Plant Vehicle Engineer

ABOUT SLATE At Slate, we’re building safe, reliable vehicles that people can afford, personalize and love—and doing it here in the USA as part of our commitment to reindustrialization. The spirit of DIY and customization runs throughout every element of a Slate, because people should have control over how their trucks look, feel, and represent them. | ​WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR: Slate is looking for a hands-on Plant Vehicle Engineer, Seat Complete & Restraints to support vehicle assembly, launch readiness, production quality, and continuous improvement for seat complete assemblies and restraint components installed in the vehicle. The scope includes seat manufacturing interfaces, seat assemblies, seat belts, air bags, occupant detection / occupant classification sensors, fasteners, brackets, electrical interfaces, and vehicle integration. This role serves as the engineering link between the manufacturing plant, Design & Release Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, Suppliers, Production, Safety, Vehicle Integration, Service, and other cross-functional teams. The position focuses less on new component design and more on protecting product intent in the plant, resolving production issues, driving root cause analysis, and improving build quality in production. This role does not own production release of seat or restraint designs. It is responsible for identifying build and integration issues, supporting root cause analysis, protecting safety-critical requirements, and driving plant-side issue resolution in partnership with Design & Release Engineering and the broader manufacturing organization. | ​WORK AUTHORIZATION REQUIREMENT: Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States on a permanent basis. We are unable to offer visa sponsorship at this time. | ​WHAT YOU GET TO DO: Vehicle Engineering Support · Support the launch and ongoing production of Seat Complete and Restraints systems in a vehicle assembly plant environment. · Serve as a technical point of contact for plant issues related to seat assemblies, seat belts, air bags, sensors, fasteners, brackets, electrical connectors, and vehicle integration. · Help ensure manufacturing processes maintain product design intent, regulatory expectations, safety-critical requirements, and quality standards. · Maintain strong discipline around safety-critical characteristics, torque-to-spec requirements, traceability, escalation, containment, and no-build/no-ship decision support where appropriate. Production Issue Resolution · Investigate, diagnose, and resolve production issues related to seat assembly, seat installation, restraint installation, fit/function, craftsmanship, electrical connections, torque requirements, and component interfaces. · Support issue resolution related to seat belt routing, buckle/latch fit, pretensioner connections, airbag electrical interfaces, occupant detection / occupant classification concerns, SRS connector integrity, diagnostic faults, and restraint component installation quality. · Lead or support root cause analysis, containment, corrective action development, and validation of permanent fixes. · Analyze production data, audit findings, repair trends, supplier concerns, and plant feedback to identify risks, trends, and improvement opportunities. Cross-Functional Collaboration · Partner with Design & Release Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, Production, Suppliers, Safety, Vehicle Integration, and Service teams to resolve plant and vehicle-level concerns. · Communicate issue status, risks, corrective actions, containment plans, breakpoints, and support needs to affected teams and plant leadership. · Provide plant feedback into product and process decisions to improve manufacturability, serviceability, quality, and production robustness. Engineering Change & Launch Support · Support engineering change implementation, including build trials, breakpoint coordination, plant readiness, issue tracking, and communication to affected teams. · Support launch build phases from prototype and pilot through production ramp, including issue tracking, triage, containment, breakpoint management, and readiness reporting. · Support launch activities, including prototype builds, pilot builds, production trials, issue resolution, and readiness reviews. · Participate in Design for Manufacturing and Assembly reviews, PFMEA input, control plan reviews, and lessons learned. Documentation & Process Improvement · Review and support production documentation, including work instructions, inspection standards, torque requirements, quality alerts, repair procedures, and related process documentation. · Support issue tracking, change management, quality systems, deviation / waiver processes, containment documentation, and production breakpoint control. · Support process improvements that reduce defects, improve first-time quality, minimize rework, and strengthen production consistency. · Drive continuous improvement actions that improve overall build quality and production robustness for Seat Complete and Restraints systems. | ​WHAT YOU BRING TO THE TEAM: Education and Experience · 5+ years of related automotive engineering, manufacturing engineering, launch, quality, plant vehicle engineering, or similar experience; Seat Complete, Restraints, Interiors, or safety systems experience preferred. · Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Industrial Engineering, or related technical field preferred; equivalent hands-on automotive launch, manufacturing, or product engineering experience will be considered. · Experience supporting vehicle development and launch, with an understanding of the product lifecycle from concept through production ramp and mass production. · Additional technical training preferred, such as Lean, 5S, Kaizen, SPC, Six Sigma, Green Belt, Red X, or similar structured problem-solving methods. Skills · Strong understanding of BOMs, engineering change control, manufacturability, assembly methods, process validation, quality metrics, design reviews, and cost-reduction methodologies. · Strong technical, interpersonal, and communication skills with the ability to foster collaboration and build effective cross-functional relationships. · Ability to read and interpret drawings, schematics, technical documents, specifications, and quality standards. · Experience with CATIA, SOLIDWORKS, AutoCAD, or similar engineering software/tools. · Experience with issue tracking, change management, quality systems, deviation/waiver processes, containment tracking, and production breakpoint control. · Ability to manage multiple projects, tasks, and assignments simultaneously in a fast-paced launch and manufacturing environment. · Demonstrated ability to lead technical discussions and deliver optimized solutions with a high level of attention to detail. · Hands-on experience supporting assembly lines and driving improvements in build quality, process stability, and production robustness. · Experience in structured problem-solving methodologies, such as Six Sigma, DFSS, Red X, 8D, 5-Why, fishbone analysis, or similar. · DFM and DFA experience. · Ability to work on the plant floor more than 50% of the time. · Flexibility to take on additional tasks and ownership of different functional areas, as needed. · Ability to travel domestically up to 20%. · Must be willing to relocate to Warsaw, Indiana. Relocation assistance will be provided. | SALARY RANGE: The compensation for this position is the range Slate reasonably and in good faith expects to pay for the position taking into account the wide variety of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions, including job-related knowledge; skillset; experience, education and training; certifications; work location; and other relevant business and organizational factors. Base Pay Range (Annual) 96,332.80 - 120,416.00 - 144,499.20 USD Annual WHY JOIN TEAM SLATE? At Slate, we’re fueled by grit, determination, and attention to detail. The start-up spirit of ingenuity and resourcefulness move our business forward. Team Slate fosters a culture of excellence, innovation, and mutual respect, and is motivated by shared principles. Safety First Delight Customers One Team Relentless Improvement Fast, Frugal, and Scrappy Respectful Collaboration Positive Legacy WE WANT TO WORK WITH PEOPLE THAT REFLECT THE COMMUNITIES IN WHICH WE OPERATE. Slate is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, veteran status, marital status, parental status, cultural background, organizational level, work styles, tenure and life experiences. Or for any other reason. Slate is committed to providing reasonable accommodation for qualified individuals with disabilities in our job application procedures. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, you may contact us at [email protected].