Lead Engineering Technician – Vehicle

Jobtailor

Palo Alto (CA)

On-site

USD 120,000 - 160,000

Full time

7 days ago

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Job summary

Jobtailor in Palo Alto, CA seeks a hands-on Lead Instrumentation Engineer to join our automotive test team. You will install, validate, and troubleshoot sensors and data loggers, configure DAQ systems, and prepare vehicles for dynamic testing.

You will lead daily activities, prioritize work with test schedules, and collaborate with Engineering to meet objectives. Strong documentation and communication are essential as you document calibration data and test results.

Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering or equivalent combination of education and experience.
Proficiency in vehicle instrumentation, sensors, data acquisition, vehicle networks, and test support.
Ability to lead while contributing to the work, guide technicians, and maintain accountability.
Strong judgment, communication, organization, and problem-solving in a changing environment.
Ability to communicate and document work status, findings, risks, configurations, and open issues.
Knowledge of Linux, scripting, configuration control, and engineering workflow tools.
Knowledge of high-voltage electric vehicles and safety.
Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States; visa sponsorship is not available.

Responsibilities

Perform vehicle and subsystem instrumentation, data acquisition system setup, test preparation, troubleshooting, and test support alongside the technician team.
Lead daily activities by assigning and prioritizing work based on test schedules, vehicle availability, Engineering needs, and established program priorities.
Partner directly with Engineering to understand test objectives, instrumentation requirements, timing, and expected deliverables.
Install, configure, validate, troubleshoot, and remove sensors, instrumentation wiring, data loggers, and related test equipment.
Configure DAQ and verify sensors, data acquisition channels, and vehicle-network signals to ensure accurate and reliable test data.
Prepare and support vehicles for vehicle dynamics, braking, handling, durability, thermal, NVH, road, and proving-ground testing.
Participate in hands-on test execution, including pre-test inspections, system checks, system troubleshooting, and teardown.
Verify sensor operation, calibration status, signal quality, and vehicle configuration before releasing vehicles for testing.
Troubleshoot instrumentation and data-quality issues in partnership with Engineering.
Provide technicians with technical instruction while working alongside them to resolve complex installations, test setups, and system issues.
Review completed work and maintain accurate documentation on instrumentation records, calibration information, channel lists, issues, and deviations.
Communicate vehicle readiness, work status, test findings, risks, and blockers to Engineering and management.
Track assignments, test requests, issues, and deliverables using Jira and other Atlassian tools.
Identify tooling, equipment, material, vehicle, or workspace constraints and escalation to management.

Skills

Vehicle instrumentation

Data acquisition

Test support

Leadership

Communication

Documentation

Linux scripting

Problem-solving

Team coordination

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

Jira

Atlassian tools

Vehicle software flashing

Job description

Perform vehicle and subsystem instrumentation, data acquisition system setup, test preparation, troubleshooting, and test support alongside the technician team
Lead daily activities by assigning and prioritizing work based on test schedules, vehicle availability, Engineering needs, and established program priorities
Partner directly with Engineering to understand test objectives, instrumentation requirements, timing, and expected deliverables
Install, configure, validate, troubleshoot, and remove sensors, instrumentation wiring, data loggers, and related test equipment
Configure DAQ and verify sensors, data acquisition channels, and vehicle-network signals to ensure accurate and reliable test data
Prepare and support vehicles for vehicle dynamics, braking, handling, durability, thermal, NVH, road, and proving-ground testing
Participate in hands-on test execution, including pre-test inspections, system checks, system troubleshooting, and teardown
Verify sensor operation, calibration status, signal quality, and vehicle configuration before releasing vehicles for testing
Troubleshoot instrumentation and data-quality issues in partnership with Engineering
Provide technicians with technical instruction while working alongside them to resolve complex installations, test setups, and system issues
Review completed work and maintain accurate documentation on instrumentation records, calibration information, channel lists, issues, and deviations
Communicate vehicle readiness, work status, test findings, risks, and blockers to Engineering and management
Track assignments, test requests, issues, and deliverables using Jira and other Atlassian tools
Identify tooling, equipment, material, vehicle, or workspace constraints and escalation to management

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering or equivalent combination of relevant education and experience
Proficiency in vehicle instrumentation, sensors, data acquisition, vehicle networks, and test support
Ability to lead while contributing to the work, set priorities, guide technicians, and maintain accountability
Ability to translate engineering requirements, drawings, schematics, and procedures into executable work
Strong judgment, communication, organization, and problem-solving skills in a changing environment
Ability to communicate and document work status, findings, risks, configurations, and open issues
Ability to work safely and maintain an organized, efficient work environment
Ability to serve as a working lead in an automotive test, prototype, motorsports, aerospace, or similar development environment
Proficiency with vehicle instrumentation, data-acquisition, and dynamics-measurement systems
Knowledge of high-voltage electric vehicles, electrical safety, vehicle software flashing, and module or data-logger configuration
Familiarity with Linux, scripting, technical documentation, configuration control, and engineering workflow tools
Ability to develop and improve instrumentation standards, test procedures, and data-quality processes
Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States
Visa sponsorship is not available

Core Competencies

Demonstrates expertise in vehicle instrumentation, data acquisition systems, and test support, with a strong ability to lead teams and communicate effectively with engineering. Proficient in troubleshooting and ensuring data quality in dynamic testing environments.

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