Chassis Engineer, Suspension

Location: Garden Grove, CA

Department: 330 Chassis

Role Overview

As a Chassis Engineer, Suspension (Sustaining), you will be a critical member of the current production engineering team at Harbinger, responsible for maintaining, optimizing, and improving existing mechanical suspension systems for our medium-duty electric vehicle platforms. This role is heavily focused on product lifecycle management—driving cost reductions, resolving manufacturing and supplier quality issues, and implementing engineering changes to improve reliability. You will ensure that our electric vans and pickup trucks continue to deliver industry-leading durability, safety, and ride quality by closely monitoring field performance and executing continuous improvement initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

• Continuous Improvement & VAVE: Identify and lead Value Analysis/Value Engineering (VAVE) initiatives to reduce component costs, improve manufacturability, and optimize existing suspension assemblies without compromising performance.
• Root Cause Analysis: Lead 8D problem-solving investigations for suspension-related field failures, warranty claims, and manufacturing defects, driving issues to permanent resolution.
• Engineering Change Management: Author, review, and execute Engineering Change Requests/Orders (ECRs/ECOs) for running changes, ensuring accurate updates to 3D models, 2D drawings, and Bill of Materials (BOM).
• Manufacturing Support: Partner directly with the vehicle assembly plant to rapidly resolve line-stop issues, address packaging anomalies, and improve assembly ergonomics for suspension components.
• Supplier Quality & Resourcing: Collaborate with supply chain and current suppliers to resolve ongoing quality issues, approve PPAP (Production Part Approval Process) updates, and support the technical validation of new or alternative suppliers.
• Validation & Testing: Define and execute targeted Design Validation Plans (DVPs) specifically for design revisions, cost-down initiatives, or localized supplier changes.
• Documentation & PLM: Maintain and update component specifications, DFMEAs, and rigorous project issue lists to ensure the health of the product through its lifecycle.

Required Skills & Experience

• Education: Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering (or a related field) + 5 years of relevant experience, OR a Bachelor’s degree + 7 years of relevant experience.
• Sustaining Engineering: At least 5 years of experience in automotive suspension engineering, specifically focused on current production, sustaining engineering, or quality resolution for commercial applications/pickup trucks.
• EV Specialization: Experience managing suspension systems for electric or hybrid vehicles in series production, with a deep understanding of EV-specific load paths and battery packaging constraints.
• CAD Mastery: Expert-level proficiency in CATIA v5 and/or v6, with strong abilities in updating complex kinematics models, clearance checking for running changes, and maintaining legacy CAD data.
• Manufacturing Expertise: Strong background in forging, casting, and stamping production processes, with a proven track record of diagnosing and resolving manufacturing defects.
• Load Path Analysis: Expert understanding of suspension load paths, static/dynamic loads, and how field wear-and-tear impacts moving and rotating components over time.
• Travel: Willingness to travel up to 20% domestically for supplier quality audits, assembly plant support, and testing.

Preferred Qualifications

• Current Production Track Record: Demonstrated experience managing series production engineering, specifically with successful warranty reduction and cost-saving (VAVE) campaigns.
• Cross-Functional Leadership: Strong ability to collaborate seamlessly with manufacturing, quality, service, and supply chain teams to resolve multi-disciplinary technical issues quickly.
• Commercial Acumen: Familiarity with the specific durability and payload requirements, as well as the typical failure modes, of the medium-duty delivery and logistics sector.