Plant Vehicle Engineer - General Assembly

ABOUT SLATE

At Slate, we’re building safe, reliable vehicles that people can afford, personalize and love—and doing it here in the USA as part of our commitment to reindustrialization. The spirit of DIY and customization runs throughout every element of a Slate, because people should have control over how their trucks look, feel, and represent them.

| WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

Slate is looking for a hands-on Plant Vehicle Engineer, General Assembly to support launch readiness, production quality, and continuous improvement in General Assembly, with a primary focus on the base truck.

This role supports plant execution of General Assembly content across structure, restraints, interior, exterior, and closure components, helping ensure the vehicle can be built repeatedly to product intent in a manufacturing plant environment.

This role serves as the engineering link between the manufacturing plant, Design & Release Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, Suppliers, Production, Safety, End of Line, Vehicle Integration, Service, and other cross-functional teams. The position focuses less on new component design and more on protecting product intent in General Assembly, resolving production and integration issues, and improving build quality in production.

This role does not own production release of General Assembly content. It is responsible for identifying build and integration issues, supporting root cause analysis, protecting safety-critical and quality requirements, and driving plant-side issue resolution in partnership with Design & Release Engineering and the broader manufacturing organization.

| WHAT YOU GET TO DO

General Assembly Support

• Support the launch and ongoing production in a General Assembly environment.
• Serve as the Plant Vehicle Engineering point of contact for General Assembly production and vehicle integration issues across structure, restraints, interior, exterior, and closure components.
• Help ensure General Assembly processes maintain product design intent, safety requirements, quality standards, craftsmanship expectations, and configuration requirements.
• Support plant readiness for General Assembly content, station execution, build sequence, repair methods, inspection standards, and launch issue closure.

Production Issue Resolution

• Investigate, diagnose, and resolve production issues related to installation, fit/function, craftsmanship, sealing, water leaks, wind noise, squeaks/rattles, trim fit, closure and body interfaces, seating and restraints, fasteners, and component interfaces.
• Lead or support root cause analysis, containment, corrective action development, breakpoint coordination, and validation of permanent fixes.
• Analyze production data, audit findings, repair trends, teardown feedback, supplier concerns, and plant feedback to identify risks, trends, and improvement opportunities.

Launch, Change & Cross-Functional Support

• Partner with Design & Release Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, Production, Suppliers, Safety, End of Line, Vehicle Integration, and Service teams to resolve plant and vehicle-level concerns.

• Support engineering change implementation, prototype/pilot builds, breakpoint coordination, plant readiness, issue tracking, containment, readiness reporting, and lessons learned.

• Participate in Design for Manufacturing and Assembly reviews, PFMEA input, control plan reviews, station readiness reviews, and related product/process improvement activities.

Documentation & Process Improvement

• Review and support production documentation, including work instructions, inspection standards, quality alerts, repair procedures, and related process documentation.
• Support issue tracking, change management, quality systems, deviation/waiver processes, containment documentation, and production breakpoint control.
• Drive continuous improvement actions that reduce defects, improve first-time quality, minimize rework, and strengthen production robustness in General Assembly.

| SUCCESS FACTORS

• Improve first-time quality across General Assembly.

• Reduce rework, repair loops, and recurring production issues across structure, restraints, interior, exterior, and closure content.

• Improve launch readiness through effective build support, issue tracking, station readiness, and closure discipline.

• Improve containment effectiveness and accelerate issue resolution through clear triage, documentation, breakpoints, and validation.

• Strengthen feedback loops between the plant, Design & Release Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, Production, Suppliers, and Service.

| WHAT YOU BRING TO THE TEAM

Education and Experience

• 5+ years of related automotive engineering, manufacturing engineering, launch, quality, plant vehicle engineering, General Assembly, vehicle integration, or similar experience.
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Industrial Engineering, or related technical field preferred; equivalent hands-on automotive launch, manufacturing, or product engineering experience will be considered.
• Experience supporting vehicle development and launch, with an understanding of the product lifecycle from concept through production ramp and mass production.
• Experience with General Assembly build execution, structure, restraints, interiors, exterior components, closures, or sealing preferred.

Skills

• Strong understanding of BOMs, engineering change control, manufacturability, assembly methods, process validation, quality metrics, design reviews, and cost-reduction methodologies.
• Strong technical, interpersonal, and communication skills with the ability to foster collaboration and build effective cross-functional relationships.
• Ability to read and interpret drawings, schematics, technical documents, specifications, quality standards, and production process documentation.
• Working knowledge of GD&T, tolerance stack-up, and fastening fundamentals, including torque, torque + angle, and clamp load.
• Experience with issue tracking, change management, quality systems, deviation/waiver processes, containment tracking, and production breakpoint control.
• Hands-on experience supporting assembly lines and driving improvements in build quality, process stability, and production robustness.
• Understanding of fit/finish, sealing, water leaks, wind noise, squeaks/rattles, trim alignment, seating/restraints, structural interfaces, exterior interfaces, and fastening-related concerns.
• DFM and DFA experience, with the ability to provide plant feedback into product and process decisions.
• Ability to work on the plant floor more than 50% of the time; ability to travel domestically up to 20%.
• Must be willing to relocate to Warsaw, Indiana. Relocation assistance will be provided.

Working Conditions

• Position is fully onsite.
• Manufacturing plant environment.

Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States on a permanent basis. We are unable to offer visa sponsorship at this time.​​ 

WHY JOIN TEAM SLATE?

At Slate, we’re fueled by grit, determination, and attention to detail. The start-up spirit of ingenuity and resourcefulness move our business forward. Team Slate fosters a culture of excellence, innovation, and mutual respect, and is motivated by shared principles.

• Safety First

• Delight Customers

• One Team

• Relentless Improvement

• Fast, Frugal, and Scrappy

• Respectful Collaboration

• Positive Legacy

WE WANT TO WORK WITH PEOPLE THAT REFLECT THE COMMUNITIES IN WHICH WE OPERATE.

Slate is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, veteran status, marital status, parental status, cultural background, organizational level, work styles, tenure and life experiences. Or for any other reason.

Slate is committed to providing reasonable accommodation for qualified individuals with disabilities in our job application procedures. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, you may contact us at

[email protected].