Senior Design Engineer - Chassis

Volta Trucks, a hypergrowth European Electric Truck Manufacturer, is looking for a Senior Design Engineer - Chassis to join our Chassis team. This is a hybrid role split between our head offices in Reading, remote working and our contract manufacturing partners facility in Austria.

This is a unique opportunity to join an ambitious scale-up where you will have the opportunity to contribute to the manufacturing strategy for a forward thinking, rapidly expanding business.

What you will do:

You will take responsibility for key components and systems in vehicle chassis engineering across all Volta’s products, designing chassis structures and working with key partners and suppliers to deliver robust, safe and flexible products from initial concept though to series production and beyond.

The scope of this will include full ownership from concept to end of production life for components and systems in the areas of main chassis structures, mounting systems and cab interfaces, all axle systems, steering, suspension, braking and associated services, plus calibration of associated control systems

Main responsibilities

• Define and develop chassis design concepts
• Perform design detailing of chassis frame structure, ancillaries and key interfaces with cab, body, battery systems, axles and other systems
• Carry out detailed structural calculations to achieve robust vehicle performance and durability
• Define detailed requirements for Tier 1 suppliers on chassis systems to meet target requirements on performance, weight and cost
• Liaise with other technical functions (Cab/Body, Electrical and Powertrain) to ensure all integration elements are developed seamlessly
• Support definition of Bill of Materials and work with Purchasing to nominate key suppliers
• Support the delivery of projects within scope of engineering responsibility including feasibility, project timing, DFMEA generation and maintenance, DFM&A
• Take a primary role in the component design release process
• Support the vehicle build, test and development programme to ensure targets on timing, cost, weight and performance attributes are met
• Ensure that requirements for updates, improvements, cost reductions or modifications are met during the production life of the vehicles

We would like you to have:

• University degree in Mechanical/Automotive Engineering
• 5 years+ chassis project engineering experience, preferably in the utility/commercial/heavy vehicle sector
• Good understanding of vehicle structural and dynamic requirements, materials, FEA criteria and test/development methodology 
• Proven ability to perform detailed hand calculations
• CATIA v5/v6 familiarity preferred
• Experience of delivering projects to demanding cost, time and quality requirements
• Hands-on approach to engineering, practical and enthusiastic
• Strong communication skills and fluent in English
• Strong team leadership and interpersonal skills, cross cultural understanding, organizing and coordinating ability
• Ability to drive and complete tasks independently, task oriented and high attention to detail
• Positive and passionate, good team player

Our culture and Valued Behaviours

We are a scale-up, so structures and processes can be new and constantly evolving.

We are a diverse business, from many nationalities and backgrounds.

We really value our people. We have a flexible & remote work environment and a great benefits package & pension scheme.

• You will have a genuine opportunity to make an impact on the business and society as a whole.
• You should closely share our values of safety, sustainability, and electrification.
• Be adaptable, resilient, and open to change

About us

Urban delivery is currently one of the most polluting activities in our cities. Traditional diesel trucks continue to pollute the air, and cause health and safety challenges to residents, while bringing necessary goods into city centres, because there hasn’t been an alternative. Until now.

Volta Trucks has developed the first ground-up full-electric commercial vehicle, paired with an innovative and highly disruptive business model. Founded in 2019, and having raised €300M of funding to date, we are bringing the full-electric Volta Zero to market at industry-leading pace and scale to help accelerate the transition to a sustainable future.