Vehicle Controls Engineer

Kenworth Division of PACCAR has an opening for a Vehicle Controls Engineer to join our team on-site in Kirkland, WA.

Company Information

PACCAR is a Fortune 500 company established in 1905. PACCAR Inc is recognized as a global leader in the commercial vehicle, financial, and customer service fields with internationally recognized brands such as Kenworth, Peterbilt, and DAF trucks. PACCAR is a global technology leader in the design, manufacture and customer support of high-quality light-, medium-, and heavy-duty trucks under the Kenworth, Peterbilt and DAF nameplates. PACCAR also designs and manufactures advanced diesel engines, provides financial services and information technology, and distributes truck parts related to its principal business.

Kenworth Truck Company

Kenworth Truck Company, founded in 1923, is the manufacturer of The World’s Best® heavy and medium duty trucks. With an excellent heritage of quality, innovation and technology, Kenworth has played an essential role in the development of trucks that are more fuel efficient, productive, and economical to operate. Today, Kenworth is leading transportation innovation with the introduction of battery-electric vehicles, exploration of fuel cell electric powertrains, and autonomous driving systems. Kenworth is committed to fostering an environment of diversity, equality and inclusivity in the workplace.

Requisition Summary Kenworth is seeking energetic, independent engineers with an interest in defining and validating advanced vehicle functions and software-enabled features. The Vehicle Function Definition Team is responsible for managing a comprehensive portfolio of integrated technology and software features within the vehicle. The team provides written and visual communication to the organization describing the intended behavior of the vehicle, which supports software development, vehicle verification, and validation. The ideal candidate has excellent communications skills, experience in stakeholder alignment, and a passion for implementing the latest technologies into commercial vehicles.

Visa sponsorship or immigration support is not available for this position. Candidates must be currently authorized to work in the United States and able to maintain that authorization throughout their employment without requiring employer sponsorship.

Job Functions/Responsibilities

- Identify, develop, and incorporate advanced vehicle technologies into PACCAR products.

- Elicit requirements from customers, sales teams, government regulations, and industry standards to capture customer and business needs.

- Develop feature-level specifications, including use cases, operational scenarios, system requirements, interfaces, state-based behaviors, and verification criteria that support implementation, integration, and validation activities.

- Define and document the intended behavior and interactions of vehicle systems and software-enabled features.

- Support ASPICE-compliant product development through requirements engineering, functional definition, traceability, systems integration, and verification planning.

- Create work plans for upcoming programs by establishing scope, identifying deliverables, and estimating resource requirements.

- Collaborate with global teams to deliver common, cost-effective solutions across PACCAR (up to 10% travel may be required).

Qualifications & Skills

- B.S. in Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field required; EIT certification and an M.S. in Engineering or a related field preferred.

- 1-3+ years of relevant experience required; experience in heavy-duty, medium-duty, or passenger vehicle development is highly desired.

- Proficient in technical writing and reviewing engineering specifications.

- Understanding of the design, development, and validation of automotive technologies.

- Ability to communicate complex concepts and technical information clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

- Demonstrated independent judgment and effective decision-making skills.

- Demonstrated initiative, flexibility, workload management, and the ability to adapt to changing priorities and project demands.

- Experience with simulation tools such as MATLAB and Simulink.

- Knowledge of ISO 26262, ASPICE, and IREB principles preferred.

- Experience with IBM DNG, IBM Rational Rhapsody, and IBM Engineering Workflow Management preferred.

- Experience with Agile software development preferred.

- Experience with data acquisition equipment preferred.

Why work for PACCAR/Kenworth?

- Global Fortune 500 Company with a wide array of growth and development opportunities

- Work alongside experienced goal-oriented colleagues recognized as experts in their fields

- Support and/or design the commercial vehicles of the future with a focus on emerging technologies such as electric and autonomous trucks

As a U.S. PACCAR employee, you have a full range of benefit options including:

- 401k with up to a 5% company match

- Fully funded pension plan that provides monthly benefits after retirement

- Comprehensive paid time off – minimum of 10 paid vacation days (additional days are provided with additional seniority/years of service), 12 paid holidays, and sick time

- Tuition reimbursement for continued education

- Medical, dental, and vision plans for you and your family

- Flexible spending accounts (FSA) and health savings account (HSA)

- Paid short-and long-term disability programs

- Life and accidental death and dismemberment insurance

- EAP services include wellness plans, estate planning, financial counseling and more

Additional Job Board Information

PACCAR is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veteran/Disability and E-Verify Employer. At PACCAR, we value talent and promote growth and development. We carefully consider numerous compensation factors including your education, training, or experience. The salary range for the Vehicle Controls Engineer is $80,800 - $120,800 annually. Additionally, this role is eligible for the full range of benefit options listed above.

PACCAR is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veteran/Disability and E-Verify Employer.