Systems Engineer - Commercial Vehicle

PACCAR is a Fortune 500 company established in 1905. PACCAR Inc is recognized as a global leader in the commercial vehicle, financial, and customer service fields with internationally recognized brands such as Kenworth, Peterbilt, and DAF Trucks. PACCAR is a global technology leader in the design, manufacture and customer support of high-quality light-, medium- and heavy-duty trucks under the Kenworth, Peterbilt and DAF nameplates. PACCAR also designs and manufactures advanced power trains, provides financial services and information technology, and distributes truck parts related to its principal business.

Peterbilt Motors Company

On highways, construction sites, city streets, logging roads - everywhere our customers earn their living - Peterbilt's red oval is a familiar symbol of performance, reliability and pride. Peterbilt has reigned as America's premium quality truck manufacturer since the company's founding in 1939. Our dedication to deliver products and services focused on improving customers' performance, image, profitability and peace of mind truly makes Peterbilt the Class of the Industry.

This role serves as the primary liaison between Vehicle Function Definition (VFD), Software Development, suppliers, and PACCAR Technical Center (PTC) Verification & Validation (V&V) teams to ensure software and system content is truly ready for system-level verification and vehicle testing.

The #1 objective is Verification Readiness: ensuring that before PTC begins HIL/SIL and vehicle testing, the software architecture and functional requirements are complete and high quality, supplier systems are feature-complete, supplier testing is executed per approved test plans, and known defects have been addressed or have an agreed corrective action plan and timing.

This role serves under the Vehicle Function Definition group and it improves program execution by establishing clear readiness gates, aligning documentation and deliverables, and ensuring test planning is complete, accurate, and actionable across the complete development product lifecycle.

Verification Readiness & Quality Gates (Primary Responsibilities)

• Define and manage verification readiness criteria and deliverables required for PTC V&V to begin system HIL/SIL and vehicle testing (requirements completeness/quality, architecture readiness, supplier feature completeness, supplier test completion, defect status).
• Ensure software/system architecture and interfaces are defined with sufficient quality and maturity to support integration and downstream validation.
• Drive requirements quality: ensure Function Requirements / Function Design documents are complete, testable, consistent, peer-reviewed, and traceable to verification methods.
• Ensure suppliers have executed component/subsystem testing per their test plans, and that defects are either corrected or have an approved corrective action plan prior to PTC test execution.
• Join stakeholder review sessions for FRS and FDS documents, offering input on how testable the functional requirements are.

Test Planning & Cross-Site Execution Support

• Create and maintain preliminary and formal test plans that validate software-enabled vehicle features, ensuring complete requirements coverage and clear test intent.
• Partner with PTC V&V to translate requirements and architecture into executable validation strategy across component test, SIL/HIL, and vehicle test domains.
• Track verification readiness progress, risks, and gaps; proactively escalate blockers with proposed options and timelines.

Defect Management & Corrective Action Leadership

• Collaborate as needed with the Defect Review Board (DRB) and cross-functional stakeholders to triage defects, improve problem statements, and ensure timely assignment to the appropriate SMEs.
• Focus on driving corrective actions (not duplicating PTC's root-cause function): ensure ownership, containment plan (as needed), corrective action plan, and verification closure approach are defined and tracked to completion.

Program Planning, Financials, and Deliverables

• Define and document program validation activities and plans to ensure products meet reliability and verification confidence targets.
• Identify and incorporate test activities into Product Financial Supporting Documentation (PFSD) for accurate budget forecasting, including ensuring program funding is identified and secured for planned validation work (e.g., A54/61 funding where applicable).
• Ensure validation results are documented in required systems (e.g., DVPR/WRR) and failures are documented/closed appropriately in FRACAS when applicable.

Process, Mentoring, and Continuous Improvement

• Improve and standardize verification readiness processes, engineering workflow, deliverables, and timelines aligned to best practices, V-model development, and industry standards.
• Mentor and develop junior engineers by modeling strong documentation discipline, requirements quality practices, and structured problem-solving methods.
• Identify process improvement opportunities and propose solutions that improve quality, efficiency, and cross-site alignment.
• Travel up to 20% depending on program phase, including on-site support at PTC, PACCAR sites.

• Bachelor of Science degree in Systems Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Software Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related technical degree
• 7+ years of experience with automotive or similar electronic modules and/or systems engineering

• Strong experience in commercial vehicle / semi-truck systems or equivalent complex electro-mechanical platforms (vehicle functions, embedded software, networks, ECU integration).
• Proven ability to produce and maintain high-quality technical documentation (Functional requirements, architecture inputs, test plans, readiness reviews).
• Strong cross-functional communication skills with the ability to influence across engineering, suppliers, and leadership.
• Demonstrated project management skills: prioritization, scheduling, risk management, and execution tracking.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to manage multiple parallel priorities.
• Experience with ISO 26262, Automotive SPICE (ASPICE), Agile methods, and Six Sigma / structured problem solving.
• Understanding of product liability and how safety/regulatory expectations impact requirements, documentation, and verification.
• Familiarity with component test, SIL/HIL, and tool environments such as dSPACE (or equivalent).
• Background in highly regulated industries (e.g., aerospace, medical devices, rail) where documentation rigor, traceability, and process compliance are central.
• Ability to distill complex technical concepts into clear explanations for diverse audiences (engineering, management, customers).

As a U.S. PACCAR employee, you have a full range of benefit options including:

* 401k with up to a 5% company match

* Fully funded pension plan that provides monthly benefits after retirement

* Comprehensive paid time off - minimum of 10 paid vacation days (additional days are provided with additional seniority/years of service), 12 paid holidays, and sick time

* Tuition reimbursement for continued education

* Medical, dental, and vision plans for you and your family

* Flexible spending accounts (FSA) and health savings account (HSA)

* Paid short-and long-term disability programs

* Life and accidental death and dismemberment insurance

* EAP services including wellness plans, estate planning, financial counseling and more

PACCAR is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veteran/Disability corporation. Peterbilt promotes Diversity and Inclusion through mentorship, events, and affinity support groups - The Diversity Council, Peterbilt Women's Initiative (PBWIN), Veterans Group, Peterbilt Black Organization for Leadership and Development (B.O.L.D) and ADVOCATE (An LGBTQ support group).

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