Inside the Role
The Engineering Quality, Safety and Compliance team within Product Integrity plays a critical role in ensuring Daimler Truck North America vehicles are designed with safety, quality, reliability, and regulatory integrity in mind. The team leads preventive Engineering Quality processes across DTNA product-development programs, helping engineering organizations identify and mitigate design risks early, establish robust technical requirements with traceability, and make informed product decisions throughout the development lifecycle.
As the Engineering Quality Manager, you will lead a multidisciplinary team responsible for design risk assessment, preventive quality, Functional Safety, Cyber Security, and related engineering quality activities. The team governs and supports processes including Design Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (DFMEA), Functional Safety in accordance with ISO 26262, Component Requirement and Contractual Implementation Specifications (CRS/CIS), Designation Safety-Relevant (DS) analysis, and other methods used to identify and reduce product risks.
As a member of the Product Integrity leadership team, you will set the strategic direction for Engineering Quality, establish clear governance and execution expectations, and ensure timely, high-quality support across conventional, battery-electric, and autonomous vehicle development programs. You will work closely with Product Engineering, Vehicle Level Engineering, Systems Engineering, System Integration, Product Validation, Manufacturing Engineering, Operations Quality, Purchasing, Service, Warranty, Vehicle Compliance, and global Daimler Truck partners.
This position also leads DTNA’s participation in global Engineering Quality initiatives, including DTNA leadership of the DFMEA Center of Competence across Daimler Truck and Bus business units. A key focus will be advancing the integration of Systems Engineering, risk analysis, requirements, specifications, and validation to improve end-to-end traceability and strengthen prevention-focused product development, while advancing the responsible use of data, automation, and AI within the Engineering Quality, Safety, and Compliance team.
Posting Information
We provide a scheduled posting end date to assist our candidates with their application planning. While this date reflects our latest plans, it is subject to change, and postings may be extended or removed earlier than expected.
We Take Care of Our Team
What You Drive at DTNA
People and Organizational Leadership
- Lead, develop, and engage a multidisciplinary team responsible for preventive quality, product safety, design risk analysis, Functional Safety, Cyber Security, and related Engineering Quality activities.
- Establish clear priorities, responsibilities, and performance expectations while balancing resources across product development projects and deliverables, process ownership, global initiatives, and emerging strategic needs.
- Build organizational capability through coaching, career development, hiring, onboarding, succession planning, competency development, and knowledge transfer.
- Foster an inclusive, collaborative, and accountable environment that supports employee engagement, innovation, technical rigor, and continuous improvement.
- As a member of the Product Integrity leadership team, contribute to departmental strategy, organizational effectiveness, and talent development.
- Build alignment across different functions and organizational levels regarding risk ownership, deliverable expectations, decision criteria, and escalation paths.
- Communicate complex technical, process, and organizational topics to senior leaders, translating Engineering Quality risks and performance information into actionable recommendations and leadership decisions.
Engineering Quality Strategy, Governance, and Global Alignment
- Establish and lead DTNA’s preventive Engineering Quality strategy, governance model, and execution expectations across vehicle-system and component development.
- Provide management oversight for DFMEA, Functional Safety, Component Requirement and Contractual Implementation Specifications (CRS/CIS), Designation Safety-Relevant (DS) analysis, SOTIF, and other applicable design risk-management processes.
- Ensure preventive quality methods and deliverables are completed with the appropriate technical rigor and aligned with CVDS quality-gate requirements, including clear expectations for planning, maturity, timing, action closure, escalation, and leadership visibility.
- Maintain meaningful process and performance KPIs that improve visibility, accountability, and consistent execution while ensuring significant safety, quality, reliability, and compliance risks are appropriately evaluated and escalated.
- Provide leadership support and strategic direction for DTNA’s global Engineering Quality processes, including DTNA leadership of the global DFMEA Center of Competence (CoC) and local representation in the global Component Specifications and DS processes.
- Partner with global and regional Engineering Quality leaders to align standards, priorities, competency development, and process improvements while ensuring DTNA needs and perspectives are represented.
- Promote global collaboration, process harmonization, knowledge sharing, and effective reuse of risk analyses, requirements, lessons learned, and technical practices across programs, platforms, regions, and business units.
Product-Development Leadership and Systems Engineering Integration
- Ensure Engineering Quality support is effectively planned and executed across DTNA product-development programs, including conventional powertrain, battery-electric, advanced technology, and autonomous vehicle applications.
- Define, track, and communicate Engineering Quality KPIs and deliverable performance to provide visibility into timing, maturity, quality, open risks, resource needs, and execution gaps.
- Serve as the Engineering Quality Management Support representative for applicable PAR product projects.
- Prepare Product Integrity leadership for applicable product-development governance and executive decision forums, including PY Boards, Exec Techs, TSMs, and other leadership reviews.
- Use performance information to identify trends, prioritize resources, drive accountability, and escalate systemic or program-level risks requiring leadership attention.
- Represent Engineering Quality in Product Integrity and cross-functional governance forums, including TCT and TCC Screenings.
- Advance the integration of Systems Engineering principles into preventive quality by connecting system boundaries, functions, architecture, interfaces, risk analyses, requirements, specifications, design controls, verification methods, and validation evidence.
- Partner with Product Engineering, Systems Engineering, System Integration, Product Validation, and program leadership to clarify lifecycle responsibilities, resolve execution gaps, and improve end-to-end traceability and accountability.
- Drive early identification of system dependencies, interfaces, assumptions, single-point failures, and validation gaps while strengthening risk-based validation planning throughout the product-development lifecycle.
Data, Digitalization, and AI Strategy
- Support and help lead the EQSC and Product Integrity strategy for using data, digital tools, automation, and artificial intelligence to improve engineering processes, risk assessment, product decisions, and organizational effectiveness.
- Champion practical and responsible AI-enabled solutions that connect engineering, validation, manufacturing, service, warranty, compliance, defect investigation, and field-quality information to improve product quality and decision-making.
- Enable the development, adoption, and continuous improvement of AI and digital solutions in partnership with subject matter experts, Engineering, Quality, IT, and other stakeholders, while ensuring appropriate technical verification and governance.
Knowledge You Should Bring
- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Engineering Technology, or another relevant technical discipline and 8+ years of experience is required.
- 2+ years of experience in commercial-vehicle development systems, engineering quality, product development, Systems Engineering, design assurance, product safety, or a related technical field.
- 2+ years of demonstrated leadership experience, including technical, project, program, or cross-functional leadership; mentoring or coaching; and/or people management.
- Knowledge of preventive quality, risk management, and product-development methods such as DFMEA/FMEA, Functional Safety, component or system specifications, safety-related analysis, Systems Engineering, or comparable engineering methodologies.
- Demonstrated ability to lead and influence cross-functional teams across organizational levels, functions, regions, and cultures without relying solely on organizational authority.
- Strong communication, facilitation, stakeholder-management, and judgment skills, including the ability to communicate complex topics to senior leaders and appropriately evaluate and escalate product or execution risks.
- Ability to independently prioritize and manage multiple product programs, organizational initiatives, and strategic responsibilities within a changing, global, and matrixed organization.
- An attached resume is required.
Exceptional Candidates Might Have
- A master’s degree is preferred.
- Experience in engineering, product development, engineering quality, Systems Engineering, product safety, or a comparable technical field.
- Prior experience directly leading or managing employees, preferred but not required.
- Automotive or commercial-vehicle product-development experience.
- Practical experience with one or more applicable methodologies, including DFMEA/FMEA, Functional Safety (ISO 26262), SOTIF (ISO 21448), Cyber Security (ISO 21434), component or system specifications, safety-related analysis, or comparable engineering frameworks.
- Experience with Systems Engineering, product architecture, system integration, requirements management, or connecting risk analyses to requirements, specifications, verification, and validation activities.
- Experience leading or contributing to global technical initiatives, enterprise processes, Centers of Competence, industry standards activities (e.g., ISO, SAE), or organizational capability development.
- Experience applying data analytics, automation, artificial intelligence, or digital tools to engineering and quality processes.
- Familiarity with relevant engineering, requirements, quality, collaboration, and data tools, such as ELM, DOORS NG, IQ-FMEA, Jira, Confluence, SharePoint, Power BI, Snowflake, Microsoft 365 Copilot, or Copilot Studio.
- Experience with structured problem-solving methods, such as Shainin or Six Sigma, and/or an applicable ASQ, Functional Safety, Systems Engineering, project-management, or comparable technical certification.
Where We Work
This position is open to applicants who can work in (or relocate to) the following location(s)-
Portland, OR US. Relocation assistance is not available for this position.
Schedule Type:
Onsite
At Daimler Truck North America, we recognize our world is changing faster than ever before. By listening to the needs of today, we’re building to solve with cutting-edge solutions in sustainability and future driving technology across electric, hydrogen and autonomous. These solutions, backed by years of innovative success and achievement, continue DTNA’s legacy as the undisputed industry leader. Our evolving brand portfolio is second to none, including Freightliner Trucks, Western Star, Demand Detroit, Thomas Built Buses, Freightliner Custom Chassis, and Financial Services. Together, we work as one team towards our envisioned future – building a cleaner, safer and more efficient tomorrow for all.
That is what we are working toward - for all who keep the world moving.
Additional Information
Visa sponsorship will only be open to current Daimler Truck North America employees working under an existing U.S. Daimler Truck North America Visa
All other applicants must be legally authorized to work permanently in the country the position is located in at the time of application
Final candidate must successfully complete a criminal background check
Final candidate may be required to successfully complete a pre-employment drug screen
Contractors, professional services, or other contingent workers should confirm with their local agency if they are eligible to apply for FTE positions
EEO - Disabled/Veterans
Daimler Truck North America is committed to workforce inclusion and providing an environment where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, sex (including pregnancy), religion, national origin, age, marital status, family relationship, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression (including transgender and transitioning status), genetic information, or veteran status.
For an accommodation or special assistance with applying for a posted position, please contact our Human Resources department at 503-745-8982 or toll free 800-206-3369. For TTY/TDD enabled call 503-745-2137 or toll free 866-355-6935.