Senior Mechanical Engineer - Structures and Suspension

GILLIG; Livermore (CA); On-site; USD 75,000 - 163,570; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Premium benefits

Flexible schedules

Company-paid medical premiums

Job summary

A leading transit bus manufacturer in Livermore is seeking a Senior Mechanical Engineer to design and optimize mechanical systems for heavy-duty transit buses. This hands-on role involves BOM management and cross-functional collaboration, requiring 5+ years of experience in mechanical engineering and familiarity with vehicle design. The position offers a competitive salary range of $75,000 - $163,570 plus benefits.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years of engineering experience.
• Experience developing suspension kinematics and compliance models.
• Familiarity with automotive and heavy-duty vehicle design.

Responsibilities

• Create and maintain Bills of Materials (BOM).
• Collaborate across the organization to solve problems.
• Deliver projects on schedule and budget.

Skills

Mechanical Engineering

BOM management

CAD proficiency (NX, CREO, or SolidWorks)

Finite element analysis (FEA)

Design for Manufacturing (DFM)

Education

Bachelor or advanced degree in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

NX

CREO

SolidWorks

Job description

Senior Mechanical Engineer - Structures and Suspension

Livermore, CA

As the leading transit bus manufacturer in the United States, GILLIG buses play a critical role in environmental and social initiatives in communities across our nation. GILLIG is at the forefront of the transition to zero-emission vehicles and has a reputation for quality, reliability, durability, service, and support. From initial design through final assembly, each GILLIG bus is designed and built in Livermore, CA.

WHY GILLIG

• Leader in environmentally friendly mobility solutions including battery electric, hybrid electric, near-zero CNG and clean diesel transit buses
• Inclusive, family-oriented culture
• Stable, successful, and growing organization – a Bay Area business for over 132 years
• Flexible schedules (depends on project needs)
• Excellent compensation including company-paid medical premiums, generous retirement plan and other comprehensive benefits

DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW

GILLIG Engineering is responsible for the development, customization, and configuration of GILLIG’s clean technology heavy-duty transit buses. We design, analyze, test, launch, and problem-solve across a wide range of technical areas to deliver reliable buses that connect communities and reduce congestion.

Mechanical Engineering focuses on designing, developing, and optimizing mechanical systems and components such as chassis, HVAC, interior layout, and powertrain integration to ensure safety, durability, and performance. Collaboration with cross-functional teams ensures regulatory compliance, issue resolution during production, and cost-effective designs for heavy-duty transit buses.

ABOUT THE ROLE

The Senior Mechanical Engineer focuses on design and industrialization of content for GILLIG’s evolving product line. The engineer will influence complex vehicles, systems, and component-level designs, performing design, BOM development, application research, and other engineering duties to support manufacturing of heavy-duty transit buses. This role includes mentoring engineers within the team and is a direct, full-time position with GILLIG.

This is a hands-on, on-site role at our Livermore, CA plant and reports to the Manager – Powertrain & Structures, with direction from senior engineers as needed.

TECHNICAL FOCUS

Structures & Suspension

The GILLIG bus comprises welded, bolted, and riveted joints forming the primary structural elements. Fluency with sheet metal design from component to assembly (steel, stainless steel, aluminum), extrusions, and castings is typical daily work. In this role, you will design and review chassis, body structure, suspension, steering, and pneumatic brake systems to meet customer specifications and requirements. The Structures team integrates engineering mechanics, thermo-fluids, and design for manufacturing (DFM).

IN THIS ROLE YOU WILL

• Create and maintain Bills of Materials (BOM) and input on modular BOM structure to improve configuration efficiency

SCOPE OF THE ROLE

• Autonomy: Work independently with review at critical points
• Technically Minded: Apply industry practices and standards (NFPA, NEC, APTA) and provide guidance on standards. Use extensive professional knowledge to develop and resolve complex models and procedures
• Time Management: Deliver projects on schedule and on budget
• Communication: Collaborate and transfer knowledge across the organization, adapting style to different audiences
• Complexity: Manage a defined set of commodities or design elements; solve problems with diverse scope
• Quality & Standards: Ensure models, drawings, and documentation are accurate and complete; released designs are cost-effective, manufacturable, serviceable, and meet requirements

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor or advanced degree in Mechanical Engineering
• Minimum 5 years of engineering experience
• Automotive, commercial, and/or heavy-duty vehicle design familiarity; direct experience a plus
• Fluent with BOM, documentation control, and revision/version management; experience with configure-to-order and modular BOM a plus
• CAD proficiency (NX, CREO, or SolidWorks)
• Working knowledge of GD&T and drawing creation
• Experience with suppliers, testing, and validation engineers
• Design for Manufacturing (DFM), Design for Service (DFS), and cost-efficiency (Value Engineering)
• Hands-on troubleshooting, assembly, prototyping, testing, and validation (on-site and remote)
• Experience in vehicle structure design focusing on weight reduction, stiffness, and crash safety
• Ability to perform moderate to complex finite element analysis (FEA) for static/dynamic loading; fatigue knowledge a plus
• Experience developing suspension kinematics and compliance models
• Exposure to simulations predicting ride and handling; working knowledge of suspension geometry and parameter selection

WORK ENVIRONMENT

• Ability to lift 25 lbs
• Prolonged periods of sitting/standing at a desk and using a computer
• Occasional kneeling or squatting; regular movement around a manufacturing environment
• Must be able to meet physical requirements with or without accommodation
• Comfort around heavy machinery and tools
• Must wear Personal Protective Equipment as required
• Less than 10% travel

EXPECTED COMPENSATION

$75,000 - $163,570 annual salary + premium benefits

Pay varies based on location, knowledge, skills, and experience. Details of benefits will be provided with an offer.

Equal Opportunity

GILLIG is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to an inclusive and diverse workplace. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, pregnancy, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by law.