Trim Validation Engineer
Foster City · Irvine · 3-8 years experience · Full-time · Onsite · Posted Oct 17, 2026
At a glance
- Experience
- 3-8 years experience
- Employment
- Full-time
- Workplace
- Onsite
- Location
- Foster City · Irvine
About the role
- Alten Technology is seeking a Trim Validation Engineer to own the validation of trim and closures systems for an autonomous vehicle built from the ground up.
- The role involves planning and running durability, environmental, and performance tests, identifying part failures, and verifying components meet durability, environmental, and FMVSS requirements.
Responsibilities
- Own the validation of trim and closures systems — plastic trim and injection-molded components, painted and coated surfaces, and windshield and glazing assemblies.
- Develop and execute validation plans, defining test methods and acceptance criteria tied to program and regulatory requirements.
- Plan and run durability, environmental, and performance testing, and interpret the results.
- Lead root-cause and failure analysis, and drive corrective actions through to resolution.
- Assess manufacturing processes, materials, and environmental failure modes to catch issues early.
- Partner with design, manufacturing, suppliers, and quality to bring components to production readiness.
Requirements
- B.S. in Mechanical Engineering (or comparable).
- 3–8 years of experience in automotive trim, closures, or body validation.
- Hands-on validation experience — test planning, execution, and data-driven failure analysis.
- Working knowledge of plastic injection molding and automotive painting and coating.
- Familiarity with windshields and glazing.
- Understanding of relevant FMVSS requirements.
- Strong grounding in manufacturing processes, materials, and environmental failure modes.
- Proficiency in CATIA.
Preferred qualifications
- Component design experience in trim, closures, or glazing.
- Experience in a new-program or new-product-introduction environment.
Workplace
- On-Site, 5 days per week
- Drug-free workplace requiring pre-employment drug screening
Skills
- CATIA
