Senior Manager Special Vehicles

Description

• Deliver excellent customer service by understanding and anticipating client needs.
• Coordinate with internal teams (design, validation, manufacturing) and external stakeholders (suppliers, clients).
• Lead and support technical meetings both internal and external to Ricardo
• Promote knowledge sharing and professional development within the team.
• Lead the technical planning and execution of engineering tasks from concept through to small batch production (10’s not 1000’s)
• Own and be technically responsible for engineering content, quality and solutions
• Foster and implement innovative approaches to meet evolving technical challenges.
• Ensure all designs comply with regulatory, safety, and customer required standards.
• Represent the engineering team in customer meetings, technical reviews, and program updates.
• Serve as the technical authority for assigned projects working closely with engineering teams from multiple disiplines and sectors
• Guide junior engineers and design personnel, fostering a culture of technical excellence.
• Lead the special vehicle engineering team of between 5 and 10 engineers specializing in vehicle integration
• Manage technical risks, resolve issues proactively, and ensure the timely delivery of milestones.
• Lead (Special Vehicle Content) or support the development of proposals for potential work through customer and internal meetings.
• Conduct and supervise experimental investigations, including data analysis and reporting.
• Promote continuous improvement in design, validation, and integration processes.
• Review product designs for adherence to legislative and engineering standards as required.
• Make sure all deliverables meet or surpass customer expectations in quality, timing, and budget.
• Translate customer needs into actionable engineering deliverables through robust requirements management and solution development.
• Uphold high standards of quality assurance throughout the product lifecycle.
• Supervise engineering documentation, including reports, BOMs, FMEAs, DVP&Rs, and test specifications.
• Prepare project reports, including cost and timing estimates, technical specifications, and updates
• Identify and work with suppliers
• Apply engineering theory to address complex problems with practical, scalable solutions.
• Prepare and coordinate analytical design calculations, simulations, and testing; evaluate and interpret results.
• Ensure design integrity, compliance with standards, and alignment with customer requirements
• Provide technical sign-off and mentorship on design reviews, validation plans, and documentation.
• Facilitate effective communication across disciplines to ensure alignment and progress.
• Act as a trusted technical advisor, building long-term relationships through reliability and performance.

Requirements

• Proven experience in planning and coordinating design and/or production validation testing.
• Be willing and able to work on UK defense projects that are classified up to and including Secret
• Supplier & Stakeholder Coordination: Experience managing external vendors and internal teams to meet technical and commercial goals.
• Team Leadership: Experience mentoring junior engineers and promoting a collaborative team environment.
• Experience in developing engineering test specifications and analyzing test data.
• Vehicle and other Complex Systems Integration: Demonstrates proven experience in integrating subsystems such as thermal, braking, steering, electrified auxiliaries, and high-voltage components.
• Bachelor’s degree in engineering; Master’s degree preferred.
• Experience with hybrid and electric vehicle systems is a plus.
• Strong problem-solving skills utilizing Design of Experiments (DOE), 8D, etc., etc.
• Decision-Making & Sign-Off Authority: Confidence and competence to approve technical solutions and guide engineering direction.
• Heavy-Duty on and off highway vehicle experience: experience with both defense and commercial vehicles is a strong plus.
• Experience in design, validation, manufacturing, and product release of vehicle systems up to small batch production.
• Product Lifecycle Management: Capable of managing systems from concept through production release and commissioning.
• Reliability & testing methods: proficiency with DOE, 8D problem-solving, and validation testing strategies.
• Adaptability: comfortable working in a fast-paced, matrixed organization.
• Familiar with developing robust Development and Validation plans from Requirements and executing same.
• Agile and lean engineering practices: knowledge of iterative development and continuous improvement methodologies.
• FCEV and BEV Architecture: familiarity with fuel cell and battery electric vehicle systems.
• Software Proficiency: Familiar with data acquisition software, systems requirements tools, and the Microsoft Office Suite.
• Engineering Fundamentals: Possesses a strong understanding of mechanical, electrical, thermal, control and systems engineering principles.
• Systems engineering tools: experience with requirements management software and systems modeling.
• Strategic thinking: ability to align technical decisions with business goals.
• Innovation mindset: willingness to challenge norms and explore new technologies or approaches.
• Financial Awareness: Understanding of project financial targets, cost estimation, and budget management.
• Customer Orientation: Strong focus on understanding and meeting client expectations.
• Clear Communication: Ability to explain technical concepts to diverse audiences, including clients and executives.
• Technical Project Management: Ability to lead cross-functional teams, manage timelines, budgets, and deliverables.
• Experience with the design of automotive and truck chassis systems
• Design: has experience with or leading others using CAD tools (e.g., CATIA, Pro/E, AutoCAD), GD&T, FMEA, DVP&R, and engineering documentation.

Benefits

Training + Development

Interview process

Visa Sponsorship

Security clearance