Lead Concept Engineer

SACHA; Coventry; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

SACHA in the United Kingdom seeks a Lead Concept Engineer to drive concept development across niche vehicle programmes, translating customer requirements into robust vehicle architectures.

You will lead cross-functional teams, perform feasibility studies, manage risk, and ensure alignment with programme timing, cost, and performance targets. This role requires leadership in early development, CAD data review, and clear communications with senior stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in automotive concept engineering and vehicle integration.
• Proven track record delivering vehicle concepts from customer requirements through programme definition.
• Experience leading cross-functional engineering activities and managing stakeholders.
• Knowledge of vehicle architectures, systems integration, and homologation/regulatory requirements.

Responsibilities

• Lead vehicle concept development across multiple niche and specialist programmes.
• Define and maintain vehicle concepts, specifications, and system requirements.
• Develop targets for performance, mass, packaging, cost, manufacturability, and customer attributes.
• Coordinate concept activities across all vehicle engineering commodities.
• Lead concept reviews and support gateway deliverables.
• Develop high-level system integration strategies and assess technical risks.

Skills

Automotive concept engineering

Vehicle integration

Systems engineering

Cross-functional leadership

Stakeholder management

Gateway reviews

Vehicle architectures

Technical risk assessment

Job description

The Lead Concept Engineer is responsible for leading the creation, development, and delivery of vehicle concepts across a portfolio of niche, low-volume, and specialist vehicle programmes. The role ensures that customer requirements, vehicle attributes, performance targets, regulatory requirements, and engineering constraints are translated into robust vehicle concepts that provide a strong foundation for successful programme delivery.

Working as a key member of the vehicle engineering team, the Lead Concept Engineer will coordinate cross-functional concept activities, drive technical feasibility assessments, and provide engineering leadership from initial customer requirements through to programme definition and vehicle architecture sign-off.

The role requires an individual capable of operating in a fast-paced environment where customer expectations, vehicle specifications, and programme objectives may differ significantly between projects

Key Responsibilities

Vehicle Concept Leadership

• Lead vehicle concept development activities across multiple niche and specialist vehicle programmes.
• Define and maintain vehicle concepts, technical specifications, and system requirements from programme inception.
• Develop vehicle-level targets covering performance, mass, packaging, cost, manufacturability, and customer attributes.
• Ensure concept feasibility aligns with programme objectives and business strategy.
• Support vehicle architecture definition and technology selection activities.
• Lead concept reviews and support programme gateway deliverables.

Requirements & Attribute Development

• Capture and translate attribute requirements into engineering specifications.
• Develop vehicle attribute targets including:
• Performance
• Ergonomics
• Usability
• Safety
• Quality perception
• Support target setting and requirements decomposition across engineering commodities.

Technical Feasibility & Architecture Development

• Conduct concept feasibility studies and trade-off analyses.
• Evaluate alternative vehicle architectures and engineering solutions.
• Assess technical risks associated with new technologies, systems, and customer requirements.
• Support platform adaptation and carry-over component strategies.
• Develop high-level system integration strategies.
• Coordinate concept activities across all vehicle engineering commodities.
• Work closely with Packaging, Chassis, Body, Electrical, Interior, Manufacturing, and Purchasing teams.
• Ensure vehicle concepts remain technically robust and commercially viable.
• Manage concept-level issues and drive effective resolution plans.

CAD and Digital Development

• Support creation and review of concept CAD layouts and vehicle architecture models.
• Create concept CAD data for a broad range of commodity areas such as Body, Electrical, Chassis and Powertrain.
• Management of a concept CAD product structure.
• Support digital reviews and virtual validation activities.
• Act as the primary engineering contact for concept-related discussions with customers.
• Support workshops and technical reviews with key system suppliers.
• Engage with suppliers to assess feasibility of innovative or specialist solutions.
• Present vehicle concepts and engineering recommendations to senior stakeholders.
• Support programme planning and concept phase deliverables.
• Identify and manage technical risks during early development phases.
• Contribute to programme status reporting and engineering reviews.
• Ensure concept activities support programme timing, cost, quality, and performance objectives.
• Vehicle concept definitions and architecture studies.
• Vehicle technical specifications and target cascades.
• Requirements and attribute documents.
• Feasibility studies and trade-off assessments.
• Concept CAD layouts and engineering proposals.
• Technical risk assessments and mitigation plans.
• Design review presentations and engineering reports.

Required Skills & Experience

• Significant experience in automotive concept engineering, vehicle integration, or systems engineering.
• Proven track record developing vehicle concepts from customer requirements through programme definition.
• Experience leading cross-functional engineering activities.
• Strong understanding of vehicle architectures and systems integration.
• Experience managing technical stakeholders and customer interfaces.
• Knowledge of automotive development processes and gateway reviews.
• High-performance and niche sports car development experience would be advantageous.
• Experience within low-volume or specialist vehicle programmes.
• Vehicle attribute development and target setting experience.
• Understanding of homologation and regulatory requirements.