About the role
We’re ALTEN Technology USA, an engineering company helping clients bring groundbreaking ideas to life—from advancing space exploration and life-saving medical devices to building autonomous electric vehicles. With 3,000+ experts across North America, we partner with leading companies in aerospace, medical devices, robotics, automotive, commercial vehicles, EVs, rail, and more.
As part of the global ALTEN Group—57,000+ engineers in 30 countries—we deliver across the entire product development cycle, from consulting to full project outsourcing.
When you join ALTEN Technology USA, you’ll collaborate on some of the world’s toughest engineering challenges, supported by mentorship, career growth opportunities, and comprehensive benefits. We take pride in fostering a culture where employees feel valued, supported, and inspired to grow.
Workplace: On-site, 5 days per week Travel: As needed to suppliers in Michigan and Modesto, CA Location: Foster City, CA Salary: $110-130k
Our client is building an autonomous vehicle from the ground up, and its glazing and closures — glass, doors, latches, actuators, and seals — have to open, close, and seal reliably across the life of the vehicle. We're looking for an experienced mechanical engineer to own the validation of these systems, with deep focus on mechanism reliability and durability: developing test plans, running the tests, analyzing failures, and verifying that every component meets durability, environmental, and regulatory requirements before production. The emphasis will be on finding a candidate with closures experience.
Responsibilities • Own validation of glazing and closures systems — glass/glazing, doors, latches, actuators, and seals. • Drive reliability and durability validation of closure mechanisms through their full operating life. • Develop test plans, defining methods and acceptance criteria tied to program and regulatory requirements. • Plan and oversee durability, environmental, and performance testing, and interpret the results. • Lead DFMEA and failure analysis, driving root cause and corrective actions to resolution. • Support test design and instrumentation, including sensors and measurement setups. • Work with suppliers through build and validation — some travel to supplier and test sites (Michigan, Modesto CA). • Partner cross-functionally with design, manufacturing, suppliers, and quality to reach production readiness.
Required Qualifications • B.S. in Mechanical Engineering (required). • Mid- to senior-level experience in automotive closures, body, or glazing validation. • Strong, demonstrated experience with closure mechanisms — latches, doors, seals, and actuators. • Proven reliability and durability validation experience, with data-driven failure analysis. • Working knowledge of glass/glazing, bonding and sealing, and related manufacturing processes. • Understanding of relevant FMVSS and regulatory requirements (including glazing). • Grounding in manufacturing processes, materials, and environmental failure modes. • Proficiency with CAD (CATIA and/or SolidWorks).
Preferred Qualifications • Component design experience in closures, glazing, or sealing systems. • Familiarity with Polarion and Jira for requirements and issue tracking. • Hands-on test experience, metrology exposure. • Experience in a new-program or new-product-introduction environment.
Salary Range • $110,000 - 130,000 • The actual salary offered is dependent on various factors including, but not limited to, location, the candidate’s combination of job-related knowledge, qualifications, skills, education, training, and experience
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, age, genetic information, or pregnancy.
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Compliance Notice: Alten USA is a federal contractor subject to the requirements of the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) and Executive Order 11246. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.
Drug Screening Requirement: As a federal contractor, Alten USA maintains a drug-free workplace. All candidates selected for employment will be required to successfully complete a pre-employment drug screening as a condition of hire.