Principal Engineer - SSI

Responsibilities & Key Deliverables

Safety Validation Plan Preparation:

• Develop comprehensive vehicle-level safety validation plans that are aligned with both the overall vehicle development timeline and specific project safety targets, ensuring that all safety aspects are addressed from the beginning.
• Create detailed Design Validation Plans (DVPs), documenting safety requirements and methodologies to be followed across various stages of vehicle design and testing, facilitating effective communication among project stakeholders.
• Consider exposure to safety budget preparation as an added advantage, as it will assist in planning and resource allocation for safety validation processes.

Safety Benchmarking and Concept Evaluation:

• Conduct thorough safety benchmarking analyses to evaluate industry trends, standards, and competitor safety performance, providing insights that would guide our design and development process.
• Provide design inputs at early stages regarding safety-critical parameters, such as restraint configurations, front-end spaces, and specifications for subsystems like seating, steering columns, bumpers, and Body in White (BIW) elements.

Safety Testing and Validation:

• Prepare exhaustive specifications for crash tests, and coordinate effectively with the project team to guarantee that the correct test vehicles are built to meet safety protocols.
• Oversee safety testing activities, including coordinating tests, analyzing data, and preparing detailed reports that present actionable recommendations for safety performance improvements.

Airbag ECU Calibration:

• Lead and manage the calibration activities for airbag electronic control units (ECUs) as a critical part of the vehicle safety performance validation process, ensuring optimal performance in real-world scenarios.

Cross-Functional Team (CFT) Coordination:

• Engage collaboratively with Computer-Aided Engineering (CAE) teams to effectively interpret simulation reports, ensuring that necessary calibration activities are implemented.
• Work closely with subsystem teams—including BIW, Instrument Panels (IP), seating systems, steering systems, and restraints—to guarantee their contributions are synergistic and aligned towards achieving superior vehicle safety performance.
• Coordinate with homologation teams to arrange vehicle safety certification tests, aligning processes with relevant safety standards and regulatory requirements.
• Partner with project teams to maintain high standards for crash vehicle builds, ensuring compliance with engineering specifications and safety protocols throughout the design to test stages.

Experience

The ideal candidate will possess between 12 and 16 years of progressive experience in the automotive industry, preferably with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) or Tier 1 suppliers of automotive components.

• Demonstrated proficiency in both vehicle and system-level crash testing methodologies, incorporating practical knowledge of safety systems and engineering principles.
• Sound knowledge of various vehicle safety protocols such as AIS, NCAP, and ECE Safety Regulations, along with a history of compliance in past roles.
• Experience in the analysis of safety test data using advanced tools like Diadem, PC-Crash, and MotionView, with a clear record of deriving actionable insights from data analysis.
• Proficiency in using design tools including Catia V5 for Solid, Surfacing, Assembly, and Drafting, as well as Teamcenter Engineering for project management and documentation.
• Strong understanding of Geometric Dimensioning & Tolerancing (GD&T) principles and tolerance stack-up methodologies.
• Expertise in airbag ECU calibration processes, with practical experience in ensuring accuracy and reliability in real-world applications.
• Deep domain knowledge regarding vehicle safety tests and the intricacies of restraints tuning, ensuring best practices in safety evaluation and enhancement.

Industry Preferred

• Automotive OEMs such as Tata Motors, Suzuki, Renault-Nissan, and Ford, who are well-established leaders in vehicle safety advancements.
• Tier 1 Suppliers including industry giants like Autoliv and TRW, known for their innovations and contributions to vehicle safety systems.

Qualifications

The preferred candidate will hold a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Automobile Engineering, or a closely related field, reflecting a strong academic foundation for this technical role.

General Requirements

• Ability to effectively participate and collaborate within a cross-functional team (CFT), showcasing strong interpersonal and collaboration skills.
• A dedicated willingness to continuously learn and adapt in a dynamic, fast-paced working environment, embracing innovation and change.
• Exceptional communication skills, enabling clear and concise articulation of technical concepts to diverse stakeholders, fostering understanding and cooperation.
• Strong analytical capabilities, empowering effective problem-solving and decision-making in complex scenarios that often arise within the automotive safety domain.