Vehicle Safety Test Engineer

Alten USA; Newark (CA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 105,000; Full time

Job summary

ALTEN Technology USA is seeking a hands-on Vehicle Safety Test Engineer in Newark, CA to support vehicle crash testing, passive safety development, and validation activities for electric vehicles.

The ideal candidate has extensive experience with vehicle crash testing, data acquisition systems, and vehicle preparation, with opportunities to collaborate across engineering teams and suppliers.

Qualifications

• 5+ years with lab instrumentation and data acquisition systems.
• 5+ years supporting vehicle crash testing and automotive safety programs.
• 5+ years rebuilding, modifying, or preparing vehicles for testing activities.
• Apprenticeship, vocational training, or equivalent technical experience in automotive or related disciplines.
• Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, hands-on engineering environment.
• Ability to lift, move, and prepare test hardware and vehicle components as required.
• Willingness to travel to domestic test locations as needed.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute vehicle safety test plans, including full vehicle crash tests, subsystem testing, and component-level evaluations.
• Prepare vehicles, components, and instrumentation for safety testing and validation activities.
• Operate and maintain test equipment, instrumentation, and data acquisition systems.
• Analyze test results and provide detailed reports with recommendations for design improvements.
• Partner with cross-functional teams including Structures, Interiors, Restraints, and CAE to identify and resolve safety performance issues.
• Support passive safety target development and validation efforts for new vehicle programs.
• Maintain test schedules, Design Verification Plans (DVPs), and resource requirements.
• Communicate test readiness, status updates, and results to leadership and project stakeholders.
• Coordinate with suppliers and external testing facilities to ensure successful execution of safety tests and regulatory compliance.

Skills

Lab instrumentation

Vehicle crash testing

Vehicle prep for testing

Vocational training

Troubleshooting

Hands-on engineering

Manual handling

Travel willingness

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical/Automotive Engineering

Job description

We’re ALTEN Technology USA, an engineering company helping clients bring groundbreaking ideas to life—from advancing space exploration and life-saving medical devices to building autonomous electric vehicles. With 3,000+ experts across North America, we partner with leading companies in aerospace, medical devices, robotics, automotive, commercial vehicles, EVs, rail, and more.

As part of the global ALTEN Group—57,000+ engineers in 30 countries—we deliver across the entire product development cycle, from consulting to full project outsourcing.

When you join ALTEN Technology USA, you’ll collaborate on some of the world’s toughest engineering challenges, supported by mentorship, career growth opportunities, and comprehensive benefits. We take pride in fostering a culture where employees feel valued, supported, and inspired to grow.

Workplace : On-site, 5 days per week

Location : Newark, CA

Travel : Up to 25% travel to vehicle test sites throughout the USA

Salary : $100-105k

We are seeking a hands-on Vehicle Safety Test Engineer to support vehicle crash testing, passive safety development, and validation activities. This role plays a critical part in ensuring our vehicles meet internal safety targets, regulatory requirements, and consumer safety standards.

The ideal candidate will have extensive experience with vehicle crash testing, data acquisition systems, and vehicle preparation. This position offers the opportunity to work cross-functionally with multiple engineering teams while supporting the development of industry-leading electric vehicles.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute vehicle safety test plans, including full vehicle crash tests, subsystem testing, and component-level evaluations.
• Prepare vehicles, components, and instrumentation for safety testing and validation activities.
• Operate and maintain test equipment, instrumentation, and data acquisition systems.
• Analyze test results and provide detailed reports with recommendations for design improvements.
• Partner with cross-functional teams including Structures, Interiors, Restraints, and CAE to identify and resolve safety performance issues.
• Support passive safety target development and validation efforts for new vehicle programs.
• Maintain test schedules, Design Verification Plans (DVPs), and resource requirements.
• Communicate test readiness, status updates, and results to leadership and project stakeholders.
• Coordinate with suppliers and external testing facilities to ensure successful execution of safety tests and regulatory compliance.

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience working with laboratory instrumentation and data acquisition systems.
• 5+ years of experience supporting vehicle crash testing and automotive safety programs.
• 5+ years of experience rebuilding, modifying, or preparing vehicles for testing activities.
• Apprenticeship, vocational training, or equivalent technical experience in automotive or related disciplines.
• Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, hands-on engineering environment.
• Ability to lift, move, and prepare test hardware and vehicle components as required.
• Willingness to travel to domestic test locations as needed.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Automotive Engineering, or a related field.
• Experience with passive safety development and crashworthiness testing.
• Familiarity with vehicle instrumentation, sensors, high-speed data acquisition, and crash test setup.
• Understanding of global vehicle safety regulations and consumer testing requirements.

Salary Range

• $100,000 - 105,000
• The actual salary offered is dependent on various factors including, but not limited to, location, the candidate’s combination of job-related knowledge, qualifications, skills, education, training, and experience

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, age, genetic information, or pregnancy.

Compliance Notice: Alten USA is a federal contractor subject to the requirements of the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) and Executive Order 11246. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.

Drug Screening Requirement: As a federal contractor, Alten USA maintains a drug-free workplace. All candidates selected for employment will be required to successfully complete a pre-employment drug screening as a condition of hire.