Vehicle Performance Test Engineer

Company Information

PACCAR is a Fortune 500 company established in 1905 and a global leader in commercial vehicles, financial services, and customer support. It designs, manufactures, and supports high‑quality light, medium, and heavy‑duty trucks under the Kenworth, Peterbilt, and DAF nameplates, and also develops advanced powertrains, provides financial services and IT solutions, and distributes truck parts. Peterbilt Motors Company, founded in 1939, is recognized for premium‑quality trucks that serve highways, construction sites, city streets, and logging roads, delivering performance, reliability, and pride to customers.

About the Role

Seeking an energetic, independent engineer with interest in creating, defining, and launching the next generation of industry‑leading trucks. As a Vehicle Performance Test Engineer in the Vehicle Properties and Performance group, you will conduct a variety of vehicle performance testing of existing Peterbilt and competitor products, identify opportunities for improvement, and conduct research and development of concepts and prototypes. Types of performance testing include temperature, fuel economy, noise, vibration, and overall subjective driver evaluation.

Responsibilities

• Lead and/or participate in the planning and execution of test plans.
• Instrument and de‑instrument test articles.
• Conduct research, concept development, and evaluations for product improvement.
• Perform in‑depth data analysis to reveal root causes, generate reports, and present findings to management and others to initiate changes for improvement.
• Advocate for product improvements utilizing various methods.
• Develop, utilize, and maintain test methods, procedures, and equipment as necessary.
• Support definition and establishment of performance targets.
• Travel to customer sites to collect data and resolve performance concerns when necessary (up to 10% travel).

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related field.
• 5+ years of relevant experience.
• Previous testing experience or strong desire to pursue a testing career.
• Experience instrumenting and de‑instrumenting test articles.
• Class A Commercial Driver’s License (CDL‑A) or strong desire to obtain one.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with test equipment such as DEWESoft, UniCAN, CANoe, Kvaser, SCADAS, LabVIEW, Head Acoustics, Siemens Test Lab, and Larson Davis.
• Experience developing and maintaining custom test equipment and electrical harnesses.
• Proficiency in data analysis and generating graphs/charts.
• Experience with MATLAB, Python, Visual Basic, or machine‑learning programming.
• Ability to handle multiple tasks and projects simultaneously.
• Experience utilizing PTC Creo as a design tool.
• Six Sigma experience.

Benefits

• 401(k) with up to a 5% company match.
• Fully funded pension plan providing monthly benefits after retirement.
• Comprehensive paid time off: minimum of 10 vacation days, 12 paid holidays, and sick time (additional days with seniority).
• Tuition reimbursement for continued education.
• Medical, dental, and vision plans for you and your family.
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA) and Health Savings Account (HSA) options.
• Short‑ and long‑term disability programs.
• Life and accidental death and dismemberment insurance.
• Employee Assistance Program services, including wellness plans, estate planning, and financial counseling.
• Eligibility for a holiday gift.