Applications Engineer

Trimble Mobile Solutions - Dayton, OH

Full-time - Mid Level

Dayton, OH

Furniture, Home Furnishings, Electronics, and Appliance Retailers

About the position

Caterpillar Trimble Control Technologies (CTCT) is a joint venture between Caterpillar and Trimble, dedicated to transforming the way heavy equipment customers shape the world through innovative solutions. The Global Product Validation Engineer (GPVE) will be an integral part of the Hardware Solutions (HWS) Team, focusing specifically on Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) and Angle Sensors. The HWS team is responsible for delivering robust and high-quality hardware solutions that are optimized for performance, cost, and availability, thereby ensuring the success of both Caterpillar and Trimble in the grade control market. The products developed by HWS include components such as brackets, option keys, fasteners, cables, cases, packaging, and labeling. In this role, the GPVE will be responsible for planning, executing, and directing verification and validation (V&V) activities related to IMUs and Angle Sensors across the organization. The primary goal is to ensure that CTCT's grade control platform products meet quality expectations by promoting validation earlier in the product development cycle. This will be achieved by leveraging the team's application and validation knowledge, utilizing world-class evaluation methods, and adhering to best practices. The successful candidate will identify and quantify technical and program risks, develop thorough product validation test plans, and ensure efficient execution of these plans. The GPVE will be dedicated to specific product teams and will report through the validation organization, employing an end-to-end product validation methodology. Key responsibilities include understanding the functionality and application of platform products to ensure effective V&V methods, maintaining expertise through training and hands-on V&V tasks, facilitating product sample size determination for testing, and ensuring that test activities meet established acceptance criteria. The GPVE will also educate product teams on validation expectations and processes, drive the use of risk-based thinking tools, and develop documentation processes for test results. Participation in product risk assessments and leading the development of new procedures for validation needs will also be part of the role. The GPVE will work closely with project managers on planning and execution, follow products through their lifecycle, and engage with other validation engineers to foster effective training and collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Understand the functionality and application of platform products to ensure effective verification and validation (V&V) methods.
• Maintain expertise through training and hands-on V&V tasks such as environmental and performance testing.
• Facilitate the determination of product sample sizes for testing and evaluation.
• Ensure design margin considerations in testing.
• Accountable for the product V&V strategy and collaboratively created test plans with product teams.
• Ensure completion of test activities and achievement of established acceptance criteria.
• Educate product teams on validation expectations, venues, and key processes.
• Drive usage of tools like Risk Based Thinking Process and Design Verification Plan & Report (DVP&R) to evaluate validation effectiveness.
• Develop tools and processes for delivering test documentation at appropriate levels of detail and IP sensitivity.
• Participate in product risk assessment processes to improve 'Testing with a Purpose' validation.
• Communicate the need for new validation procedures and lead their development when necessary.
• Provide input on planning and execution plans to project managers and coordinate scheduling.
• Follow products through their lifecycle, maintaining and updating test documentation until product deprecation.
• Build effective training and relationships with other validation engineers and internal validation groups.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or a related field.
• Experience in product validation and verification processes, particularly in hardware solutions.
• Strong understanding of IMUs and Angle Sensors and their applications.
• Proficiency in environmental and performance testing methodologies.
• Ability to develop and execute comprehensive test plans and documentation.
• Excellent communication skills for educating and collaborating with product teams.
• Experience with risk assessment and management in product development.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience with Google Cloud Platform products.
• Familiarity with risk-based thinking tools and methodologies.
• Knowledge of design margin considerations in product testing.
• Previous experience in the heavy equipment or construction industry.

Benefits

• Medical insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Life insurance
• Disability insurance
• Paid time off plans
• Retirement plans
• Paid parental leave
• Employee stock purchase plan