Plant Vehicle Engineer, SUV General Assembly

Job Title: Plant Vehicle Engineer – SUV General Assembly

Location: Northern Indiana

Employment Type: Contract-to-Hire

Pay Rate: Up to $68/hour 1.5xOT.

Our client is seeking a Plant Vehicle Engineer to support vehicle launch readiness, production quality, and manufacturing execution within a General Assembly environment.

Unlike a traditional Manufacturing Engineer, this position is primarily focused on protecting vehicle design intent during production. The successful candidate will serve as the engineering bridge between Design & Release Engineering and the manufacturing plant, ensuring vehicles are built repeatedly to engineering specifications while resolving production and vehicle integration issues.

The ideal candidate has a strong background in vehicle design, product engineering, or Design & Release Engineering, combined with hands-on experience supporting vehicle launches and production. Manufacturing Engineers will be considered if they possess a solid understanding of engineering drawings, design intent, BOMs, engineering changes, and have successfully partnered with Design Engineering teams to resolve assembly and integration issues.

1. 5 years of automotive engineering experience in Vehicle Engineering, Design & Release Engineering, Product Engineering, Plant Vehicle Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or Vehicle Integration.
2. Strong understanding of vehicle design intent, engineering standards, GD&T, engineering drawings, specifications, and Bills of Material (BOMs).
3. Experience supporting engineering change management, including ECRs, ECOs, design revisions, breakpoints, and production implementation.
4. Experience supporting vehicle launches, prototype builds, pilot builds, or production ramp-up activities.
5. Ability to troubleshoot vehicle build issues involving fit, function, manufacturability, assembly, and vehicle integration.
6. Experience collaborating with Design Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, Production, Suppliers, and Vehicle Integration teams.
7. Strong problem-solving skills using root cause analysis methodologies such as 8D, 5 Why, containment, and corrective actions.
8. Ability to interpret engineering drawings, CAD models, specifications, manufacturing documentation, and assembly requirements.

1. OEM or Tier 1 automotive experience.
2. Experience as a:

• Plant Vehicle Engineer
• Design & Release Engineer
• Vehicle Design Engineer
• Product Engineer
• Vehicle Integration Engineer
• Resident Engineer
• Launch Engineer

1. Experience supporting:

• General Assembly
• Vehicle integration
• Interior systems
• Seating systems
• Closures
• Exterior systems
• Roof systems
• Body structures

1. Knowledge of APQP, PFMEA, Control Plans, DFM, and DFA principles.
2. Experience with engineering documentation, quality systems, deviation processes, and manufacturing validation.
3. Familiarity with fit & finish, sealing, water leaks, wind noise, squeaks & rattles, fastening systems, and vehicle craftsmanship.
4. Strong communication skills with the ability to effectively bridge Design Engineering and Manufacturing teams.
5. Ability to spend significant time on the manufacturing floor supporting production and launch activities.

1. Serve as the engineering liaison between Design & Release Engineering and the manufacturing plant.
2. Protect vehicle design intent throughout General Assembly production and vehicle launch activities.
3. Investigate and resolve production, assembly, and vehicle integration issues affecting build quality and manufacturability.
4. Review engineering drawings, BOMs, specifications, and engineering changes to ensure proper implementation in production.
5. Partner with Design Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, Production, Suppliers, and Vehicle Integration teams to resolve plant issues.
6. Support engineering changes, breakpoints, prototype builds, pilot builds, launch readiness, and production implementation.
7. Analyze production concerns, quality trends, repair data, and manufacturing feedback to improve first-time quality and reduce rework.
8. Drive continuous improvement initiatives that strengthen vehicle quality, manufacturability, launch readiness, and production robustness.

The strongest candidates will come from OEM or Tier 1 automotive organizations with experience in vehicle design and production support. This is fundamentally a Vehicle Engineer located at the plant, not a traditional Manufacturing Engineer.

Ideal backgrounds include:

• Plant Vehicle Engineer
• Design & Release Engineer
• Vehicle Design Engineer
• Product Engineer
• Vehicle Integration Engineer
• Launch Engineer
• Resident Engineer

Manufacturing Engineers are strong candidates only if they have demonstrated the ability to bridge engineering design and plant execution, understand design intent, engineering drawings, BOMs, and engineering changes, and can effectively communicate with Design Engineering teams while resolving production and assembly concerns.

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