Contract - Principal Chassis System Engineer

Overview

Role: Contract - Principal Chassis System Engineer

Location: Leamington Spa, Warwickshire - On-site

Role ID:

Our vision is to create a safe and sustainable world.

Ricardo plc is a global strategic, environmental, and engineering consulting company, listed on the London Stock Exchange. Ricardo’s Policy, Strategy & Economics Practice supports governments and corporate clients all over the world with policy analysis, strategic advice and economic appraisal to address the most pressing challenges relating to climate change and the environment, energy and mobility. We deliver ground-breaking, state-of-the‑art projects that are influential in changing hearts and minds and have tangible, positive impacts for individuals, communities, organisations, nations and the planet as a whole.

The role

The successful candidate will lead the technical delivery of chassis system development on Vehicle Engineering projects. The projects include a wide variety of different vehicle and suspension types with a range of power sources from conventional to alternative fuels. These vehicles cover a range of different applications for various defense and commercial applications where vehicles need tailoring to meet customer requirements. The approach to delivery needs to be pragmatic and agile whilst meeting demanding customer requirements for technical specification, timing, robustness and durability. The role includes managing the development and integration of chassis systems, working alongside Design Engineers, CAE/Simulation teams, test and development teams, Programme Managers and Chief Engineers and supporting the development of junior engineers. This position requires an experienced chassis engineer with broad engineering expertise and proven project delivery skills to ensure successful execution from initial vision or concept to production.

What We Expect from You

Technical Leadership

• Serve as the technical authority in chassis design and development for assigned projects working closely with engineering teams from multiple disiplines and sectors.
• Own and be technically responsiblefor engineering content, quality and solutions.
• Ensure design integrity, compliance with standards, and alignment with customer requirements.

Project Execution

• Lead the technical planning and execution of suspension engineering tasks from concept through to production.
• Translate customer needs into actionable engineering deliverables through robust requirements management and solution development.
• Manage technical risks, resolve issues proactively, and ensure the timely delivery of milestones.
• Prepare and coordinate analytical design calculations, simulations, and testing; evaluate and interpret results.
• Conduct and supervise experimental investigations, including data analysis and reporting.
• Prepare project reports, including cost and timing estimates, technical specifications, and updates.
• Lead and support technical meetings both internal and external to Ricardo.
• Identify and coordinate with external suppliers.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Coordinate with internal teams (design, validation, manufacturing) and external stakeholders (suppliers, clients).
• Facilitate effective communication across disciplines to ensure alignment and progress.
• Represent the chassis engineering team in customer meetings, technical reviews, and program updates.
• Lead or support the development of proposals for potential work through customer and internal meetings.

Innovation & Problem Solving

• Apply engineering theory to address complex problems with practical, scalable solutions.
• Promote continuous improvement in design, validation, and integration processes.
• Foster and implement innovative approaches to meet evolving technical challenges.

Mentorship & Team Leadership

• Guide junior engineers and design personnel, fostering a culture of technical excellence.
• Provide technical sign-off and mentorship on chassis design reviews, validation plans, and documentation.
• Promote knowledge sharing and professional development within the team.

Quality & Compliance

• Ensure all designs comply with regulatory, safety, and customer required standards.
• Review product designs for adherence to legislative and engineering standards as required.
• Supervise engineering documentation, including reports, BOMs, FMEAs, DVP&Rs, and test specifications.
• Uphold high standards of quality assurance throughout the product lifecycle.

Customer Focus

• Deliver excellent customer service by understanding and anticipating client needs.
• Act as a trusted technical advisor, building long‑term relationships through reliability and performance.
• Make sure all deliverables meet or surpass customer expectations in quality, timing, and budget.

Must-Have Skills & Capabilities

Technical Expertise

• Be willing and able to work on UK defense projects that are classified up to and including Secret.
• Expertise in vehicle suspension design, development and integration.
• Engineering Fundamentals: Possesses a strong understanding of suspension and steering design and vehicle engineering.
• Design: has experience with or leading others using CAD tools (e.g., CATIA, Pro/E, AutoCAD), GD&T, FMEA, DVP&R, and engineering documentation.
• Product Lifecycle Management: Capable of managing systems from concept through production release and commissioning.
• Software Proficiency: Familiar with data acquisition software, systems requirements tools, and the Microsoft Office Suite.
• Familiar with developing robust Development and Validation plans from Requirements and executing same.
• Familiar with DFMEA, 8D, fault tree approaches

Project & Technical Leadership

• Technical Project Management: Ability to lead cross‑functional teams, manage time‑lines, budgets, and deliverables.
• Decision-Making & Sign-Off Authority: Confidence and competence to approve technical solutions and guide engineering direction.
• Supplier & Stakeholder Coordination: Experience managing external vendors and internal teams to meet technical and commercial goals.
• Financial Awareness: Understanding of project financial targets, cost estimation, and budget management.

Communication & Collaboration

• Clear Communication: Ability to explain technical concepts to diverse audiences, including clients and executives.
• Team Leadership: Experience mentoring junior engineers and promoting a collaborative team environment.
• Customer Orientation: Strong focus on understanding and meeting client expectations.

Industry‑Specific Knowledge

• Chassis design, geometry and performance fundamentals (theory), target setting
• Knowledge and experience of different suspension types (Double wishbone, MacPherson strut, multi‑link)
• Vehicle dynamics fundamentals, theory and application/testing
• Heavy‑Duty on and off highway vehicle experience: experience with both defense and commercial vehicles is a strong plus.
• Industry (OEM) automotive system design and development processes
• Knowledge of braking, wheels and tyres, traction control and active steering and damping systems
• Appreciation of the application of supporting simulation tools such as ADAMS, FEA
• Suspension rig testing (e.g. K&C), vehicle dynamics testing

Advanced Engineering Tools & Methods

• Systems engineering tools: experience with requirements management software and systems modeling.
• Reliability & testing methods: proficiency with DFMEA, DOE, 8D problem‑solving, and validation testing strategies.
• Agile and lean engineering practices: knowledge of iterative development and continuous improvement methodologies.

Soft Skills

• Strategic thinking: ability to align technical decisions with business goals.
• Adaptability: comfortable working in a fast‑paced, matrixed organization.
• Innovation mindset: willingness to challenge norms and explore new technologies or approaches.

Experience Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering; Master’s degree preferred.
• Minimum 8-10 years of experience in design, validation, manufacturing, and product release of vehicle systems
• Experience with commercial vehicle and off‑highway is a plus
• Experience with the general vehicle integration (including powertrain, electrified systems) is beneficial
• Proven experience in planning and coordinating design and/or production validation testing.
• Experience in developing engineering test specifications and analyzing test data.
• Strong problem‑solving skills utilizing Design of Experiments (DOE), 8D, etc.

Working here

You will be warmly welcomed into our workplace where every voice matters. We are diverse thinkers and doers, coming together to create a culture of inclusion. We will support you to find your place.

We will encourage you to use your passion and expertise to make a positive impact through the projects you work on. Your knowledge and desire to bring about change will be invaluable in helping deliver innovative solutions that support communities across the globe in becoming safer and more sustainable.

Work life balance

We offer flexible approaches to work, whether that is working from home, being in the office, or as a hybrid worker. We’re happy to discuss flexible working arrangements. Wellbeing is at the core to our culture, allowing employees to flourish and to achieve their full potential.

Benefits

We want you to know how much you are valued. Your remuneration and benefits package will reflect that. You will receive a range of benefits which include support for your physical and mental health.

Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion statement

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, we believe in each person's potential, and we’ll help you reach yours. We have an ambitious diversity, equality, and inclusion approach as explained here. We value diversity; recognising that a more diverse workforce creates a richer and more varied working environment. Diversity also drives innovation, by allowing us to offer our clients the best consultancy service that we can. As part of our commitment to engage positively and pro‑actively with all our employees and to ensure an inclusive culture, we are a recognised as a 'disability confident' employer.

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