Plant Vehicle Engineer, Seat Complete & Restraints

ABOUT SLATE

At Slate were building safe reliable vehicles that people can afford personalize and loveand doing it here in the USA as part of our commitment to reindustrialization. The spirit of DIY and customization runs throughout every element of a Slate because people should have control over how their trucks look feel and represent them.

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR:

Slate is looking for a hands-on Plant Vehicle Engineer Seat Complete & Restraints to support vehicle assembly launch readiness production quality and continuous improvement for seat complete assemblies and restraint components installed in the vehicle. The scope includes seat manufacturing interfaces seat assemblies seat belts air bags occupant detection / occupant classification sensors fasteners brackets electrical interfaces and vehicle integration.

This role serves as the engineering link between the manufacturing plant Design & Release Engineering Manufacturing Engineering Quality Suppliers Production Safety Vehicle Integration Service and other cross-functional teams. The position focuses less on new component design and more on protecting product intent in the plant resolving production issues driving root cause analysis and improving build quality in production.

This role does not own production release of seat or restraint designs. It is responsible for identifying build and integration issues supporting root cause analysis protecting safety-critical requirements and driving plant-side issue resolution in partnership with Design & Release Engineering and the broader manufacturing organization.

WORK AUTHORIZATION REQUIREMENT:

Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States on a permanent basis. We are unable to offer visa sponsorship at this time.

WHAT YOU GET TO DO:

Vehicle Engineering Support

Support the launch and ongoing production of Seat Complete and Restraints systems in a vehicle assembly plant environment.

Serve as a technical point of contact for plant issues related to seat assemblies seat belts air bags sensors fasteners brackets electrical connectors and vehicle integration.

Help ensure manufacturing processes maintain product design intent regulatory expectations safety-critical requirements and quality standards.

Maintain strong discipline around safety-critical characteristics torque-to-spec requirements traceability escalation containment and no-build/no-ship decision support where appropriate.

Production Issue Resolution

Investigate diagnose and resolve production issues related to seat assembly seat installation restraint installation fit/function craftsmanship electrical connections torque requirements and component interfaces.

Support issue resolution related to seat belt routing buckle/latch fit pretensioner connections airbag electrical interfaces occupant detection / occupant classification concerns SRS connector integrity diagnostic faults and restraint component installation quality.

Lead or support root cause analysis containment corrective action development and validation of permanent fixes.

Analyze production data audit findings repair trends supplier concerns and plant feedback to identify risks trends and improvement opportunities.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Partner with Design & Release Engineering Manufacturing Engineering Quality Production Suppliers Safety Vehicle Integration and Service teams to resolve plant and vehicle-level concerns.

Communicate issue status risks corrective actions containment plans breakpoints and support needs to affected teams and plant leadership.

Provide plant feedback into product and process decisions to improve manufacturability serviceability quality and production robustness.

Engineering Change & Launch Support

Support engineering change implementation including build trials breakpoint coordination plant readiness issue tracking and communication to affected teams.

Support launch build phases from prototype and pilot through production ramp including issue tracking triage containment breakpoint management and readiness reporting.

Support launch activities including prototype builds pilot builds production trials issue resolution and readiness reviews.

Participate in Design for Manufacturing and Assembly reviews PFMEA input control plan reviews and lessons learned.

Documentation & Process Improvement

Review and support production documentation including work instructions inspection standards torque requirements quality alerts repair procedures and related process documentation.

Support issue tracking change management quality systems deviation / waiver processes containment documentation and production breakpoint control.

Support process improvements that reduce defects improve first-time quality minimize rework and strengthen production consistency.

Drive continuous improvement actions that improve overall build quality and production robustness for Seat Complete and Restraints systems.

WHAT YOU BRING TO THE TEAM:

Education and Experience

8 years of related automotive engineering manufacturing engineering launch quality plant vehicle engineering or similar experience; Seat Complete Restraints Interiors or safety systems experience preferred.

Bachelors degree in Engineering Manufacturing Industrial Engineering or related technical field preferred; equivalent hands-on automotive launch manufacturing or product engineering experience will be considered.

Experience supporting vehicle development and launch with an understanding of the product lifecycle from concept through production ramp and mass production.

Additional technical training preferred such as Lean 5S Kaizen SPC Six Sigma Green Belt Red X or similar structured problem-solving methods.

Skills

Strong understanding of BOMs engineering change control manufacturability assembly methods process validation quality metrics design reviews and cost-reduction methodologies.

Strong technical interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to foster collaboration and build effective cross-functional relationships.

Ability to read and interpret drawings schematics technical documents specifications and quality standards.

Experience with CATIA SOLIDWORKS AutoCAD or similar engineering software/tools.

Experience with issue tracking change management quality systems deviation/waiver processes containment tracking and production breakpoint control.

Ability to manage multiple projects tasks and assignments simultaneously in a fast-paced launch and manufacturing environment.

Demonstrated ability to lead technical discussions and deliver optimized solutions with a high level of attention to detail.

Hands-on experience supporting assembly lines and driving improvements in build quality process stability and production robustness.

Experience in structured problem-solving methodologies such as Six Sigma DFSS Red X 8D 5-Why fishbone analysis or similar.

DFM and DFA experience.

Ability to work on the plant floor more than 50% of the time.

Flexibility to take on additional tasks and ownership of different functional areas as needed.

Ability to travel domestically up to 20%.

Must be willing to relocate to Warsaw Indiana. Relocation assistance will be provided.

SALARY RANGE:

The compensationfor this position is the range Slate reasonably and in good faith expects to pay for the position taking into account the wide variety of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including job-related knowledge; skillset; experience education and training; certifications; work location; and other relevant business and organizational factors.

Base Pay Range (Annual)

96332.80 - 144499.20 USD Annual

WHY JOIN TEAM SLATE

At Slate were fueled by grit determination and attention to detail. The start-up spirit of ingenuity and resourcefulness move our business forward. Team Slate fosters a culture of excellence innovation and mutual respect and is motivated by shared principles.

• Safety First

• Delight Customers

• One Team

• Relentless Improvement

• Fast Frugal and Scrappy

• Respectful Collaboration

• Positive Legacy

WE WANT TO WORK WITH PEOPLE THAT REFLECT THE COMMUNITIES IN WHICH WE OPERATE.

Slate is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer. We do not discriminate based upon race color religion gender gender identity or expression sexual orientation national origin genetics disability age veteran status marital status parental status cultural background organizational level work styles tenure and life experiences. Or for any other reason.

Slate is committed to providing reasonable accommodation for qualified individuals with disabilities in our job application procedures. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability you may contact us at