Senior Engineer – Whole Vehicle Issue Management

Scout Motors • Charlotte, NC

4d • Onsite

About The Position

Scout Motors is seeking a highly experienced Senior Engineer – Whole Vehicle Issue Management to lead the tracking, coordination, and resolution of vehicle-level issues during prototype and pre-series phases. This role acts as the central control point for all vehicle issues, ensuring transparency, prioritization, and timely resolution across cross-functional teams. The position requires strong expertise in structured issue management (JIRA mandatory), a solid understanding of VW Group development processes, and the ability to operate effectively in a German-language engineering environment. In addition, this role is expected to actively drive AI and digital initiatives to improve issue management efficiency, data transparency, and decision-making.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Automotive, or related)
• 8–12+ years of experience in: Vehicle development, Integration / validation / pre-series, Issue management / problem resolution
• Mandatory advanced experience with JIRA (workflows, dashboards, system ownership)
• Strong understanding of whole vehicle development and system interactions
• Experience working with VW Group processes and structures
• Fluent German language skills (required)
• Proven ability to drive structured execution across complex organizations

Nice To Haves

• Direct experience leading Schadentisch or equivalent forums
• Experience with prototype / pre-series vehicle programs
• Familiarity with DVP and validation processes
• Exposure to AI tools, automation, or data analytics in engineering workflows
• Experience implementing digital efficiency improvements

Responsibilities

• Own and manage the central issue tracking for complete vehicle programs
• Drive structured issue management processes (Schadentisch) across all vehicle domains
• Ensure all issues are: Clearly documented, Properly categorized and prioritized, Assigned to responsible owners
• Maintain full visibility of issue status, progress, and resolution
• Use JIRA as the single source of truth for all issue tracking
• Define and maintain: Issue structures and taxonomy, Workflows and status logic, Dashboards and reporting views
• Ensure strict adherence to traceability, data quality, and update discipline
• Drive consistent and scalable use of JIRA across all stakeholders
• Lead and prepare regular Schadentisch / issue review meetings
• Ensure clear communication of: Critical issues, Escalations, Blocking topics
• Track decisions, actions, and follow-ups
• Drive accountability across engineering, validation, and supplier teams
• Act as central interface between: Engineering (all domains), Validation & test teams, Prototype / garage operations, Suppliers
• Ensure alignment on: Issue understanding, Root cause direction, Resolution timing and priorities
• Identify and escalate risks impacting: Vehicle functionality, Test readiness, Program milestones
• Ensure transparency of high-risk topics
• Support leadership decision-making through structured issue insights
• Ensure issues are properly investigated (not only symptom-based fixes)
• Track root cause identification and corrective actions
• Verify closure quality and prevent recurrence
• Promote structured problem-solving approaches across teams
• Proactively identify and implement AI-driven improvements in issue management processes
• Leverage AI tools to: Automating issue categorization and prioritization, Generate summaries of large issue datasets, Identify patterns, recurring failures, and systemic risks
• Improve JIRA usage efficiency through: Automation rules, Smart workflows, Data structuring and optimization
• Develop or support dashboards and insights that enhance real-time visibility
• Reduce manual reporting efforts through automation and AI-assisted workflows
• Act as a driver of digital transformation within V&V / integration operations

Benefits

• Competitive insurance including: Medical, dental, vision and income protection plans
• 401(k) program with: An employer match and immediate vesting
• Generous Paid Time Off including: 20 days planned PTO, as accrued, 40 hours of unplanned PTO and 14 company or floating holidays, annually
• Up to 16 weeks of paid parental leave for biological and adoptive parents of all genders
• Paid leave for circumstances related to bereavement, jury duty, voting time, or military leave
• Annual performance bonus program

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior