Powertrain Test Lab Engineering Lead

Polaris Inc.; Wyoming (OH); On-site; USD 126,000 - 166,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Wellness programs

Paid time off

Gym & personal training reimbursement

Life insurance and disability

Job summary

Polaris Inc. is seeking a Powertrain Test Engineering Leader to guide multiple powertrain laboratory teams across development and validation.

You will own lab performance, capital planning, and continuous improvement, partnering with engineering, facilities, IT, and vendors to ensure robust test infrastructure and processes for efficient powertrain development. Required: Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering, 8+ years in powertrain or lab engineering, and prior leadership experience.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or related technical field.
• Minimum of 8 years of experience in powertrain development, testing, or laboratory engineering.
• Prior leadership experience managing engineering teams is preferred.
• Strong understanding of engine and powertrain systems, testing methodologies, and laboratory environments.
• Experience with dynamometer systems, emissions testing, and test data analysis is strongly preferred.
• Occasional off‑hours support may be required for critical testing or issue resolution.
• Travel as required, typically less than 10%.
• This position is not eligible for sponsorship.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of test engineers supporting multiple powertrain laboratory functions.
• Own overall performance of powertrain laboratory systems and engineering support across development and validation labs.
• Establish priorities, expectations, accountability, and technical ownership within the test engineering team.
• Drive resolution of complex lab and testing issues by ensuring clear ownership, timely closure, and effective cross-functional alignment.
• Improve lab uptime, test readiness, throughput, data quality, and responsiveness to program needs.
• Plan and allocate engineering resources supporting powertrain lab operations while balancing workload, priorities, and technical support across labs.
• Identify resource, capability, and process gaps and develop mitigation plans to support business priorities.
• Own development and execution of the powertrain lab capital roadmap, including project definition, justification, prioritization, and implementation.
• Lead near‑term and long‑term lab capability roadmap planning aligned to product development needs, regulatory requirements, and future technologies.
• Partner with lab managers, product development, validation, field performance, facilities, IT, vendors, and external partners to support lab operations and improvements.
• Manage powertrain lab‑related budgets, including labor, capital, and expenses.
• Define, track, and improve key lab performance metrics such as utilization, downtime, throughput, and quality.

Skills

Leadership

Business acumen

Technical expertise

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

Dynamometer systems

Emissions testing

Test data analysis

Job description

Polaris Inc. is seeking a Powertrain Test Engineering Leader to guide multiple powertrain laboratory teams across development and validation.

You will own lab performance, capital planning, and continuous improvement, partnering with engineering, facilities, IT, and vendors to ensure robust test infrastructure and processes for efficient powertrain development. Required: Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering, 8+ years in powertrain or lab engineering, and prior leadership experience.