Systems Simulation Engineering Lead - Vehicle Performance & Fuel Economy (Duty cycle, Drivability, Thermal model)

Detroit Engineered Products; Michigan; On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Detroit Engineered Products seeks a senior Systems Engineer to lead cross-functional activities across vehicle performance and fuel economy modeling. The role focuses on coordinating model development, reviewing results, and aligning engineering deliverables with vehicle targets.

Strong expertise in thermal modeling, duty cycle, and driveability is required, with hands-on experience in MATLAB/Simulink or similar tools. Prior OEM or Tier-1 collaboration is a plus in this Michigan-based position.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of systems engineering in automotive vehicle development.
• Strong working knowledge of vehicle performance and fuel economy models.
• Experience with duty cycle and driveability model development.
• Familiarity with thermal models and integration into vehicle-level simulations.
• Ability to review and interpret modeling results, understanding models deeply.
• Experience tracking deliverables, requirements, and risks across engineering groups.
• Strong communication and cross-functional leadership.
• Experience working with MATLAB/Simulink, GT-Suite, AMESim or similar.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate systems engineering activities across vehicle performance and fuel economy modeling teams.
• Review and track outputs from vehicle performance and fuel economy models.
• Oversee duty cycle and driveability model development across groups.
• Review and track thermal model development and results.
• Work with modeling, simulation, and validation teams to ensure requirements are defined and met.
• Track program deliverables, milestones, and technical risks; report status to engineering leadership.
• Facilitate cross-functional alignment between systems engineering, simulation, and vehicle development teams.
• Ensure modeling outputs align with vehicle-level performance, fuel economy, and driveability targets.

Skills

Vehicle performance modeling

Fuel economy modeling

Duty cycle & driveability

Thermal modeling integration

Model review & interpretation

Program deliverables tracking

Cross-functional leadership

Simulation tools

Tools

MATLAB/Simulink

GT-Suite

AMESim

Job description

• Lead and coordinate systems engineering activities across vehicle performance and fuel economy modeling teams
• Review and track outputs from vehicle performance and fuel economy models
• Oversee duty cycle and driveability model development across groups
• Review and track thermal model development and results
• Work closely with modeling, simulation, and validation teams to ensure requirements are defined, understood, and met
• Track program deliverables, milestones, and technical risks; report status to engineering leadership
• Facilitate cross-functional alignment between systems engineering, simulation, and vehicle development teams
• Ensure modeling outputs align with vehicle-level performance, fuel economy, and driveability targets

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of systems engineering experience in automotive vehicle development
• Strong working knowledge of vehicle performance and fuel economy models
• Experience with duty cycle and driveability model development
• Familiarity with thermal models and their integration into vehicle-level simulations
• Ability to review and interpret modeling results — not necessarily build models, but understand them deeply
• Experience tracking program deliverables, requirements, and technical risks across engineering groups
• Strong communication and cross-functional leadership skills
• Experience working with simulation and modeling teams (MATLAB/Simulink, GT-Suite, AMESim, or similar)

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior OEM or Tier-1 experience (Stellantis, GM, Ford, etc.)
• Experience with vehicle-level energy management and fuel economy compliance
• Background in powertrain or vehicle integration
• Familiarity with driveability metrics and AVL Drive or equivalent