Product Engineer- Shocks & Struts

DRiV•Southfield, MI

20d

About The Position

The Product Engineer - Shocks & Struts is an entry-level engineering role supporting development, validation, application, release, resourcing, and ongoing technical support of aftermarket ride-control products. Reporting to the Engineering Manager, the role performs structured engineering analysis, supplier drawing review, test and product documentation, fitment support, and issue investigation under guidance. The position helps deliver products that meet approved performance, quality, appearance, fit, and timing requirements. This is an entry-level individual-contributor position with no direct reports. The engineer executes defined assignments using established procedures and receives guidance on complex, high-risk, safety-related, or nonstandard decisions. Findings and corrective actions are recommended for review and approval by senior engineering staff or the Engineering Manager. The role is primarily office- and engineering-lab-based, with possible product handling, vehicle inspections, test-area activities, and supplier or plant visits. It involves regular collaboration with Product Management, Quality, Purchasing, Operations, Customer Service, laboratories, manufacturing sites, and suppliers. Site location, work arrangement, schedule, and travel expectations require stakeholder confirmation.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Automotive Engineering, Materials Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.
Zero to two years of engineering, automotive, testing, supplier, manufacturing, internship, co-op, or related experience; the final threshold requires HR and hiring-manager confirmation.
Foundational understanding of mechanical engineering principles, engineering drawings, dimensions and tolerances, test methods, and structured problem solving.
Ability to organize technical information, manage multiple assignments, document work accurately, and communicate clearly.
Attention to detail, learning agility, and teamwork.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office and basic engineering software or drawing-viewing tools.

Nice To Haves

Relevant internship, co-op, academic project, or work experience involving automotive components, shocks and struts, suspension systems, product testing, CAD, GD&T, failure analysis, suppliers, APQP/PPAP, or quality systems.
Familiarity with IATF 16949 or ISO 9001 environments.

Responsibilities

Support product engineering activities for shocks, struts, strut assemblies, mounts, springs, and related ride-control components.
Review supplier drawings and prints using approved specifications, checklists, benchmark data, and procedures; identify dimensional gaps, missing information, and nonconformances.
Prepare and maintain review comments, RFQ inputs, technical checklists, test requests, DVP&R records, drawings, reports, engineering changes, and release-support documents.
Assist with design validation, PPAP readiness, sample inspection, dimensional review, vehicle fit checks, ride audits, test-data review, and comparison of supplier parts to requirements.
Collect, organize, analyze, and communicate engineering data to support decisions, issue investigation, and closure of supplier actions.
Participate in root-cause analysis for performance, durability, fitment, warranty, quality, and field concerns; document findings and support corrective-action verification.
Work with Product Management, Quality, Purchasing, Operations, Customer Service, laboratories, manufacturing sites, and suppliers to support new product introductions and ongoing product-line needs.
Maintain accurate, audit-ready engineering records and follow applicable company procedures, quality requirements, and approved product specifications.
Track assigned projects, drawings, samples, tests, risks, and due dates; escalate roadblocks and technical questions.
Follow established engineering standards, lessons learned, quality procedures, and document-control requirements.
Build product knowledge through hands-on assignments, coaching, and formal learning.