Position Title: Ground Combat Vehicle Automotive Lead Engineer
Location: Huntsville, AL
Travel Required: Yes
Position Summary
The Automotive Lead Engineer is a senior technical role responsible for leading the engineering, design, integration, and sustainment of the vehicle's powertrain, drivetrain, power generation, environmental control, cab, and related automotive systems. This role ensures the vehicle meets performance, reliability, and cost goals while supporting broader engineering and program objectives. This position bridges the gap between vehicle-level requirements and subsystem-level engineering, ensuring the turret meets performance, safety, and operational needs. The role requires experience within the U.S. defense sector and the ability to collaborate with government customers, industry partners, and internal engineering teams.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
- Lead a cross-functional engineering team (mechanical, electrical, software, integration) to design, analyze, integrate, and test automotive systems and sub-systems for truck-based artillery vehicles.
- Ensure engineering deliverables meet customer and program requirements, including Statements of Work (SOW), schedules, costs, and risk management.
- Derive automotive requirements from vehicle-level specifications and translate them into engineering work packages.
- Manage the development of automotive systems and sub-system designs, perform performance analysis, and ensure compatibility with the vehicle platform.
- Manage engineering resources, assign tasks, and evaluate performance.
- Prepare and review engineering cost estimates, budget assessments, and technical reports for program management and finance.
- Serve as the technical lead between the engineering organization, program management, customers, suppliers, and contractors.
- Facilitate technical discussions and resolve integration challenges.
- Ensure Design Verification Test plans capture all data to validate requirements compliance.
- Lead new automotive projects, special assignments, and design/process improvement initiatives.
- Ability to lead diverse engineering teams, manage stakeholder expectations, and present technical solutions to senior management.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's or higher in Mechanical, Electrical, or Automotive Engineering, with advanced degrees preferred.
- Experience
10+ years' experience in automotive engineering, with experience in design, integration, and testing of combat vehicle subsystems. - Strong background in powertrain, drivetrain, and chassis systems.
- Proficiency in CAE (Computer-Aided Engineering) tools for system modeling and analysis.
- Proficiency in engineering analysis tools, vehicle dynamics, turret mechanics, and integration methodologies.
- Strong understanding of program management principles and cost control.
- Professional experience within the U.S. defense sector, including familiarity with DoW acquisition processes, standards, and regulations.
- Understanding of digital engineering and MBSE tools (e.g., Cameo, Rhapsody, or equivalent).
- Strong analytical skills and the ability to communicate technical information clearly in written and verbal formats.
- Ability to travel as required by program needs.
Preferred Qualifications
- Active DoW security clearance or the ability to obtain one.
- Experience with military ground vehicle systems.
- Familiarity with digital thread/digital twin environments and model-based program execution.
- Prior experience supporting large, complex defense acquisition programs or major system integrations.
