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Powertrain Design Engineer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Archer

Senior Mechanical Design Engineer

San Jose, CA · On-site

$144K - $198K/yr

... Engineering * Exposure to integrating or designing flight critical systems * Proficient in CAD ... Knowledge of, and experience within, electric powertrain systems or aerospace systems.

Rivian

Staff Test Engineer, Powertrain

Tustin, CA · On-site

Test System Design, Development & Ownership Lead/Participate in capability expansion/improvement ... test engineering for powertrain, drivetrain, propulsion, or similar complex electromechanical ...

Humble Robotics

Senior Powertrain Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$123K - $169K/yr

Position Overview The Senior Powertrain Engineer owns the architecture, design, and delivery of the full electric powertrain system - including battery, high voltage distribution, motors, inverters ...

Rivian

Staff Test Engineer, Powertrain

Tustin, CA · On-site

Test System Design, Development & Ownership Lead/Participate in capability expansion/improvement ... test engineering for powertrain, drivetrain, propulsion, or similar complex electro-mechanical ...

Archer

Staff Equipment Design Engineer

San Jose, CA · On-site

We are seeking a Staff Equipment Design Engineer to focus on the end-to-end design of specialized ... Direct experience in the development of electric powertrain or component-level test equipment

Rivian

Staff Test Engineer, Powertrain

Tustin, CA · On-site

Test System Design, Development & Ownership • Lead/Participate in capability expansion ... test engineering for powertrain, drivetrain, propulsion, or similar complex electro-mechanical ...

Archer

Staff Equipment Design Engineer

San Jose, CA · On-site

$172K - $216K/yr

We are seeking a Staff Equipment Design Engineer to focus on the end-to-end design of specialized ... Direct experience in the development of electric powertrain or component-level test equipment

Archer

Senior Mechanical Design Engineer

San Jose, CA · On-site

$144K - $198K/yr

... Engineering * Exposure to integrating or designing flight critical systems * Proficient in CAD ... Knowledge of, and experience within, electric powertrain systems or aerospace systems.

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How much do powertrain design engineer jobs pay per hour?

As of Jun 10, 2026, the average hourly pay for powertrain design engineer in California is $43.33, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $38.41 and $42.45 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Powertrain Design Engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Powertrain Design Engineer, you need a solid background in mechanical or automotive engineering, with expertise in powertrain systems, CAD software, and engineering analysis—typically supported by a relevant bachelor's degree. Familiarity with tools like CATIA, Siemens NX, MATLAB/Simulink, and knowledge of industry standards or certifications (such as Six Sigma or ISO) are often required. Strong problem-solving, teamwork, and communication skills help you collaborate effectively and innovate solutions for complex engineering challenges. These abilities are vital to ensure the design, efficiency, and reliability of vehicle powertrain systems in a competitive automotive industry.

What is the difference between Powertrain Design Engineer vs Mechanical Engineer?

AspectPowertrain Design EngineerMechanical Engineer
Required CredentialsBachelor's in Mechanical, Automotive, or Mechanical Engineering; knowledge of engine systemsBachelor's in Mechanical Engineering; broad engineering fundamentals
Work EnvironmentAutomotive or aerospace R&D, manufacturing facilitiesVarious industries including manufacturing, aerospace, energy
Industry UsageAutomotive, aerospace, heavy machineryMultiple sectors including automotive, industrial, consumer products

Powertrain Design Engineers focus specifically on designing and developing vehicle propulsion systems, such as engines and transmissions, within automotive and aerospace industries. Mechanical Engineers have a broader scope, working on various mechanical systems across multiple industries. While both roles require strong engineering fundamentals, Powertrain Design Engineers specialize in powertrain components, making their skills more targeted for automotive propulsion systems.

How does a Powertrain Design Engineer typically collaborate with other engineering teams during a vehicle development project?

Powertrain Design Engineers work closely with cross-functional teams including electrical, chassis, and manufacturing engineers to ensure seamless integration of the powertrain into the overall vehicle design. Regular meetings and design reviews are common, where engineers discuss technical challenges and align on performance, packaging, and regulatory requirements. Effective communication and collaboration are essential, as design decisions often impact other systems and the overall project timeline. This teamwork not only streamlines the development process but also provides valuable opportunities for learning and professional growth.

What does a Powertrain Design Engineer do?

A Powertrain Design Engineer is responsible for designing, developing, and testing the components that make up a vehicle's powertrain, such as the engine, transmission, and drivetrain systems. They work to improve performance, efficiency, and reliability of these systems while ensuring compliance with industry standards and regulations. Powertrain Design Engineers collaborate with other engineering teams to integrate new technologies, troubleshoot issues, and optimize designs for manufacturing and cost-effectiveness.
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Powertrain Design Engineer jobs near you
Validation Engineer, Powertrain

Validation Engineer, Powertrain

ALTEN Technology USA

Foster City, CA • On-site

$110K - $130K/yr

Full-time

Posted 19 days ago

Job description

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.

Location: Foster City, CA
On-Site: 5 days per week

The Component and System Hardware Validation team is responsible for ensuring components and subsystems on our vehicles meet all functional and reliability targets needed to facilitate our autonomous mobility service. Our team has an action-biased culture marked by integrity, humility, competence, and passion for the mission and the systems we design. We are building the future of public mobility and are looking for enthusiasts who would contribute to the cause.

As a Validation Engineer, you will be responsible for establishing and executing a robust and rigorous validation process from 'requirements development' through 'report approval'. You will support our Powertrain Validation in the Vehicle Development team working with our supplier partners and testing partners to ensure that our Validation targets are satisfied. You will work closely with cross-functional teams to ultimately deliver a safe, well-tested and robust product to contribute towards our company goal to make personal transportation safer, cleaner, and more enjoyable—for everyone.

Responsibilities
• Develop and maintain the Design Validation Plan and Reports (DVP&Rs) to validate the Powertrain components such as
• Electric Drive Unit, Inverter, Battery Balance Box, DCDC and HV Harnesses for Mechanical, Environmental, Performance, Compliance and abuse testing.
• Execute the Validation testing as outlined in the DV plan.
• Conducting regular update meetings
• Collaborate with design engineers to ensure that requirements are clearly defined and captured within the validation plan.
• Manage the supplier owned testing by conducting weekly cross functional DVP meetings with suppliers and provide testing progress updates to stakeholders internally
• Create and maintain detailed documentation for DVP&Rs, Test Procedures, RFQs and Test Reports
• Travel to the test facilities to review the test setups to ensure flawless execution of the Validation tests
• Identify appropriate test assets and accessories, data acquisition systems, and sensors to ensure high-quality test data
• Assist in DUT teardowns and analysis.
• Analyze test data to create the graphs, charts, tables, calculations etc provide clear and concise reporting of test results
• Clearly communicate test findings to stakeholders and support issue resolution
• Conduct Preliminary root cause in case of a test failure to verify the test procedure and execution, test setup, DUT conditions etc were as expected
• Design test fixtures necessary to complete testing
• Manage validation schedule to ensure appropriate test assets are available and critical path items are identified

Qualifications
• BS or MS in mechanical engineering, or related relevant field
• 5+ years of Powertrain test or validation experience.
• Experience working with DFMEAs and root cause analysis
• Experience with requirements management tools (Polarion or equiv.)
• Experience with a wide variety of lab and measurement equipment including but not limited to: Cyclers, CANlyzer, DAQ, Power supply / E-load, Oscilloscope, Accelerometers and Thermocouples
• Experience with Project Management tools such as JIRA and Kanban methodology.

Bonus Qualifications
• Familiarity with 3D design tools. CATIA 3DX or CATIA V5 or SolidWorks preferred
• EMI / EMC validation experience
• Familiarity with Vector tools (CANanalyzer or similar)

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

ALTEN Technology is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our Policy is to extend opportunities to qualified applicants and employees on an equal basis regardless of an individual's age, race, color, sex, religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression or veteran status.

Please beware of job seeker scams and see this important notice on our careers page for more information about our recruiting process.

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.