Principal Engineer Interiors

Singer Vehicle Design; Daventry; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary & benefits package

Career development and progression

Wellness and employee support

25 Days Holiday + Bank Holidays

Private medical insurance

On-site parking

Free refreshments

Company pension

Company events

Job summary

Singer Vehicle Design seeks a Principal Engineer to lead the design, development, and delivery of interior systems. You will serve as technical and project lead, coordinating with partners, Tier 1 suppliers, and internal departments to ensure high-quality automotive solutions.

You will own QCD, manage cross-functional teams, and drive DFMEA and risk assessment activities across programmes. Strong leadership and communication are essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, or Automotive Engineering, or equivalent experience.
• 8+ years of automotive engineering experience, including at least 2 years in a lead/project role.
• Solid understanding of APQP, PPAP, DFMEA, DVP&R.
• Experience working with OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers in a collaborative development environment.
• Strong leadership, communication, and organisational skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, development, and delivery of interior systems and components.
• Manage and support engineering projects from concept through to production.
• Own and manage QCD for project content and interface with suppliers and internal teams.
• Coordinate with Platform Chief Engineers and external partners to ensure on-time, cost-effective delivery.
• Lead DFMEA and risk assessment activities and resolve engineering issues.

Skills

Engineering leadership

Project management

Communication

Team coordination

Education

Bachelor's degree in mechanical or automotive engineering

Tools

3DX PLM

Teamcenter

Job description

Hours of Work: 08:00-17:00 Monday – Friday inclusive (with 45 minutes for lunch break at 13:00)

About Us

Singer is a dynamic and forward-thinking organisation; we are passionate about creating some of the most awesome automobiles in the world. Founded in California in 2009, Singer Vehicle Design is a luxury brand with a global clientele and operations in the US, the UK, and Switzerland. Our mission is described simply as: "A Relentless Pursuit of Excellence.”

We are proud to foster a collaborative and supportive environment where people can thrive. As we grow, we're looking for an experienced Principal Engineer to join our team and support our “Everything Is Important” culture.

Job Summary

As a Principal Engineer you will lead the design, development, and delivery of interior systems and components. This role serves as the technical and project lead, managing cross-functional teams and coordinating with partners, Tier 1 suppliers, and internal departments to ensure timely and cost-effective delivery of high-quality automotive solutions.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage and support engineering projects from concept through to production
• Lead and coordinate delivery of interiors across a series of programmes, collaborating closely with Platform Chief Engineers.
• Develop commodity plans, track milestones, and ensure adherence to budgets and schedules
• Own and manage QCD (Quality, Costs & Delivery) for your project content.
• Engage with strategic suppliers, ensuring technical requirements and performance targets are met, leading and/or supporting DFM activities, feeding back to internal stakeholders including the design studio
• Provide technical support during manufacturing, testing, and installation stages
• Represent the department for project status within relevant forums, e.g. ETRS
• Manage issue resolution, driving robust solutions through engineering change and into production
• Day to day management and coordination of activities and tasks for the engineering and CAD team.
• Own and deliver the engineering, validation and release of interior systems to meet design specifications, industry standards, regulatory requirements, and customer specifications
• Author test and validation requirements as required
• Lead DFMEA (Design Failure Mode and Effects Analysis) and risk assessment activities
• Assist in resolving engineering issues, quality concerns, and design changes
• Act as the main liaison between engineering, suppliers, customers, and internal departments
• Organise and lead technical reviews, meetings, and presentations
• Ability to communicate clearly & confidently at all levels of the business, written and verbal
• Maintain clear documentation of project progress, changes, and decisions

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, or Automotive Engineering, or equivalent experience.
• 8+ years of automotive engineering experience, including at least 2 years in a lead/project role.
• Solid understanding of automotive product development processes (APQP, PPAP, DFMEA, DVP&R).
• Experience working with OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers in a collaborative development environment.
• Strong leadership, communication, and organisational skills.

Experience Required

• Engineering leadership
• Strong analytic and problem-solving skills
• Ability to lead and support teams through change while managing multiple competing priorities in a fast‑paced environment.
• Ability to use own initiative
• Clearly summarise complex data and solutions to the wider team
• Be able to manage multiple and conflicting priorities

Personal Specification

• Experience with PLM systems (e.g., 3DX, Teamcenter)
• Knowledge of design validation and prototyping techniques
• Experience working in a client-facing or cross‑functional team environment
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills
• Build and foster professional relationships with stakeholders
• Flexibility – being prepared to work longer hours when occasionally required
• Willing to travel nationally and overseas.

What We Offer

• Competitive salary and benefits package
• Opportunities for career development and progression
• Supportive and inclusive work environment
• Wellness and employee support
• 25 Days Holiday + Bank Holidays
• Private medical insurance
• On‑site parking
• Free refreshments
• Company pension
• Company events

We are committed to building a team that includes individuals from different cultural backgrounds, ethnicities, genders, ages, sexual orientation, and physical abilities, reflecting the diversity of the communities where we work and live.

We encourage you to apply as soon as possible, Singer Body & Paint reserve the right to close this vacancy at any time if we receive a sufficient number of suitable applications.

To find out more about Singer Vehicle Design, take a look at our website: http://singervehicledesign.com