Service Engineer

KIA Motors Group; Irvine, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 77,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Premium medical benefits

Paid time off

Lease and purchase programs

Job summary

Kia Motors Group in Irvine, CA, is seeking a Service Engineer to represent the voice of North American customers in quality concerns and countermeasure development for Kia America’s dealer network.

The role requires hands-on automotive diagnostics, data analysis of field/warranty information, coordination with cross-functional teams, and timely communication of findings. Travel up to 25% is required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or Automotive Technology is required.
• 0-3 years for Engineer I or 2-6 years for Engineer II in automotive QA/Engineering roles.
• Valid driver’s license and willingness to travel 25% domestically/internationally.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the SME for quality issues in North America.
• Identify and resolve Kia vehicle quality concerns and coordinate investigations.
• Review quality data sources (Field Quality Reports, Warranty, Techline, etc.) to craft action plans.
• Prepare countermeasures publications (TSBs, Pit Stops) for field dissemination.

Skills

Quality engineering

Automotive systems knowledge

Investigation skills

Hands-on diagnostics

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering or Automotive Technology

Job description

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At Kia, we’re creating award-winning products and redefining what value means in the automotive industry. It takes a special group of individuals to do what we do, and we do it together. Our culture is fast-paced, collaborative, and innovative. Our people thrive on thinking differently and challenging the status quo. We are creating something special here, a culture of learning and opportunity, where you can help Kia achieve big things and most importantly, feel passionate and connected to your work every day.

Kia provides team members with competitive benefits including premium paid medical, dental and vision coverage for you and your dependents, 401(k) plan matching of 100% up to 6% of the salary deferral, and paid time off. Kia also offers company lease and purchase programs, company-wide holiday shutdown, paid volunteer hours, and premium lifestyle amenities at our corporate campus in Irvine, California.

Status

Exempt

General Summary

The Service Engineering group works as part of Kia North America Product Quality to represent the voice of the North American customer in the identification of vehicle quality concerns and development of countermeasures for Kia America’s vast dealership network. This team collaborates with various engineering groups in North America and/or Korea to turn this goal into reality.

The Service Engineer has strong influence over customer perception of Kia vehicle quality. This role will be relied upon to quickly identify emerging issues in the North American market, initiate investigations to resolve such issues and provide resolution to address vehicle production and/or vehicles in the field. To support this, a strong foundation in Quality disciplines along with the ability to make thorough and accurate assessments with minimal supervision is required for success.

On a day-to-day basis, the Service Engineer investigates vehicle quality concerns, analyzes field and warranty data, coordinates cross-functional investigations, validates corrective actions, and communicates findings to internal and external stakeholders.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Priority One – 35%

• Serve as the SME for quality issues that involve his or her assigned area of responsibility for Kia vehicles in North America.
• Manage Vehicle Quality by identifying, investigating, and resolving product quality/service concerns related to Kia vehicle(s).
• Identify potential quality issues and elevate high-priority concerns through Quality Information Reports submitted to Kia Engineering, Manufacturing Plants and Quality stakeholders in Korea and North America.
• Review data sources such as Field Quality Reports, Warranty information, Techline Assistance, Customer Care, and social media analysis reports to develop the appropriate action plan for quality improvement.

Priority Two – 35%

• Actively participate in regular quality meetings with stakeholders in North America and Korea.
• Initiate, support and actively track progress on field investigations and/or Go&See activities of potential quality concerns in collaboration with Korea/North American Engineering teams, including but not limited to Kia Corporation, Hyundai America Technical Center Inc., Hyundai/Kia North American Quality Center, Kia Georgia, Kia Mexico, Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America.
• Coordinate and prepare publications, such as TSBs or Pit Stops, to disseminate countermeasure to the field.
• Monitor countermeasure effectiveness and recurrence prevention through analysis of available data sources, including comeback analysis and all other after-countermeasure occurrences.

Priority Three – 30%

• Support product audits through a combination of plant audits (Point of Departure) and port audits (Port of Entry).
• Review and utilize results from Kia America’s performance in studies such as J.D. Power Initial Quality Study, J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study, and Consumer Reports Reliability Rankings to improve Kia Quality.
• Successfully complete various ad-hoc requests.

Qualifications/Education

Bachelor’s degree in an Engineering discipline, Automotive Technology, or equivalent work experience required.

Job Requirement

Engineer I: Minimum 0-3 years of experience required in automotive technical positions such as Quality Assurance or Engineering function, or in an equivalent engineering environment depending on relevant degree.

Engineer II: Minimum 2-6 years of experience required in automotive technical positions such as Quality Assurance or Engineering function, or in an equivalent engineering environment depending on relevant degree.

• Previous experience within an Automotive OEM Quality department is a plus.

Specialized Skills and Knowledge Required

• Strong working knowledge of automobiles with the ability to perform hands-on vehicle system assessments.
• Engineers need to be able to work independently and conduct their own investigations.

Other Requirements

• Must have a valid driver’s license. This position requires driving as an essential function and related to the legitimate business purpose for this role.
• 25% business travel required domestically and/or internationally, often with limited notice.
• Other duties as assigned.
• Care for People
• Chase Excellence Every Day
• Dare to Push Boundaries
• Empower People to Act
• Move Further Together

Pay Range

$77,105.26 - $110,272.21

Pay will be based on several variables that are unique to each candidate, including but not limited to, job-related skills, experience, relevant education or training, etc.

KUS provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, including pregnancy and childbirth and related medical conditions, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, legally protected physical disability or mental disability, legally protected medical condition, marital status, sexual orientation, family care or medical leave status, protected veteran or military status, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. KUScomplies with applicable law governing non-discrimination in employment in every location in which KUS has offices. The KUSEEO policy applies to all areas of employment, including recruitment, hiring, training, promotion, compensation, benefits, discipline, termination and all other privileges, terms and conditions of employment.

Disclaimer: The above information on this job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification and for this position. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees assigned to this job.