Job description In this role, you'll manage internal, external, and supplier-led validation activities to ensure interior systems meet durability, reliability, and safety targets. You'll work closely with cross-functional engineering teams to evaluate test results, investigate failures, identify mitigation strategies, and incorporate validation learnings into future designs. The ideal candidate is a mechanical engineer with hands-on automotive validation experience, particularly with interior trim and seating systems. You have experience developing validation plans, managing test execution, analyzing failures, and translating requirements and DFMEA outputs into comprehensive test coverage. You're highly organized and comfortable coordinating multiple testing resources, schedules, and stakeholders. As a Validation Engineer, you'll: Develop and manage validation plans addressing mechanical, electrical, and environmental failure modes for interior trim and seating systems. Partner with design engineers to define requirements and ensure DFMEA-identified failure modes are adequately addressed within validation plans. Identify appropriate test assets, data acquisition systems, sensors, and test fixtures to support accurate and effective validation. Analyze test data, document results, and support root-cause analysis of failures throughout development, validation, and deployment. Manage validation schedules and coordinate internal, external, and supplier-led testing resources, ensuring required test assets are available and critical-path risks are identified. Travel occasionally to company and external test laboratories to support validation activities. Ideal candidate profile Bonus Qualifications Familiarity with 3D design tools. CATIA 3DX or CATIA V5 or SolidWorks preferred Experience with passive safety systems Daily tasks As a validation engineer supporting interior trim and seating, you will be responsible for establishing and executing a robust and rigorous validation process from requirements development through report approval. This will include managing internal and external testing resources as well as supplier-led validation activities which ensure durability, reliability, and safety targets are satisfied. You will work closely with cross-functional teams to understand root causes of failures, identify mitigation strategies, and incorporate learnings into new designs. Required skills Responsibilities Develop and manage test plans to validate mechanical, electrical, and environmental failure modes around our interior trim and seating systems Collaborate with design engineers to ensure that requirements are clearly defined and captured within the validation plan Identify appropriate test assets, data acquisition systems, and sensors to ensure high-quality test data Analyze test data to provide clear and concise reporting of test results Support DFMEA activities to ensure that all potential failure modes are adequate covered within the validation plan Support root cause failure analysis activities during development, validation, and deployment Design test fixtures necessary to complete testing Manage validation schedule to ensure appropriate test assets are available and critical path items are identified Business driver of role Qualifications BS or MS in mechanical engineering, or related relevant field 2+ years of test or validation experience related to interior automotive trims and seats. Experience with failure and root cause analysis Experience generating and managing DFMEAs Experience with requirements management tools (Polarion or equiv.) Experience with automotive test standards