Sr Engineer, Mechanical Design, Test

CARIAD is an automotive software development team within the Volkswagen Group. Our mission is to make the automotive experience safer, more sustainable, more comfortable, more digital, and more fun by building the leading tech stack and a unified software platform for over 10 million new vehicles per year.

The Senior Engineer, Mechanical Design, Test will shape and strengthen the mechanical engineering development for CARIAD and VW Group. The position defines, develops, and delivers production ECUs in an embedded environment for the High Performance Computing platform, creating in‑house expertise for connected infotainment and ADAS/ADAS systems. This engineer identifies and scopes projects around innovation opportunities, assesses technology risks, and assists with building automotive units for verification testing.

• Support the design of the entire product life cycle, including requirements gathering, concept generation, detailed design with analysis, verification testing, cross‑functional reviews, and manufacturing release.
• Plan and execute mechanical & environmental verification for ECU assemblies (temperature & thermal cycling, random vibration & sine‑on‑random, mechanical shock, humidity/condensation, ingress, corrosion, and packaging/drop). Define realistic fixtures and boundary conditions that reflect vehicle mounting.
• Create design validation test plans with clear pass/fail criteria and traceability to requirements; manage lab scheduling, sample readiness, and data quality.
• Design packaging and components that manage airflow, coolant and refrigerant flow, and thermal actuator mounting, optimizing for efficiency, cost, manufacturability, and serviceability.
• Mechanical design of components and assemblies (plastics, sheet metal, structural metals, insulation systems, sealing methods, fluid connectors, fasteners, busbars, etc.) with hands‑on prototyping.
• Develop and execute component and subsystem design validation plans and test methods to verify product adherence to requirements.
• Collaborate with thermal, systems, electrical, supply chain, manufacturing, service/deployment, and reliability teams to advance designs from prototype to mass production.
• Assist in engineering prototype builds and component fabrication; support wiring fans, TIM dispense, unit assembly, thermal couple wiring, and fan tachometer measurements.
• Support test engineer during thermal chamber testing and ECU assembly documentation.
• Root cause and resolve test failures and production problems.

• Maintain relationships with contract manufacturers and lead strategic discussions and negotiations.
• Monitor compliance with regulations, statutes, board directives, process standards, safety regulations, and occupational safety using appropriate controls.
• Ensure qualification of employees for defined tasks.
• Identify and mitigate project technology and execution risks.

• Analytical and conceptual thinking
• Experience in developing R&D strategies
• Interpersonal, presentation, and written communication skills
• Integration of people, processes, or systems
• Influencing and negotiation skills
• Strategic/visionary mindset
• Resource management

• Excellent strategic thinking, negotiation, and communication abilities.
• Experience designing for high‑volume mechanical assembly, both manual and automated.
• Knowledge of material science and fabrication processes for metals, insulators, plastics, connectors, gaskets, etc.
• Familiarity with manufacturing processes such as plastic injection molding, welding/brazing, metal stamping, extruding, thermoforming, plating, heat treating, and bonding.
• Experience defining test plans, designing test setups, and analyzing data.
• Hands‑on experience running mechanical/environmental tests for electronic enclosures or ECUs (vibration/shock, thermal cycling, humidity/condensation, ingress/corrosion).
• Detail‑oriented with strong documentation and reporting skills.
• Proficiency in CAD modeling, Solid Works, and CATIA.
• Experience with PLM systems, engineering changes, deviations, BOM structuring, etc.
• Experience with environmental, reliability, safety, and industry…