Sr. Program Development Engineer II

At Kia, we’re creating award-winning products and redefining what value means in the automotive industry. It takes a special group of individuals to do what we do, and we do it together. Our culture is fast-paced, collaborative, and innovative. Our people thrive on thinking differently and challenging the status quo. We are creating something special here, a culture of learning and opportunity, where you can help Kia achieve big things and most importantly, feel passionate and connected to your work every day.

Kia provides team members with competitive benefits including premium paid medical, dental and vision coverage for you and your dependents, 401(k) plan matching of 100% up to 6% of the salary deferral, and paid time off. Kia also offers company lease and purchase programs, company-wide holiday shutdown, paid volunteer hours, and premium lifestyle amenities at our corporate campus in Irvine, California.

Status

Exempt

Summary

The Forward Model Vehicle Development group works as part of the Kia North America Ownership Experience - Product Quality team to represent the voice of the North American customer in the development of new vehicle products. This group integrates with Global Research & Development, product quality, product planning, service, and marketing teams as vehicle concept materializes into reality.

This role’s primary objective is to manage and lead Kia’s new product technical definition through communication and enforcement of regional Voice of Customer (VOC) program objectives to the respective development teams. This role will serve as key point person to provide engineering oversight over respective model lines regarding all technical development activities for those models.

The Senior Program Development Engineer is responsible for leading North American new model development across several HMG affiliates from initial product conception through all major gates including clay model reviews, master car evaluations, prototype, and pilot stages. The position will be responsible for setting performance objectives based on regional product strategy and ensuring their adherence. Therefore, advanced knowledge of vehicle systems, technical proficiency, and excellent communication skills is essential. The SPDE will establish and track North America (NA) market product expectations in each new vehicle program through engagement with many engineering teams to specify appropriate system and component performance, adjust strategy, and report status to the regional HQ executives.

This position strongly influences Kia NA’s future product offerings and will be heavily relied on as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) for emerging vehicle technologies with a focus in Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). Experience with other technologies (like Advanced Powertrain, EV, Hybrid Systems, and alternative fuel systems) and a strong foundation in conventional automotive disciplines (like vehicle dynamics, NVH, powertrain systems, HVAC) are important to ensure success.

Major Responsibilities

1st Priority - 35%

Research, review, test, and evaluate advanced technologies including ADAS and EV/HEV powertrain systems. Investigate emerging technologies and provide guidance from a technical and customer perspective to guide the decision-making process towards the best strategy to achieve Kia brand goals and expectations. Evaluate new technologies on prototype Kia models against competitors and provide technical direction to engineering and project management teams.

2nd Priority - 30%
Act as engineering lead on vehicle testing, data acquisition, and measurement. Develop test procedures to measure vehicle performance with special attention towards ADAS and EV powertrain systems. Review and analyze captured data to support direction and strategy of proposed logic, tuning, and calibration changes on vehicle systems.

3rd Priority - 15%
Support the engineering and technical progress of each assigned vehicle model, including scheduling, reporting, and follow up of all open items. Support product development for regional Voice of Customer technical strategy, evaluation, and verification process for all assigned vehicle models within Kia NA.  Ensure new product meets customer expectations, support assessment of new technologies, and provide direction to R&D and quality teams.

4th Priority - 10%

Support product launch process with PR, Strategy, and marketing teams. Support all assigned media vehicle preparation requests, including tier 1 media, NPI events, and BIS support with 3rd party testing.

5th Priority - 5%

Special project support and documentation review as needed

6th Priority - 5%

Training / Administration responsibilities

Education/Certification