Senior Validation Engineer

Insight Global; Columbus (OH); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Insight Global in Columbus, OH is seeking a Product Validation Engineer to manage design verification and validation for automotive seating and interior products throughout the product development lifecycle. This role translates customer, regulatory, supplier, and internal requirements into executable DVP&R plans, coordinating testing from initial planning through final reporting.

It requires hands-on testing, CAE and test-result reviews, risk identification, and clear cross-functional

Qualifications

• Requires a bachelor's degree in engineering or related field.
• 5-7 years in automotive product development, validation, or testing.
• Experience managing validation from planning through reporting.
• Knowledge of DVP&R processes and automotive testing standards.

Responsibilities

• Create and maintain DVP&R plans with scope, samples, criteria, schedules, and responsibilities.
• Review customer, regulatory, internal, and supplier requirements for gaps or conflicts.
• Plan, coordinate, perform, and document physical testing for seating/interior products.
• Coordinate with design engineers, technicians, suppliers, laboratories, and quality teams.
• Analyze testing data, identify failure modes, and prepare technical reports.

Skills

Automotive product development

Validation & testing

DVP&R planning

Technical writing

Cross-functional communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related field

Tools

CAE

Excel

PowerPoint

Word

Outlook

Job description

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related field
• 5-7 years of automotive product development, validation, or testing experience
• Experience managing validation activities from planning through reporting
• Experience with DVP&R (Design Verification Plans & Reports)
• Knowledge of automotive testing standards (FMVSS, CMVSS, UN/ECE, IIHS, ASTM, SAE, OEM)
• Ability to review CAE reports, test results, and identify failure modes
• Strong technical writing, communication, and problem-solving skills
• Proficiency in Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Outlook, and scheduling tools

Plusses

• Experience working for an automotive OEM or Tier 1 supplier
• Automotive seating or interior product experience
• Experience working directly with testing technicians, suppliers, customers, and outside laboratories
• Experience developing specifications, test methods, acceptance criteria, and reporting standards
• Hands-on experience operating test equipment and data-acquisition systems
• Experience using CAE

Day to Day

• Create and maintain DVP&R plans, including testing scope, sample quantities, acceptance criteria, schedules, responsibilities, risks, and final conclusions
• Review customer, regulatory, internal, and supplier requirements to identify missing, conflicting, or unclear information
• Plan, coordinate, perform, and document physical testing for automotive seating and interior products
• Work with airbag testing
• Provide technical direction to testing technicians once testing methods have been established
• Analyze testing data, document failure modes, determine compliance, and prepare technical reports
• Review CAE reports and compare analytical results to physical testing data
• Coordinate with Design Engineers, technicians, suppliers, laboratories, manufacturing, quality teams, and customers
• Support root-cause analysis and develop practical countermeasure concepts for product failures

Job Description

The Product Validation Engineer manages design verification and validation activities for automotive seating and interior products throughout the product development lifecycle. This individual translates customer, regulatory, supplier, and internal requirements into executable DVP&R plans and coordinates testing from initial planning through final reporting. On a daily basis, they support physical testing, review CAE and test results, identify technical risks, and communicate concerns to engineering and cross-functional teams. They also help determine root causes when products do not meet requirements and work with Design Engineers to develop practical countermeasures. This is a technical, hands‑on role that requires strong automotive validation experience, project coordination skills, and the ability to manage multiple testing deliverables independently.