Staff Mechanical Engineer - Chassis Design

Lightship; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 130,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare, Dental, Vision

401k

Flexible PTO

13 Company Holidays

12 weeks paid parental leave

RV/LightTrip stipend

Job summary

Lightship, the American all-electric RV startup, seeks a Staff Chassis Systems Design Engineer to own chassis structures from concept through production release. You will lead design, analysis, and validation of suspension, braking, and drive-unit integration for production-ready vehicles.

The role demands strong CAD skills (CATIA/3DEXPERIENCE), deep understanding of load paths, FEA and GD&T, and close collaboration with suppliers and cross‑functional teams to ensure manufacturability,

Qualifications

• B.S. in Mechanical Engineering or related technical discipline; M.S. preferred.
• 8+ years of mechanical/structural design experience in automotive or related industries.
• Experience developing mechanical systems from concept to production release.
• Strong understanding of vehicle loads, load paths, stress, fatigue and suspension/braking principles.
• Proficiency with 3D CAD and engineering drawings; CATIA 3DEXPERIENCE preferred.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop vehicle chassis systems and components from concept through production.
• Translate vehicle/system requirements into detailed designs meeting strength, stiffness, durability, mass, packaging, cost, and manufacturability targets.
• Define load cases, load paths, and perform calculations for static, stress, deflection, fatigue, and fastener analyses.
• Develop interfaces, tolerances, datum structures, and packaging requirements; apply GD&T per ASME Y14.5.
• Create, release, and maintain production-quality CAD drawings, specifications, and documentation.
• Select materials and manufacturing processes considering cost and performance.
• Lead or support design verification, risk assessments, and validation plans.
• Support prototype and production builds, troubleshoot fit and assembly issues, and drive corrective actions.
• Collaborate with suspension, braking, powertrain, body, CAE, manufacturing, quality, and supplier teams.

Skills

Mechanical design fundamentals

CAD ability

Cross-functional collaboration

Communication skills

Education

B.S. in Mechanical Engineering (or related)

M.S. preferred

Tools

CATIA 3DEXPERIENCE

GD&T

FEA

Job description

Overview

Lightship is the first American all-electric recreational vehicle manufacturer currently developing an aerodynamic, battery-powered trailer for the electric age. As the macro transition to an all-electric transportation ecosystem accelerates, Lightship is bringing the increased convenience and superior performance that electrification offers to a pastime enjoyed by over 11 million American families.

Honoring Diverse Perspectives

Lightship is committed to hiring and developing top talent from diverse backgrounds. We believe representing and supporting diverse groups is key to the success of our team members, customers, shareholders and the achievement of our mission and vision. We operate in a collaborative environment with a flat organizational structure and expect a high degree of integrity, autonomy and creativity from all members of the team.

About the Role

As a Staff Chassis Systems Design Engineer, you will be responsible for the design, development, integration, and validation of vehicle chassis structures and related mechanical systems. This position will own components and assemblies from requirements definition and concept development through detailed design, prototype build, validation, and production release.

The ideal candidate has strong mechanical design fundamentals, CAD ability, understands structural load paths and vehicle-level interfaces, and can develop manufacturable designs using sound engineering judgment, analysis, and testing.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop vehicle chassis systems and components, including suspension, braking, drive unit integration, wheels and tires, structural members, brackets, mounts, crossmembers, and subframes from concept through production.
• Support definition and translate vehicle- and system-level requirements into detailed designs that meet strength, stiffness, durability, mass, packaging, serviceability, cost, and manufacturability targets.
• Define subsystem load cases and structural load paths, and perform engineering calculations including static loading, stress, deflection, bolted-joint analysis, fatigue, and appropriate factors of safety.
• Develop component and assembly interfaces, mounting strategies, datum structures, tolerances, clearances, and packaging requirements; apply GD&T and tolerance analysis in accordance with ASME Y14.5.
• Create, release, and maintain production-quality 3D CAD, engineering drawings, specifications, and other design documentation throughout the product development lifecycle.
• Select appropriate materials and manufacturing processes based on design requirements, production volumes, cost, and performance, including welded/fabricated structures, sheet metal, machining, castings, forgings, and extrusions.
• Lead or support engineering analysis and risk-assessment activities including design reviews, CAE, DFMEA, PFMEA, tolerance analysis, trade studies, and functional analysis.
• Develop and execute component and subsystem Design Verification and Production Validation plans, evaluate test results and failures, and implement design improvements and corrective actions.
• Support prototype and production vehicle builds, troubleshooting fit, function, packaging, manufacturing, and assembly issues through root-cause resolution.
• Support supplier selection and serve as the primary engineering interface with chassis component suppliers throughout RFQ, DFM, prototyping, validation, tooling, and production readiness.
• Collaborate with suspension, braking, powertrain, body, electrical, CAE, manufacturing, quality, and supplier engineering teams to ensure successful vehicle-level integration.

Minimum Qualifications

• B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Automotive Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related technical discipline; M.S. preferred.
• 8+ years of relevant mechanical or structural design experience in automotive, commercial vehicle, off-highway, motorsports, aerospace, or a similar industry.
• Demonstrated experience developing mechanical systems or components from concept through prototype, validation, and production release.
• Understanding of mechanical engineering fundamentals, including vehicle loads, structural load paths, stress, stiffness, fatigue, bolted joints, and suspension and braking principles.
• Proficiency with 3D CAD and engineering drawing creation; CATIA 3DEXPERIENCE experience preferred.
• Working knowledge of GD&T, tolerance analysis, and design for manufacturing and assembly.
• Experience with common chassis manufacturing processes, including welded steel or aluminum structures, sheet metal, machining, castings, forgings, or similar processes.
• Experience working directly with suppliers, manufacturing teams, and cross-functional engineering organizations to resolve design and production issues.
• Collaborative and detail-oriented, with strong written and verbal communication skills and a commitment to engineering quality and thoroughness.

Preferred Qualifications

• 5+ years of direct experience designing and integrating vehicle chassis, suspension, steering, braking, axle, wheel-end, frame, or subframe systems.
• Experience developing vehicles or mechanical systems in low- to medium-volume production environments.
• Experience with structural FEA, fatigue analysis, modal analysis, and vehicle durability analysis.
• Experience developing and executing DVP&R or equivalent design verification and validation plans.
• Experience applying AIAG/VDA DFMEA methodologies.
• Hands-on experience with vehicle assembly, fabrication, machining, welding, instrumentation, or mechanical testing.

Annual salary range: $130,000-150,000. Lightship compensation consists of the yearly salary plus equity, which gives you a stake in the company.

Employee Benefits & Philosophy - Applies to Full Time Employees only

• - Healthcare, Dental, Vision
• - 401k
• - Flexible Paid Time Off - that we actually want you to use!
• - 13 Company Holidays: 8 throughout the year + the company observes a week of scheduled downtime during the end of the year, allowing all employees to enjoy a break
• - 12 weeks paid parental leave
• - Yearly LightTrip stipend for an RV trip &/or professional development opportunities

Lightship offers all of its full time employees and their dependents full benefits including health, dental and vision insurance. We are on a mission to create a more healthful all-electric experience for a pastime that millions of families enjoy and believe strongly that our team should not have to worry about quality healthcare for themselves or their loved ones along the way.