Engineer, Vehicle Development

About Blue Bird Corporation

Blue Bird (NASDAQ: BLBD) is recognized as a technology leader and innovator of school buses since its founding in 1927. Our dedicated team members design, engineer and manufacture school buses with a singular focus on safety, reliability, and durability. School buses carry the most precious cargo in the world – 25 million children twice a day – making them the most trusted mode of student transportation. The company is the proven leader in low- and zero-emission school buses with more than 25,000 propane, natural gas, and electric powered buses sold. Blue Bird is transforming the student transportation industry through cleaner energy solutions.

Job Summary

The Vehicle Development Engineer in Engineering leads the physical integration, validation, and optimization of complete vehicle systems for Blue Bird's commercial and school bus platforms. This role drives the physical development lifecycle of traditional, low-emission, and electric vehicle (EV) platforms from early prototype stages through to production line sign-off. The Vehicle Development Engineer acts as the bridge between virtual engineering design and physical reality, ensuring that complete vehicles meet performance, durability, safety, and ride-and-handling targets.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

• Vehicle Integration & Build: Oversees the physical assembly and functional integration of complex vehicle subsystems, including powertrain, chassis, thermal management, and high-voltage EV networks onto prototype platforms.
• Test Planning & Execution: Authors comprehensive vehicle validation plans (DVP&R) and conducts physical vehicle testing on test tracks and laboratory environments (e.g., structural durability, thermal performance, and vehicle dynamics).
• Data Acquisition & Analysis: Instruments prototype vehicles with sensors (accelerometers, thermocouples, strain gauges) and utilizes data acquisition tools to capture, analyze, and interpret real-world engineering metrics.
• Issue Resolution & Tuning: Identifies system-level conflicts, design defects, or performance shortfalls during physical testing, and leads root cause analysis (RCA) to implement corrective design modifications.
• Regulatory & Safety Validation: Manages vehicle-level compliance testing to satisfy Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS), environmental mandates, and internal safety protocols.
• Subjective & Objective Evaluation: Conducts vehicle ride, handling, braking, and NVH (Noise, Vibration, and Harshness) evaluations, translating subjective test-driver feedback into quantitative engineering targets.
• Cross-Functional Optimization: Collaborates directly with Component Design Engineers, Simulation teams (FEA/CFD), and Plant Manufacturing Operations to refine vehicle designs for optimal assembly and performance.

Knowledge, Skills And Abilities For Success

• Vehicle Systems Expertise: Holistic understanding of complete automotive architectures, including mechanical, electrical, thermal, and electronic control unit (ECU) networks.
• Data Acquisition Proficiency: Hands-on experience with automotive instrumentation tools and data analysis software (e.g., Vector CANalyzer, CANape, Dewesoft, or Somat eDAQ).
• Problem-Solving Mastery: Expert diagnostic skills to troubleshoot complex, interacting system faults across mechanical, high-voltage electrical, and software domains.
• Testing Methodologies: Deep knowledge of vehicle dynamics testing, accelerated structural durability protocols, and thermal management evaluation techniques.
• Communication & Collaboration: Strong interpersonal skills to effectively convey vehicle-level test findings and engineering recommendations to cross-functional design and executive teams.

Basic Education And Experience Required

• Education: Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering, Automotive Engineering, or Electrical Engineering from an accredited institution.
• Experience: Minimum of 3 to 5 years of experience in vehicle development, vehicle integration, or experimental validation within an automotive or heavy truck OEM environment.

Preferred Experience

• Direct experience validating high-voltage Electric Vehicle (EV) systems, battery pack integration, or electric drivetrain calibrations.
• Possession of a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) with a passenger endorsement, or the ability to obtain one for test-track operations.
• Familiarity with automotive communication protocols such as J1939, CAN, and LIN bus systems.
• Advanced engineering degree, such as a Master of Science in Automotive or Mechanical Engineering.

Includes

• Continued Professional Development
• Benefits including medical, dental and vision insurance, 14 paid holidays, vacation time and 401k matching

Work Conditions

• Office environment and production environment
• Must work in a manufacturing environment with exposure to heat, cold and noise
• Frequent weeks working 40+ hours
• Frequent communication with people throughout the day