Senior Validation Engineer Jobs in Rochester, MI

About Blue Bird Corporation

Blue Bird (NASDAQ: BLBD) is recognized as a technology leader and innovator of school buses since its founding in 1927. Our dedicated team members design, engineer and manufacture school buses with a singular focus on safety, reliability, and durability. School buses carry the most precious cargo in the world – 25 million children twice a day – making them the most trusted mode of student transportation. The company is the proven leader in low- and zero-emission school buses with more than 25,000 propane, natural gas, and electric powered buses sold. Blue Bird is transforming the student transportation industry through cleaner energy solutions. For more information on Blue Bird’s complete product and service portfolio, visit www.blue-bird.com.

JOB SUMMARY

The Senior Controls & Calibration Engineer is responsible for developing, calibrating, validating, and optimizing vehicle control strategies that define the performance, drivability, efficiency, diagnostics, and operational behavior of next-generation commercial vehicle platforms. Working across multiple propulsion systems, this role develops production-ready control calibrations for propulsion, braking, thermal management, charging, power management, and vehicle operating modes while ensuring seamless integration with electrical architectures, software systems, and vehicle-level requirements.

The role partners closely with the Systems, Validation engineering teams and external engineering partners to ensure control strategies deliver robust real-world performance from prototype development through production launch.

This is a high-impact technical leadership role for someone who enjoys solving complex vehicle behavior challenges, thrives in ambiguity, and wants meaningful ownership over how an entire vehicle platform performs.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Vehicle Controls Strategy: Develop and optimize vehicle control strategies supporting propulsion performance, drivability, energy management, thermal management, regenerative braking, diagnostics, and vehicle operating modes.
• Calibration Development: Develop, calibrate, and validate production-ready control datasets for diesel, hybrid, electric, and alternative propulsion systems.
• Drivability Optimization: Optimize vehicle launch performance, acceleration, torque delivery, shift quality, regenerative braking, idle behavior, thermal transitions, and overall vehicle refinement.
• Vehicle Testing & Validation: Plan and execute calibration development activities across proving grounds, chassis dynamometers, manufacturing environments, prototype vehicles, and public road testing.
• Controls Integration: Work closely with electrical architecture, propulsion integration, validation, and systems engineering teams to integrate ECUs, sensors, actuators, communication networks, and software controls.
• Data Acquisition & Analysis: Utilize advanced data acquisition and calibration tools to diagnose control system behavior, identify performance opportunities, and resolve complex software and vehicle integration issues.
• Supplier & External Engineering Leadership: Provide technical direction to suppliers and external engineering partners supporting controls software, calibration development, ECU integration, and validation activities while maintaining ownership of final calibration quality and vehicle performance.
• Software Release Management: Manage calibration revisions, software releases, configuration control, and production-ready datasets supporting prototype, validation, manufacturing, and production programs.
• Compliance & Functional Performance: Ensure vehicle control strategies meet emissions, safety, diagnostics, cybersecurity, and applicable commercial vehicle regulatory requirements.
• Launch & Production Support: Support prototype builds, validation testing, manufacturing launch, and early production by rapidly resolving controls-related issues and optimizing vehicle performance.
• Operate in Ambiguity: Create structure and drive execution in environments where vehicle architectures, software, propulsion technologies, and performance requirements evolve simultaneously.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES FOR SUCCESS

• Deep understanding of vehicle controls, calibration development, and software integration
• Expertise with Vector CANape, ETAS INCA, MATLAB/Simulink, CANalyzer, CANoe, or equivalent calibration and diagnostic tools
• Strong understanding of CAN, J1939, UDS diagnostics, and vehicle communication networks
• Experience developing production vehicle calibration strategies across propulsion, braking, thermal management, and energy management systems
• Experience with battery management systems (BMS), electric propulsion controls, hybrid systems, or conventional diesel powertrain controls
• Strong understanding of model-based controls development and calibration methodologies
• Experience analyzing complex vehicle data and diagnosing software, controls, and integration issues
• Experience supporting prototype development, validation, production launch, and field issue resolution
• Ability to provide technical leadership across engineering teams, suppliers, and outsourced engineering organizations
• Strong analytical, communication, and technical decision-making skills

BASIC EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Automotive Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Mechatronics, Computer Engineering, or related engineering discipline
• 7+ years of experience developing production vehicle controls, calibration strategies, or propulsion software for automotive, commercial vehicle, or heavy-duty vehicle platforms
• All candidates must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States and will be required to provide proof of employment eligibility at the time of hire.

PREFERRED EXPERIENCE

• Demonstrated experience developing and releasing production vehicle calibrations supporting prototype development, validation, manufacturing launch, and production
• Experience integrating ECUs, propulsion systems, electrical architectures, diagnostics, and communication networks
• Experience working cross-functionally with systems engineering, propulsion integration, electrical architecture, validation, manufacturing, suppliers, and external engineering organizations
• Experience with commercial vehicles, body-on-chassis platforms, or vocational vehicle applications
• Experience with AUTOSAR, model-based development, and software-in-the-loop (SIL) or hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) validation
• Experience supporting fast-paced product development or clean-sheet vehicle programs
• Experience leading supplier calibration activities or outsourced controls development
• Master's degree in Engineering or related technical discipline

WE'RE LOOKING FOR SOMEONE WHO

• Takes ownership of complex vehicle behavior and controls challenges and drives them to resolution
• Thrives in ambiguity and enjoys developing new control strategies from a clean sheet
• Operates with urgency while maintaining strong engineering judgment
• Thinks in systems and understands how software influences complete vehicle performance
• Can balance vehicle performance, energy efficiency, emissions, diagnostics, durability, and customer experience
• Can influence technical direction across cross-functional engineering teams, suppliers, and external engineering partners without direct authority
• Wants meaningful ownership over how next-generation commercial vehicles perform in the real world

INCLUDES

• Continued Professional Development
• Benefits including medical, dental and vision insurance, 14 paid holidays, vacation time and 401k matching

WORK CONDITIONS

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Office environment and production environment
• Must work in a manufacturing environment with exposure to heat, cold and noise
• Fast-paced production area with moving objects and sheet metal
• Occasional periods of standing or sitting for extended periods of time
• You must wear appropriate PPE when and where required
• Frequent weeks working 40+ hours
• Frequent communication with people throughout the day

*The specific statements shown in each section of this description are not intended to be all-inclusive.  They represent typical elements and criteria necessary to successfully perform the job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions

Blue Bird® is an equal opportunity employer and makes employment decisions on the basis of merit. We strive to have the best available talent in every job based on the Knowledge, Skills and Abilities each person brings.  Blue Bird is committed to compliance with all applicable laws providing equal employment opportunities. This commitment applies to all persons involved in Company operations and prohibits unlawful discrimination in all forms.

All candidates must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States and will be required to provide proof of employment eligibility at the time of hire.

#LI-Onsite