Senior Manager, Plant Vehicle Engineering

About Slate

At Slate, we’re building safe, reliable vehicles that people can afford, personalize and love—and doing it here in the USA as part of our commitment to reindustrialization. The spirit of DIY and customization runs throughout every element of a Slate, because people should have control over how their trucks look, feel, and represent them.

Slate is currently seeking a dynamic, highly organized, and experienced Senior Manager, Plant Vehicle Engineering to join our growing team. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to a transformative organization at the forefront of sustainable mobility.

The Senior Manager, Plant Vehicle Engineering will serve as the primary liaison between the Engineering organization and the Warsaw Assembly Plant. While Engineers reporting to this role will have a direct connection to the Plant Vehicle Engineering team, they will also maintain a dotted-line reporting relationship to their respective functional areas, including Body, Interior, Chassis, Electrical & Software, Propulsion, and Safety / Restraints Engineering.

This position will also work closely with key stakeholders across Plant Quality, Supplier Quality, Manufacturing, and other operational teams.

This individual will lead a small team of direct-report Engineers, with the scope and size of the organization expected to grow alongside the product development roadmap. Departmental structure and responsibilities will evolve over time as the organization and product plans mature.

Reporting directly to the Head of Engineering, this role will collaborate cross-functionally with all Engineering departments.

• Must be willing to relocate to Warsaw, Indiana. Relocation assistance will be provided.

• Lead issue resolution for assembly and part quality concerns originating from the plant, ensuring effective communication and accountability within the Engineering organization.
• Manage the impact of plant-driven quality issues on engineering change management processes, including the coordination of Part Trial Runs to validate pending changes.
• Collaborate with Manufacturing to continuously optimize assembly processes, ensuring alignment with Engineering design intent.
• Drive design changes initiated by plant and assembly optimization efforts through the appropriate Engineering channels.
• Develop and implement structured Engineering processes to ensure efficient issue resolution, from plant feedback to Engineering releases, and from Change Management back into the plant.
• Coordinate cross-functional collaboration between Plant Operations, Manufacturing, Quality, and all relevant Engineering departments.
• Introduce and implement structured problem-solving methodologies as the organization evolves and matures.
• Perform full managerial duties, including hiring, organizational development, and process improvement initiatives within the Plant Vehicle Engineering function.
• Support launch and eventual model year change over lead between Engineering and the Assembly Plant.

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Automotive Engineering, or a related field is required. Master's degree is preferred.
• 10+ years of experience in vehicle development, with a strong understanding of the full product lifecycle.
• Proven leadership skills with the ability to build and develop high-performing teams.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to foster collaboration and build effective cross-functional relationships.
• Demonstrated ability to lead technical discussions, drive trade-off decisions, and deliver optimized solutions with a high level of attention to detail.
• Broad knowledge of vehicle systems and development processes across multiple engineering disciplines.
• Experience in structured problem-solving methodologies (e.g., Six Sigma Black Belt, DFSS, Shainin, or similar).
• Hands‑on experience with Design Release Engineering and Change Management, preferably within the automotive industry.
• A proactive, team-oriented mindset with a passion for building new teams and thriving in a dynamic, fast‑paced environment.