Role: Safety Performance Engineer

Location: Auburn Hills, MI – Onsite
Duration: 12 Months

Role Overview:

We are seeking a Safety Performance Engineer to lead vehicle safety development for assigned automotive programs. This position will be responsible for defining and achieving safety objectives through crash safety development, vehicle integration, physical testing, virtual validation, and design improvements from early concept through production launch.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead safety development activities for assigned vehicle programs and support safety target definition and vehicle-level test planning.
• Develop and execute test strategies supporting regulatory crash requirements and third-party safety ratings.
• Support impact/crash test script development and identify vehicle or component design features that can improve safety performance.
• Own safety performance activities throughout the vehicle integration and validation process.
• Lead cross-functional safety attribute teams, participate in safety technology reviews, and support vehicle program technical requests.
• Evaluate vehicle and component performance, identify issues, conduct root cause analysis, and drive corrective actions through resolution.
• Influence vehicle and component designs by providing technical recommendations based on safety and test results.
• Plan and execute component-level and full-vehicle physical testing, including vehicle build activities, test preparation, instrumentation, execution, and evaluation.
• Coordinate safety testing activities from concept development through vehicle launch.
• Work closely with CAE teams to support virtual validation, simulation assessments, and correlation between physical and virtual test results.
• Prepare and maintain technical documentation, test plans, validation results, issue reports, and corrective-action records.
• Lead resolution of complex issues involving multiple vehicle engineering disciplines.
• Collaborate with engineering, CAE, testing, vehicle integration, and program teams to meet safety objectives and development milestones.
• Support testing and development activities at Chelsea Proving Grounds and travel to the facility as required.

Required Qualifications:

• Experience in automotive safety engineering, vehicle safety development, or related vehicle engineering.
• Strong understanding of crash safety, vehicle safety requirements, regulatory standards, and third-party crash ratings.
• Hands-on experience with component and full-vehicle testing, test planning, vehicle builds, and test execution.
• Knowledge of CAE, crash simulation, and virtual validation processes.
• Experience with vehicle issue investigation, root cause analysis, and corrective-action development.
• Ability to influence engineering designs and lead technical problem-solving across multiple disciplines.
• Strong technical, analytical, organizational, and communication skills.
• Ability to work onsite in Auburn Hills, MI and travel to Chelsea Proving Grounds when required.