Development/Validation Engineer - Performance/Durability testing for E-Motors/Inverters

The Development & Validation Engineer for Electric Drive Systems will report directly to an Engineering Manager and indirectly to a Lead Engineer. They will serve as the single-point contact for Design Verification Plan & Report (DVP&R) activities for an Electric Drive System and/or component(s). This role will ensure activities are completed on-time and with quality. Additionally, this role will create standards and coordinate internal and external testing and related activities.

This role is a mix of project management and test engineering and is well suited for a person looking to expand their knowledge of automotive Electric Drive Systems. A qualified candidate will apply their first-principles mind-set to take ownership where ambiguity is present.

Major Job Elements:

• Establish yourself as the single-point contact for all DVP&R related activities
• Review and comprehend project timing charts and major deliverable dates
• Review and comprehend performance and durability requirements and adjust DVP&R accordingly
• Compile and release DVP&R(s)
• Track completion of all required DVP&R activities and technical reports
• Maintain overall status of DVP&R completion. Publish periodic status reports to leadership and stakeholders.
• Collect, process, and present typical engineering data, e.g. time-series data acquisition from physical testing
• Author technical reports for DVP&R activities
• Participate in Stellantis and Supplier meetings as the voice of the DVP&R. Provide verbal and written updates to leadership and stakeholders.
• Host periodic DVP&R-related tactical meetings including published minutes and action items
• Author incident reports via the Stellantis problem tracking system for product issues discovered during DVP&R activities
• Review and approve Supplier 8D reports for incidents occurring during DVP&R activities
• Comprehend accelerated testing and reliability demonstration, perform related calculations
• Provide indirect leadership for offshore Validation Engineers
• Create and document best practices for DVP&Rs and related components
• Coordinate with internal and external engineering stakeholders to develop test standards, testing protocols, and procedures
• Participate in Design Failure Mode Effects & Analysis (DFMEA) activities as a key contributor
• Lead Design Review Based on Test Results activities for Electric Drive Systems and related components
• Ensure readiness for in-house and outsourced test labs, including design and procurement of fixtures and Device Under Test (DUT) interconnects
• Develop application-specific durability tests based on expected customer usage and target life requirements
• Develop and employ accelerated test methods and test-to-failure techniques
• Support design change discussions. Make recommendations for DVP&R activities to detect possible failures.
• Write work orders, purchase requests, etc. for outsourced testing and other procurement
• Provide direction to offshore and external resources as needed
• Frequent day travel to local testing facilities, typically within 20 miles of the Chrysler Technology Center in Auburn Hills, MI

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree in engineering or related degree field
• 5 years of relevant experience
• English fluency, both written and verbal
• Strong interpersonal skills with experience interacting in customer-supplier scenarios and/or working in a unionized environment
• Strong technical report writing ability without an over-dependence on AI tools
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office products, including intermediate to advanced Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, and SharePoint
• Knowledge of automotive serial communication protocols including CAN and LIN
• Previous experience working with electric motors or power inverters

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's Degree in Engineering
• 4 or more years of professional working experience
• 2 or more years of experience testing electric motors or power inverter modules within a testing laboratory
• Above-average knowledge in a typical area of automotive validation testing, e.g. performance testing, thermal fatigue, mechanical fatigue, ingress protection, corrosion, electro-magnetic compatibility, etc.
• Knowledge and experience using measurement and data acquisition tools, post-processing tool chains, and test automation systems e.g. DMM, Insulation Meter, Hi-pot Tester, Surge Tester, Torque Transducer, Current Transducer, Rogowski Coil, K-type Thermocouples, Infrared Cameras, Accelerometer, NI PXI, ETAS, Dewesoft, Diadem, Matlab, AVL Puma, AVL Concerto, iTest, Python
• Previous experience working in the automotive industry, particularly in a facility that executes performance or durability testing for automotive components