Principal Integration and Vehicle Architecture Engineer

Blue Bird (NASDAQ: BLBD) is a technology leader and innovator in school bus manufacturing since 1927. The company designs, engineers, and manufactures school buses with a focus on safety, reliability, and durability, transporting 25 million children daily. Blue Bird is a leader in low- and zero-emission school buses, with over 25,000 propane, natural gas, and electric buses sold.

About the role

The Principal Integration & Vehicle Architecture Engineer is the technical owner of vehicle-level integration and architecture definition across Blue Bird platforms. This role establishes the structural, spatial, and functional framework governing how major vehicle systems interact, integrate, and perform. It requires leading cross-functional teams through complex technical trade-offs under aggressive timelines.

Responsibilities

• Define and own the vehicle architecture from a blank slate, establishing system boundaries, interfaces, and design rules.
• Lead full vehicle packaging and envelope integration, resolving conflicts to deliver manufacturable, serviceable, and high-performance designs.
• Integrate externally sourced assembly systems into Blue Bird platforms, defining body, electrical, and propulsion system interfaces.
• Own the Digital Mock-Up (DMU) process, leading reviews, enforcing standards, and ensuring clash-free, build-ready designs.
• Establish and manage system interfaces across all domains, ensuring compatibility and traceability.
• Create and own product and system requirements, transforming legacy designs into clear, actionable frameworks.
• Drive trade-offs across performance, cost, weight, manufacturability, and serviceability, making decisions with incomplete information.
• Align engineering, manufacturing, and supply chain teams, resolving conflicts with clear technical direction.
• Work with vendors and suppliers to define requirements, resolve constraints, and ensure system compatibility.
• Lead integration from prototype builds through launch, diagnosing issues and driving scalable solutions.
• Ensure designs support efficient assembly, production scalability, and field serviceability.
• Operate in ambiguous environments, defining processes and delivering results in fast-moving settings.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, automotive, or systems engineering.
• 5+ years in automotive or commercial vehicle manufacturing, with a focus on product design or component packaging.
• U.S. citizenship or permanent residency.

Qualifications

• Deep understanding of vehicle system architecture and cross-domain integration (mechanical, electrical, thermal).
• Proven ability to resolve complex packaging and interface challenges across multiple systems.
• Strong decision-making in ambiguous, fast-paced environments with competing priorities.
• Experience influencing and aligning cross-functional teams without formal authority.
• Experience working with external Tier 1s, vendors, and suppliers in technical integration.
• Proficiency in CAD/PLM tools (e.g., CATIA) for layout, sectioning, and integration validation.
• Working knowledge of DFMEA and design for manufacturability/serviceability principles.
• Demonstrated experience in vehicle integration, system architecture, or platform development.
• Experience supporting programs through prototype builds and production launch.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with body-on-chassis or stripped chassis vehicle platforms in commercial or medium-duty applications.
• Experience integrating externally sourced large assemblies or working with incomplete vehicle OEMs.
• Background in defining or rebuilding product and system requirements in low-structure environments.
• Experience developing and managing system-level artifacts (e.g., interface definitions, architecture models).
• Advanced degree in engineering or related field.
• Experience in electric or alternative powertrain vehicle integration (HV systems, batteries, thermal).

Skills

• Takes ownership of complex problems and drives resolution without waiting for direction.
• Thrives in ambiguous, fast-paced environments with high expectations.
• Thinks in systems and trade-offs, not just components or subsystems.
• Confident in making decisions with incomplete information and standing behind them.
• Influences and aligns cross-functional teams without formal authority.
• Balances speed with sound engineering judgment.
• Driven to build and shape meaningful systems, not just maintain existing ones.

Benefits

• Continued professional development.
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• 14 paid holidays.
• Vacation time.
• 401k matching.

Schedule

• Frequent weeks working 40+ hours.
• Occasional periods of standing or sitting for extended periods.

Work Conditions

The role operates in both office and production environments, with exposure to heat, cold, and noise. The production area includes moving objects and sheet metal. Appropriate PPE is required where necessary. Frequent communication with team members throughout the day is expected.