Senior Design Engineer – Vehicle Systems

Location: Multimatic Technical Centre, Markham, Ontario, Canada

Posted: October 29th, 2023

About MTC

Located in Markham, Ontario, Canada, Multimatic Technical Centre (MTC) is part of Multimatic’s Engineering Group.  MTC provides advanced design, simulation, testing and prototyping services to Multimatic’s production divisions and to Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM’s), niche vehicle manufacturers, motorsports organizations, military equipment contractors and consumer products companies.

MTC houses key engineering, testing and development capabilities under one roof, enabling rapid turnaround and tight integration between departments (vehicle systems engineering, production engineering, predictive methods, product testing and validation, composites, fabrication, and prototyping).  Additional specialized services utilize MTC’s full-vehicle multi-post test rig, and a proprietary vehicle dynamics simulator.  These services are further enhanced by the capabilities of a fully-equipped motorsports department.

The Vehicle Systems Department at MTC is a group of multi-disciplinary experienced engineers that lead high-performance vehicle development projects, as well as drive R&D activities involving complex systems integration. Working in this group entails working at the leading edge of technology, with exposure to advanced lightweight structural design (composites, additive manufacturing, magnesium), electromechanical integration (electric machines, thermal considerations, cable routing, sensing) and vehicle-level trade-off assessments (aerodynamics, occupant safety, regulatory).

Job Summary

The Vehicle Systems Department is currently seeking a Senior Design Engineer, with skills in complex systems integration and full vehicle system development. This role is suitable for high-performance individuals with a successful history of working in fast-paced environments. As our company undergoes a significant expansion, a successful individual would be one who welcomes change and has tremendous skills in collaboration and communication with stakeholders.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

• Conduct comprehensive systems integration trade-off studies to meet system requirements; for example, the candidate would be expected to study the effect of subsystem design decisions (e.g. subframe, suspension control arm) on overall vehicle crash requirements, or to optimize the system so that competing mass/cost/performance requirements are met.
• Using exceptional communication skills, be the voice of engineering when negotiating with stakeholders on requirements and trade-offs.
• Conduct calculations (Excel, MATLAB/Python) to ensure systems are robust against noise factors
• Derive and manage subsystem requirements based on customer requirements for vehicle systems (e.g. high level performance target, to aero loads, to active aero component design).
• Take deep-dives into supplier/customer/regulatory specifications and ensure they are cascaded down to design direction (e.g. regulatory requirements for crash, to detail design and packaging of crash rail)
• Recommend and lead component and vehicle level testing to verify and validate systems. Strong understanding of DOE.
• Select appropriate manufacturing processes for parts, considering production volume/cost, aesthetics (when applicable) and requirements (structural, thermal, aero). With these processes selected, the candidate would be expected to independently design in 3D (CATIA, NX), and draft manufacturing prints in 2D (full GD&T knowledge is expected). The candidate’s 3D modeling capability should be exceptional.
• Be an eager and proactive participant in prototype builds, and review progress with an eye for product and process improvement.
• Disseminate knowledge to other team members, building up the team from within.
• Work with a complex international team to make things happen the first time, traveling as necessary to get the job done.

Skills and Background Required

• Minimum 7 years of directly relevant work experience developing hardware in mission-critical applications. High degree of preference is given to candidates with motorsports experience, although sufficient experience in other industries with significant technical complexity would be considered.
• College or university degree in a relevant engineering discipline (mechatronics, mechanical or automotive engineering).
• High degree of competence in GD&T, specifically in cascading assembly tolerances to component requirements.
• High degree of competence in designing for precision machining, as well as comfort with design best practices for welding, stamping, forging, casting, injection moulding, and cold-forming processes.
• Knowledge in rotating machinery, including basic bearing selection based on structural loads and temperature conditions.
• Strong knowledge in solid mechanics and dynamics, demonstrated by knowledge of at least 3 of the following: non-linear implicit FEA of metallic components, fatigue, vehicle dynamics, orthotropic material modeling, non-metallic material behaviour (viscoelasticity, etc.), crash & explicit modeling.
• Expert knowledge in either NX or CATIA. In exceptional circumstances, candidates with experience in other CAD packages, like Creo and SolidWorks would be considered.
• Proven track record of being able to perform under pressure while balancing ambiguous and often competing requirements.
• History of leadership by virtue of excellent listening skills, presentation quality and an ability to influence across an organization at multiple levels.
• As a result of an intuition built over years of real-world experience, an ability to lead design risk assessment activities (DFMEA), while contributing to process risk assessments (PFMEA).
• Excellent skills in verbal communication and negotiation.

Preferred Skills to Stand Out

• Clear track record of project management experience, with extensive knowledge of SharePoint, Microsoft Project, PowerBI, Atlassian Jira and Atlassian Confluence.
• Exceptional candidates would have MATLAB and Simulink experience, specifically as they relate to data analysis and control systems. Experience in Model-Based Design of mechatronic systems is a big bonus.
• Expert knowledge in rotating machinery, including bearing selection, grease selection, shaft/housing fit design and accommodation of non-similar materials (e.g. aluminum/steel).
• Extensive experience in Multiphysics FEA involving structural, thermal, and electromagnetic effects.
• Experience with additive manufacturing and composites.
• Experience in a motorsports setting, either in terms of hands-on technical support or in a design role.
• Practical hands-on experience with automotive service and repair.

Note that this position involves working with hardware (full vehicles, prototype assemblies, occasional track support), and hence the candidate should be prepared to work on-site at our Markham location. The facility address is 85 Valleywood Drive, Markham, Ontario.

If you are interested in this position, apply by sending us your cover letter and resume.
We thank all interested candidates in advance; however, only individuals selected for interviews will be contacted.
As part of our commitment to ensuring our employment practices are fair, accessible, and inclusive of persons with disabilities, recruitment-related accommodations for disabilities, are available upon request throughout the recruitment and assessment process for applicants with disabilities.