Senior Lead Engineer

Freedom Motors USA, Inc.; Battle Creek (MI); On-site; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Freedom Motors USA, Inc. is seeking a Lead/Senior Mechanical Engineer to drive design and development of wheelchair-accessible vehicle conversions from concept to production.

The role emphasizes cost reduction, manufacturability, and reliability in cross-functional collaboration with Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Purchasing, and Production teams. The successful candidate will bring 7+ years in automotive design, strong GD&T and DFMA knowledge, and proven leadership in vehicle integration

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or Automotive Engineering.
• 7+ years of professional automotive design and engineering experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead mechanical engineering and vehicle conversion projects from concept through production.
• Drive VA/VE initiatives to improve performance, quality, manufacturability, and cost.
• Identify design simplifications to reduce manufacturing costs and enhance customer experience.
• Design and develop mechanical systems, structures, and vehicle components.
• Apply engineering principles to vehicle integration and modification of production vehicles.
• Develop and modify 3D CAD models, assemblies, and drawings.
• Collaborate with Production, Manufacturing, Purchasing on design and cost reductions.
• Support prototyping, testing, validation, and production launches.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to other engineers.

Skills

Vehicle design

Mechanical design

DFMA

GD&T

Manufacturing collaboration

Technical leadership

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical or Automotive Engineering

Tools

Autodesk Inventor

SolidWorks

AutoCAD

Job description

About Freedom Motors USA

Freedom Motors USA is a leading manufacturer and retailer of wheelchair-accessible vehicles, dedicated to redefining mobility and helping individuals maintain independence through innovative vehicle solutions.

About the Role

The Lead/Senior Mechanical Engineer will play a key role in the design, development, and continuous improvement of Freedom Motors' wheelchair-accessible vehicle conversions.

This position will lead engineering projects from concept through design, prototyping, testing, validation, and production implementation. The ideal candidate will have strong automotive design experience and the ability to work closely with Engineering, Manufacturing, Production, Quality, Purchasing, and other cross-functional teams.

A major focus of the role will be identifying opportunities to improve product performance, quality, manufacturability, customer experience, and cost while maintaining the highest standards of safety and reliability.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead mechanical engineering and vehicle conversion projects from concept through production.
• Drive Value Analysis / Value Engineering (VA/VE) initiatives to improve product performance, quality, manufacturability, and cost.
• Identify opportunities to simplify designs, reduce manufacturing costs, improve assembly processes, and enhance the customer experience.
• Design and develop mechanical systems, structures, mechanisms, and vehicle components.
• Apply engineering principles to vehicle integration and modification of production vehicles.
• Develop and modify 3D CAD models, assemblies, and engineering drawings.
• Work closely with Production and Manufacturing to identify and resolve design and assembly challenges.
• Collaborate with Purchasing and suppliers on component design, sourcing, cost reduction, and implementation.
• Support prototyping, testing, validation, and production launches.
• Evaluate existing designs and develop innovative engineering solutions to improve functionality and reliability.
• Ensure designs meet applicable engineering, quality, dimensional, and manufacturing requirements.
• Participate in design reviews, problem-solving activities, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to other engineering team members.

What We're Looking For

• Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Automotive Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.
• 7+ years of professional experience in automotive design and engineering.
• Strong experience with mechanical design, vehicle engineering, and product development.
• Experience with vehicle modification, integration, conversion, or specialty vehicle applications is highly preferred.
• Strong understanding of GD&T and dimensional management.
• Experience working with manufacturing and production environments.
• Previous assembly plant launch or production launch experience preferred.
• Strong understanding of design for manufacturability and assembly (DFMA).
• Ability to analyze designs and identify opportunities for cost reduction and product improvement.
• Excellent written, verbal, and cross-functional communication skills.

Technical Skills

Experience with the following is preferred:

• Mechanism Design
• Vehicle Engineering & Integration
• Structural Design
• Suspension and chassis systems
• Door and liftgate systems
• Fuel, exhaust, cooling, and braking systems
• GD&T and Dimensional Management
• Design for Manufacturing & Assembly
• Root Cause Analysis and Problem Solving
• Quality and engineering design tools

Software

• Autodesk Inventor
• SolidWorks
• AutoCAD
• Microsoft Office
• Experience with additional CAD, PLM, or engineering software is a plus.

Why Join Freedom Motors USA?

At Freedom Motors USA, you’ll have the opportunity to make a direct impact on products that improve people’s mobility, independence, and quality of life. You’ll work in an environment where engineering ideas can move from concept to reality and where collaboration between Engineering, Manufacturing, Production, and other teams is essential to our success.

If you’re an experienced automotive engineer who enjoys solving complex design challenges, improving products, and seeing your work make a real-world difference, we’d like to hear from you.

Join Freedom Motors USA and help us continue to redefine mobility through innovative vehicle design and engineering.