Description: Vehicle Safety Test Engineer
Location: Newark, CA (Onsite)
Contract Length: 12+ Months (Extension Possible)
Bill Rate: Up to ***/hour
Schedule: Monday-Friday, 40 hours/week with potential overtime
Travel: Up to 25%, including travel to vehicle test sites throughout the United States
Position Overview
*** is seeking a hands-on Vehicle Safety Test Engineer to support vehicle crash testing, passive safety development, and validation activities. This role plays a critical part in ensuring *** vehicles meet internal safety targets, regulatory requirements, and consumer safety standards.
The ideal candidate will have extensive experience with vehicle crash testing, data acquisition systems, and vehicle preparation. This position offers the opportunity to work cross-functionally with multiple engineering teams while supporting the development of industry-leading electric vehicles.
Key Responsibilities
Develop and execute vehicle safety test plans, including full vehicle crash tests, subsystem testing, and component-level evaluations.
Prepare vehicles, components, and instrumentation for safety testing and validation activities.
Operate and maintain test equipment, instrumentation, and data acquisition systems.
Analyze test results and provide detailed reports with recommendations for design improvements.
Partner with cross-functional teams including Structures, Interiors, Restraints, and CAE to identify and resolve safety performance issues.
Support passive safety target development and validation efforts for new vehicle programs.
Maintain test schedules, Design Verification Plans (DVPs), and resource requirements.
Communicate test readiness, status updates, and results to leadership and project stakeholders.
Coordinate with suppliers and external testing facilities to ensure successful execution of safety tests and regulatory compliance.
Required Qualifications
Minimum 5 years of experience working with laboratory instrumentation and data acquisition systems.
Minimum 5 years of experience supporting vehicle crash testing and automotive safety programs.
Minimum 5 years of experience rebuilding, modifying, or preparing vehicles for testing activities.
Apprenticeship, vocational training, or equivalent technical experience in automotive or related disciplines.
Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills.
Ability to work in a fast-paced, hands-on engineering environment.
Ability to lift, move, and prepare test hardware and vehicle components as required.
Willingness to travel to domestic test locations as needed.
Preferred Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Automotive Engineering, or a related field.
Experience with passive safety development and crashworthiness testing.
Familiarity with vehicle instrumentation, sensors, high-speed data acquisition, and crash test setup.
Understanding of global vehicle safety regulations and consumer testing requirements.
Top 3 Required Skills
1. 5+ years of experience with laboratory instrumentation and data collection systems.
2. 5+ years of experience with vehicle crash testing and automotive safety validation.
3. 5+ years of experience rebuilding and preparing vehicles for testing.
What Makes This Opportunity Unique?
Diverse day-to-day responsibilities with no two days being the same.
Opportunity to support cutting-edge vehicle safety testing programs.
Hands-on ownership of test setup, execution, and analysis.
Cross-functional collaboration with multiple engineering disciplines.
Direct impact on the safety performance of *** vehicles.
Candidate Requirements
Must be located in or willing to relocate to Newark, CA.
Must be able to work primarily onsite.
Demonstrated ability to meet deadlines while maintaining high-quality work standards.
Strong communication and teamwork skills.
Performance Metrics
Success in this role will be measured by:
Meeting project and testing deadlines.
Quality and accuracy of test execution and reporting.
Effectiveness in identifying and resolving safety-related issues.
Contribution to overall vehicle safety performance targets.
Custom Fields:
Name: Previously Worked At ***?
Value: No
Name: Onsite / Remote Work Capability
Value: Onsite
Name: Region
Value: North America
Name: Employee Class
Value: Contractor
Name: Sub-Department
Value: AVSENG-AVSENG-Attrib & Vehicle Safety
Name: Department
Value: VENG-Vehicle Engineering
Name: Office Location
Value: USA_USCA_***_1
Name: Business Unit
Value: Research & Development
Name: Country
Value: United States
Name: Line
Value: DEFAULT-Default
Name: Division
Value: ENG-Engineering & Software