configuration, or engineering release processes
Experience with commercial chassis, body-on-chassis platforms, vocational vehicles, or heavy-duty vehicle development
Experience supporting clean-sheet vehicle programs or major platform redesigns
Experience developing configurable product architectures and option management strategies
Experience implementing PLM, digital thread, or Model-Based Enterprise (MBE) methodologies
CMII, CM2, CMPIC, or equivalent Configuration Management certification
Master's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Systems Engineering, or Business Administration
Experience supporting accelerated product launches in low-process engineering organizations

Responsibilities

Own the engineering product structure, configuration strategy, and digital product definition for the commercial chassis platform throughout the product lifecycle.
Develop and maintain Engineering Bills of Material (EBOM), Manufacturing Bills of Material (MBOM), configurable BOM structures, and product hierarchies supporting prototype, production, and service operations.
Establish configuration management standards, engineering release processes, product maturity states, revision control, and change governance to ensure product integrity.
Develop and maintain option logic, configuration rules, feature dependencies, effectivity, and product compatibility across multiple vehicle configurations.
Partner with engineering teams to evaluate Engineering Change Orders (ECOs) and Engineering Change Notices (ECNs), ensuring configuration integrity and downstream manufacturing readiness.
Partner with Systems Engineering, Product Integration, Manufacturing, Strategic Sourcing, Supply Chain, Quality, and Program Management to ensure engineering data accurately supports vehicle development and production.
Maintain alignment between engineering data, PLM systems, ERP systems, manufacturing execution systems, and downstream business processes.
Develop validation methods and perform configuration audits to ensure engineering data accuracy, completeness, traceability, and production readiness.
Support prototype builds, manufacturing launch, and production by resolving configuration issues, BOM discrepancies, engineering release conflicts, and product data challenges.
Drive improvements to product configuration processes, engineering data management, digital product definition, and release workflows supporting future platform scalability.
Create structure and drive execution where product definitions, engineering releases, manufacturing processes, and configuration requirements evolve simultaneously.