Principal Engineer - SLED & Safety Systems

Company Description

Overview

UTAC is a market-leading international group in digital & sustainable mobility, customisable testing solutions, customisable testing systems, vehicle engineering, homologation, regulatory advice & expertise, certification, training, corporate events and classic & sportscars festivals.

The Group provides services and systems to customers in the various sectors: mobility, transport, tyre, petrochemical, agriculture and defence industries. UTAC operates test centres and laboratories in France (including the official Euro NCAP facility), the UK, USA, Finland, Morocco, and Germany; it has subsidiaries in China, Korea and Japan.

UTAC employs around 1300 people across its various locations.

As a group we share a strong and clear vision to deliver safe and efficient solutions and systems to our customers. We are proud and confident in our heritage, our capabilities and our people and believe that by creating a culture where individuals feel they can make a difference and enjoy coming to work, we can deliver the best possible service to our customers.

Our core values of Expertise, Innovation and Integrity provide a clear daily guide to how we work together safely, as one team, helping each other to succeed.

Job Description

Role:

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Principal Engineer to join the Safety Department based at UTAC Millbrook. The successful role holder will lead & manage the SLED and Safety Systems test team within the Safety Department and be responsible for functional and operational management of a SLED and Safety Systems test facilities and a team of passive safety test engineers and technicians.

Responsibilities:

• Responsible for leading the RFQ reviews for safety test inquiries for SLED & safety systems.
• Responsible for liaising with sales team on an ongoing basis to support the quotations drafting process in relevant forums and support decision making for incoming test opportunities as a result.
• Responsible for managing a team of passive safety test engineers and technicians engaged in SLED and safety systems testing to deliver the incoming test requests to a high standard, right first time, to challenging deadlines – all whilst always adhering to the requirements of OH&S.
• Responsible for leading regular workload planning, scheduling and resource allocation meetings for the SLED & safety systems test team.
• Responsible for regular liaison with the customer base and witnessing test authorities to stay aligned on the lab requirements an ongoing basis and to cultivate & maintain a healthy professional relationship.
• Act as a primary point of escalation for customer feedback – both internal and external to implement lessons learnt and improvements.
• Support the capacity and capability reviews with the department manager of the safety test laboratories on a regular basis to keep up with the safety test demands and feedback of the customer base and provide data driven inputs into the future scope of the department.
• Responsible for setting SMART objectives in line with the departmental targets for their test team and organising regular reviews with the team members to check in and provide any support to ensure a high performing team.
• Responsible for maintaining an updated skills matrix and a corresponding training plan for their test team; maintenance of traceable training records.
• Responsible for integrating on an ongoing basis with the finance teams and the department manager for achieving timely invoicing for the services provided each month.
• Responsible for delivery of annual revenue targets by delivering successfully the safety test service whilst meeting the annual budgetary targets.
• Work closely with the chief engineer of the department to support new business enquiries, new technical projects, expansion of ISO17025 accreditation scope and resolution of any findings (internal and external) via SinglePoint lessons learnt.
• Responsible for maintaining existing internal quality standards and external ISO accreditations (including ISO 17025).
• Support capital expenditure needs and draft supporting business cases
• Support commercial and business development activities associated with the passive safety function as and when required
• Represent UTAC in passive safety working groups in the UK and across the world as and when required
• Responsible for monitoring future legalisation and future passive safety trends and derive investment plans with consultation from the department chief engineer.
• Responsible for asset management and regular stock take of test instruments.
• Actively work alongside the Crash & Safety Systems Principal Engineer to support and deliver the targets at safety departmental level with consultation from department manager.
• Project and programme management on a day-to-day operational basis.
• Responsible for continuous improvement initiatives and SQCDP framework maintenance.
• Act in accordance with the behaviours UTAC core values at all times – Innovation, Integrity and Expertise.

Qualifications

Qualifications:

• Engineering graduate or able to demonstrate equivalent experience in a product test or laboratory environment

Experience:

• Prior safety testing experience to European/Federal/Global regulations and consumer test protocols is essential (Automotive or Aero)
• Demonstrable test team leadership experience is essential
• Energetic and motivated to deliver in challenging customer facing situations
• Prepared to work extended hours when required
• Ability to react to a challenging and changing workload.
• Experience with large complex engineering data and analyses is essential
• Experience of using FARO Arm or other CMM devices is essential
• Experience of setting up and operating high speed cameras, GoPros and DSLR cameras is essential
• Knowledge of quality standards particularly ISO 9001, ISO14001, ISO45001 and ISO17025 is highly advantageous

Skills:

• Strong team leadership skills with a demonstrable experience of having successfully led teams in the past
• Sound knowledge of mechanical, instrumentation and electrical principles associates with vehicle safety testing
• Sound knowledge of first principles of engineering and applications of these principles
• An understanding of human injury levels and the limitations of ATD instrumentation
• Programme and project management skills with multiple stakeholders and high value complex test assets
• Strong data analysis and manipulation skills (Diadem, X-Crash, Cam2Measure)
• Knowledge of high-speed data and video capture & analyses (Vicasso or similar)
• Ability to interpret and draft complex technical documentations
• Ability to create, implement, maintain and improve processes
• Excellent oral and written communicator
• Strong IT competence
• Strong verbal, written and interpersonal communication skills
• Strong organisational, analytical and problem-solving skills with high attention to detail
• Confident when dealing directly with customers
• Strong presentation skills with customer facing communication
• CAD skills (CATIA, Solidworks or similar) advantageous

Personal Behaviours

• Strong leader with ability to lead by example and inspire members of the team
• Highly motivated team player and conduct themselves with integrity at all times
• Be willing to take ownership of small-medium improvement projects and willing to contribute with innovative ideas
• Willing to train other in areas of their expertise to support development of the team and the wider business
• Must be able to work independently or collaborate with wider team/s
• Must be highly proactive and have the ability to demonstrate initiative
• Must be able to work in a high-pressure environment and tight deadlines to deliver high quality work – right first time
• Continuous improvement mindset with ideas on improving workplace and work practices where opportunities exist
• Willingness to learn and grow as professional and interpersonal levels
• Flexible and adaptable
• Highly customer focused
• Demonstrate a high level of confidentiality

Additional Information

Other

• Flexibility to support test activity both off-site and outside of normal working hours.
• Flexibility to travel inside and outside UK as and when required.
• Full UK driving license & own transport (UTAC Millbrook is not easily assessable via public transport).
• Willing to undergo a Criminal Records check and Security Vetting
• NOTE: This position be will based on site but will require periods of working at other sites in the UK.