Volta Trucks, a hypergrowth European Electric Truck Manufacturer, is looking for a Principal Engineer – Cab Structures to join our Body Structures Engineering Team. This is a hybrid role split between our head offices in Reading, remote working and our contract manufacturing partners facility in Austria.
This is a unique opportunity to join an ambitious scale-up where you will have the opportunity to contribute to the manufacturing strategy for a forward thinking, rapidly expanding business.
What you will do:
Purpose of the role:
- Leads and manages the team of lead, project and design engineers within the Cab Structures engineering team across all Volta Trucks product lines and projects.
- Ensuring the systems and components you are responsible for are delivered robustly via the Volta Trucks program development process together with all applicable vehicle objective and subjective attributes as well as cost, timing & quality requirements.
- The Principal Engineer is a true technical leader and expert in their area of responsibility.
- The scope of the role covers all projects from initial product concept, product development, launch, series production and field vehicle issue resolution.
- Set and deliver system and component technology roadmaps for future vehicle projects within the Cab Structures field, including new material and process technology developments.
Principal accountabilities:
- Lead and manage the team to deliver all systems in line with targets, KPI’s and milestones set by the Volta Trucks program including all vehicles in development and series production.
- Deliver required standards on Design and Engineering integrity to exceed quality, performance, and commercial goals.
- Set, manage, and deliver bill of material cost targets on all Cab Structure systems, supporting Volta Trucks purchasing with supplier nomination and cost management activities.
- Manage and deliver vehicle program investment budgets, including internal and outsourced labour, tooling costs and supplier or internal D&D investment.
- Deliver all program timing requirements within the engineering scope of responsibility, including but not limited to concept phase system definition, SFMEA/DFMEAs generation and management, detailed design development, simultaneous engineering management, ETRS, supplier tooling kick off, production drawing releases, vehicle/system/component testing and validation planning and execution and other relevant deliverables.
We would like you to have:
Knowledge, skills, and experience.
- An experienced automotive leader of direct and indirect teams.
- A committed, logical team worker, happy in a cross functional environment with a variety of backgrounds and skillsets.
- Ability to demonstrate experience of tier 1 supplier delivery & project management of a major vehicle program with an APQP or similar framework.
- A proven track record in an OEM or tier one with a high level of technical knowledge.
- Minimum 7 years of experience in automotive, aerospace or equivalent.
- Experience of high volume and niche vehicle (low volume) programmes.
- Relevant Experience in lightweight body design engineering and materials technologies.
Qualifications and Training
- Mechanical, systems or automotive engineering degree – 2:1 or above.
- CATIA V5/V6, PC literate and at ease with MS Office & Google products.
- Knowledge of body engineering CAE simulation and analysis tools and processes.
- Practical problem solving / 8D / 6 sigma approach through experience in previous roles.
- Full UK driving license.
Personal Attributes:
- An excellent communicator with the ability to lead and motivate teams and work cross functionally, in a start-up fast-moving environment.
- Adopts a creative & thoughtful approach to system and concept design, solving engineering problems using a practical problem-solving methodology where required, with an excellent eye for detail and an engaging mind, open to new problems outside their normal comfort zone.
- A self-motivated natural leader, mentor and coach who values personal relationships across the whole Volta Trucks business as well as the development and nurture of their team.
- Well organised and delivery focused with a demonstrable track record of on-time and on target delivery in a high-pressure environment.
Our culture and Valued Behaviours
- We are a scale-up, so structures and processes can be new and constantly evolving.
- We are a diverse business, from many nationalities and backgrounds.
- We really value our people. We have a flexible & remote work environment and a great benefits package & pension scheme.
- You will have a genuine opportunity to make an impact on the business and society as a whole.
- You should closely share our values of safety, sustainability, and electrification.
- Be adaptable, resilient, and open to change.
About us
Urban delivery is currently one of the most polluting activities in our cities. Traditional diesel trucks continue to pollute the air, and cause health and safety challenges to residents, while bringing necessary goods into city centres, because there hasn’t been an alternative. Until now.
Volta Trucks has developed the first ground-up full-electric commercial vehicle, paired with an innovative and highly disruptive business model. Founded in 2019, and having raised €300M of funding to date, we are bringing the full-electric Volta Zero to market at industry-leading pace and scale to help accelerate the transition to a sustainable future.