Description
Develop new or improved designs for vehicle structural members, engines, transmissions, or other vehicle systems, using computer-assisted design technology. Direct building, modification, or testing of vehicle or components.
- • Read current literature, attend meetings or conferences, or talk with colleagues to stay abreast of new automotive technology or competitive products.
- • Establish production or quality control standards.
- • Prepare or present technical or project status reports.
- • Develop or implement operating methods or procedures.
- • Write, review, or maintain engineering documentation.
- • Conduct research studies to develop new concepts in the field of automotive engineering.
- • Coordinate production activities with other functional units, such as procurement, maintenance, or quality control.
- • Provide technical direction to other engineers or engineering support personnel.
- • Perform failure, variation, or root cause analyses.
- • Develop or integrate control feature requirements.
- • Develop engineering specifications or cost estimates for automotive design concepts.
- • Develop calibration methodologies, test methodologies, or tools.
- • Conduct automotive design reviews.
- • Calibrate vehicle systems, including control algorithms or other software systems.
- • Build models for algorithm or control feature verification testing.
- • Alter or modify designs to obtain specified functional or operational performance.
- • Design or analyze automobile systems in areas such as aerodynamics, alternate fuels, ergonomics, hybrid power, brakes, transmissions, steering, calibration, safety, or diagnostics.
- • Conduct or direct system-level automotive testing.
- • Design control systems or algorithms for purposes such as automotive energy management, emissions management, or increased operational safety or performance.
- • Create design alternatives for vehicle components, such as camless or dual-clutch engines or alternative air-conditioning systems, to increase fuel efficiency.
- • Design vehicles for increased recyclability or use of natural, renewable, or recycled materials in vehicle construction.
- • Design vehicles that use lighter materials, such as aluminum, magnesium alloy, or plastic, to improve fuel efficiency.
- • Develop specifications for vehicles powered by alternative fuels or alternative power methods.
- • Research computerized automotive applications, such as telemetrics, intelligent transportation systems, artificial intelligence, or automatic control.
- • Research or implement green automotive technologies involving alternative fuels, electric or hybrid cars, or lighter or more fuel-efficient vehicles.
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Advanced Manufacturing
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Tasks & skills:
O*NET occupational data (work activities, skills, knowledge).
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Sources & Standards:
This site includes information from O*NET by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Career Clutch has modified some of this information for student readability. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Last reviewed: Jan 2026
