Director of Engineering, Vehicle Conversions & Safety

Freedom Motors USA, Inc.; Battle Creek (MI); Vor Ort; USD 120.000 - 170.000; Vollzeit

Zusammenfassung

Freedom Motors USA, Inc. in Battle Creek, MI, is seeking a Director of Engineering to lead the team that designs, validates, and improves wheelchair-accessible vehicle conversions.

This hands-on leadership role will own the full engineering function from new platform concepts through crash validation and launch, sustaining current lineup, and design-for-manufacturability. You'll be the technical voice in decisions on OEM platforms and coordinate with Production, Quality, and Sales to ensure

Qualifikationen

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Automotive, Manufacturing, or related engineering discipline.
• 10+ years engineering experience in automotive or related manufacturing.
• 5+ years leading engineering teams; Director/Head of Engineering experience is a plus.
• Experience taking a product from concept through validation to production.
• Knowledge of FMVSS compliance for vehicle modifiers or second-stage manufacturers.
• Familiarity with crash testing, structural analysis and validation.
• Strong CAD and structural analysis fundamentals.
• Experience with DFMEA, PPAP, GD&T, and formal design reviews.
• Able to move between conference room and shop floor.

Aufgaben

• Develop, lead, mentor, and grow the engineering team across design, electrical, testing, and manufacturing.
• Oversee end-to-end product development from concept and CAD to prototype, validation, and production launch.
• Serve as the technical authority on regulatory compliance including FMVSS and NHTSA standards.
• Lead crash testing and structural validation programs with external vendors as needed.
• Partner with Production to improve manufacturability and reduce conversion time while maintaining safety and quality.
• Evaluate new OEM base vehicles and advise on feasibility, cost, and timelines for new conversions.
• Oversee engineering documentation, drawings, BOMs, and change management.
• Collaborate with Quality on root cause analysis and corrective actions.
• Support Sales and Service with technical expertise on custom and commercial builds.
• Set engineering budget, capital plan, and hiring roadmap.

Kenntnisse

Engineering leadership

Project management

Regulatory compliance

Communication skills

Talent development

Problem solving

Cross-functional collaboration

Manufacturing knowledge

FMVSS knowledge

Shop floor presence

Ausbildung

Bachelors in Mechanical/Automotive/Manufacturing

Tools

SolidWorks

CATIA

FEM software

GD&T tools

PPAP

Jobbeschreibung

Freedom Motors USA, Inc. in Battle Creek, MI, is seeking a Director of Engineering to lead the team that designs, validates, and improves wheelchair-accessible vehicle conversions.

This hands-on leadership role will own the full engineering function from new platform concepts through crash validation and launch, sustaining current lineup, and design-for-manufacturability. You'll be the technical voice in decisions on OEM platforms and coordinate with Production, Quality, and Sales to ensure