Senior Safety Restraints Engineer - Virtual Validation Lead

Karma Automotive; Irvine (CA); On-site; USD 170,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical Plan

Dental & Vision Plans

401(k) with Employer Match

Relocation Assistance

Sick Time & Vacation

Job summary

Karma Automotive in Irvine, CA, seeks a Technical Specialist – Safety Restraints to design and validate safety restraint components and steering wheel systems. You will benchmark competitors, identify suppliers, and develop test plans for virtual and physical validation, coordinating with interior teams to optimize performance.

The role requires a decade of automotive safety experience, strong FMVSS knowledge, and the ability to lead cross-functional programs in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Automotive Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in automotive passive safety, occupant restraint systems, interior systems, or related design and development.
• Strong knowledge of passive occupant safety and restraint systems, including seats, belts, airbags, and steering wheels.
• Knowledge of automotive interior systems including doors, trim, seats, dashboards, and HVAC.
• Strong knowledge of validation testing and development of countermeasures to improve performance.
• Experience with virtual validation methods and simulation tools for occupant safety or restraint-system development.
• Experience with FMVSS and other vehicle safety requirements.
• Knowledge of ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015 as applicable.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to identify issues and propose solutions.
• Ability to own complex engineering, analytical, and planning assignments.
• Ability to collaborate across cross-functional teams and drive programs forward.
• Ability to travel frequently in the U.S. and internationally.

Responsibilities

• Design and release restraint components and steering wheel with surrounding interior parts.
• Benchmark competitive vehicles, restraint systems, and technologies to set performance targets.
• Identify and assess viable suppliers based on capability, performance, quality, cost, timing, and risk.
• Develop test plans for component and system deployment tests (DVP&R).
• Plan and conduct virtual validation and correlate analytical results with physical tests.
• Analyze deployment, OOP, and sled test results.
• Optimize safety restraint systems with safety and interior teams via sled tests.
• Prepare test requirements for sled and OOP performance.
• Track development timing for each safety component and system.
• Propose design approaches to safety-related technical challenges across teams.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Skills

Automotive safety knowledge

Validation and analysis

Problem solving

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Fast-paced environment

Travel flexibility

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Electrical or Automotive Engineering

Tools

Simulation tools

DVP&R

Job description

Karma Automotive in Irvine, CA, seeks a Technical Specialist – Safety Restraints to design and validate safety restraint components and steering wheel systems. You will benchmark competitors, identify suppliers, and develop test plans for virtual and physical validation, coordinating with interior teams to optimize performance.

The role requires a decade of automotive safety experience, strong FMVSS knowledge, and the ability to lead cross-functional programs in a fast-paced environment.