Job Discription :Automotive engineers are involved in the design, manufacture, distribution, marketing, sales and after-sales care of cars (including racing cars), motorbikes and other commercial vehicles. Engineers will work on the aesthetics and technical performance of these vehicles and, increasingly, the electronics and software involved with modern vehicles.
Responsibilities of the job typically include:
Assessing project requirements
Agreeing and negotiating project budgets, timescales and specifications with clients and managers
developing and implementing test procedures
building prototypes of components to carry out tests on
organising and carrying out tests, eg to check whether engines will work in different conditions, such as high temperatures
interpreting and analysing results and data
sourcing vehicle components and selecting the best materials to use
providing technical advice and answering queries from clients
using specialist computer modelling software to produce designs
making improvements to vehicles in response to customer feedback
investigating and solving problems, eg mechanical failures
working closely with suppliers
writing reports and documentation
giving presentations
undertaking relevant research
supervising junior staff.
You can find out more about automotive engineering by reading our automotive industry sector overview, written by an experienced automotive engineer.
Key skills for automotive engineers
To become an automotive engineer, you will need:
effective technical and problem-solving skills
commercial awareness
good attention to detail
creativity
interpersonal and communication skills
presentation skills
analytical skills
good organisational skills
the ability to work as part of a team.
