In this role, you will:
• Develop and manage test plans to validate mechanical, electrical, and environmental failure modes around our interior trim, seating and restraints systems (Occupant Classification, airbags, seatbelts, ACU).
• Collaborate with design engineers to ensure that requirements are clearly defined and captured within the validation plan
• Identify appropriate test assets, data acquisition systems, and sensors to ensure high-quality test data
• Analyze test data to provide clear and concise reporting of test results
• Support DFMEA activities to ensure that all potential failure modes are adequate covered within the validation plan
• Support root cause failure analysis activities during development, validation, and deployment
• Design test fixtures necessary to complete testing
• Manage validation schedule to ensure appropriate test assets are available and critical path items are identified
Qualifications
• BS or MS in mechanical engineering, or related relevant field
• 8+ years of test or validation experience related to interior automotive trims, seats and restraints systems.
• Experience with failure and root cause analysis
• Experience generating and managing DFMEAs
• Experience with requirements management tools (Polarion or equiv.)
• Experience with test standards: FMVSS 207 (seating systems), 208 (occupant protection), 202a (head restraints), 209/210 (belts/anchorages), 302 (flammability), UN ECE R17 (seats, anchorages, head restraints), R14 (belt anchorages), R16 (belts), R80 (bus seats), Euro NCAP (whiplash protocols), IIHS head restraint ratings, ISO 6487 (crash measurement instrumentation), ISO 3795 (flammability), ISO 12219 (VOC), ISO 105 (textile colorfastness), ISO 13934/5470 (textile strength), ISO 3385/3386 (foam fatigue/hardness), ISO 16840 (seating and wheelchair—pressure/comfort reference), ASTM D3574 (foam), ASTM D4329 (UV), ASTM B117 / ISO 9227 (salt spray), SAE J211 (instrumentation), ISO 6487, ISO 13232 / ISO 6813, ISO 12097, ISO 14040, SAE J2092
• UN 3268 (safety devices, transport), UN Manual of Tests and Criteria, DOT/ADR hazmat rules, and local explosives handling regulations (e.g., ATF in the US)
Bonus Qualifications
• Familiarity with 3D design tools. CATIA 3DX or CATIA V5 or SolidWorks preferred
• Experience with passive safety systems
• Seat structure, anchorage, and recliner/track/latch strength testing (static, dynamic, fatigue)
• Crash/sled test setup, instrumentation, and data interpretation (head restraints, whiplash, belt anchorages)
• Airbag module, inflator (pyrotechnic, hybrid, cold gas), cushion/fabric, tether, and vent design principle
• Seatbelt systems: retractors, pretensioners, load limiters, buckles, webbing, anchorages
• Steering wheel, knee, curtain, side, and pedestrian airbag architecture; active hood/pop-up systems