Electric Vehicle Integration & Validation Engineer

Optimal; Plymouth Charter Township (MI); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Optimal is seeking a Vehicle Integration & Validation Engineer to support the development, integration, testing, and validation of complete EV platforms. The role spans mechanical, electrical, controls, charging, thermal, chassis, and vehicle-level systems to ensure the vehicle performs as intended and is ready for production release.

The ideal candidate should be hands-on and comfortable working directly on vehicles, identifying cross-functional issues, developing test procedures, and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Automotive, or Mechatronics.
• Experience with automotive or EV development.
• Hands-on mechanical and electrical troubleshooting ability.
• Understanding of chassis, powertrain, thermal, electrical, and controls.
• Ability to read mechanical drawings, electrical schematics, and technical specifications.
• Familiarity with CAN communication and vehicle diagnostics.
• Experience using vehicle test and measurement equipment.
• Strong problem-solving, documentation, and communication skills.
• Ability to work across multiple engineering disciplines and take ownership of vehicle-level issues.

Responsibilities

• Plan and execute complete vehicle integration and validation testing.
• Validate mechanical and electrical vehicle systems (chassis, steering, powertrain, thermal, charging, controls).
• Support prototype builds and resolve integration issues between mechanical, electrical, and software.
• Perform road, functional, durability, and system-level validation.
• Evaluate vehicle performance, drivability, NVH, thermal behavior, and overall operation.
• Develop test plans, procedures, acceptance criteria, and validation reports.
• Perform regression testing after software, electrical, mechanical, or component changes.
• Support validation of new vehicle platforms and major engineering changes.
• Support development and operation of Plymouth R&D test facility.

Skills

Hands-on mechanics

Electrical troubleshooting

Problem-solving

Documentation

Communication skills

Cross-disciplinary collaboration

Education

Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering

Bachelor's in Electrical Engineering

Bachelor's in Automotive Engineering

Bachelor's in Mechatronics

Tools

CANalyzer

MATLAB

Simulink

Vehicle test equipment

Job description

Optimal is seeking a Vehicle Integration & Validation Engineer to support the development, integration, testing, and validation of complete EV platforms. The role spans mechanical, electrical, controls, charging, thermal, chassis, and vehicle-level systems to ensure the vehicle performs as intended and is ready for production release.

The ideal candidate should be hands-on and comfortable working directly on vehicles, identifying cross-functional issues, developing test procedures, and