Lead, Thermal Systems SET (Automotive)

Location: Novi, Michigan, United States; based at the hirify.global location with 4–5 days per week in the office, regular in-person meetings and occasional travel.

Salary: $160,000–$192,500 annual base salary, plus eligibility for an annual performance bonus.

Company

hirify.global is building electrified, digitized pickup trucks and rugged SUVs, including all-electric and range-extender powertrains.

What you will do

• Own thermal-system timing plans, deliverables, priorities, milestone tracking, component maturity, sourcing, releases, tooling, validation, and build readiness.
• Coordinate prototype, VFF, PVS, and production-build part availability and ensure thermal components are released on time.
• Lead cross-functional execution across thermal engineering, purchasing, validation, manufacturing, quality, controls, packaging, program management, and suppliers without direct authority.
• Own thermal-system integration readiness, guide system-level validation plans, and assess engineering-change impacts on timing, cost, validation, sourcing, and vehicle builds.
• Lead resolution and recovery of vehicle-, subsystem-, and component-level issues, including supplier risks affecting timing, quality, cost, or technical delivery.
• Maintain readiness reports, risk registers, issue lists, decision records, executive updates, and recommendations for escalation and recovery actions.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or a related field.
• 12–15 years of relevant experience in automotive engineering, systems integration, program management, or thermal systems.
• Experience leading complex vehicle-system development programs and resolving significant cross-functional issues affecting program or functional outcomes.
• Broad expertise in automotive product development, engineering releases, validation processes, supplier management, sourcing, and vehicle integration.
• Ability to work independently, direct work through cross-functional teams, influence diverse stakeholders, and manage schedules, risks, decisions, and recovery actions.
• Excellent communication, technical leadership, persuasion, and organizational skills, including the ability to convey advanced information to technical and leadership audiences.
• Ability to work 4–5 days per week in the Novi office, attend in-person meetings and events, and travel when required.
• Applicants must be 18 years of age or older.

Nice to have

• Recognized expertise in vehicle systems, thermal systems, system integration, or systems management.
• Experience with VW Group or Scout product-development processes and coordination across global or multi-organizational stakeholders.
• Experience supporting vehicle builds, launch activities, and production-readiness reviews.
• Familiarity with engineering release systems, change management, supplier development, and reusable readiness or governance methods.

Culture & Benefits

• Entrepreneurial, collaborative, inclusive, and fast-paced environment focused on building products and a company from the ground up.
• Medical, dental, vision, and income-protection plans.
• 401(k) program with employer match and immediate vesting.
• 20 days of planned PTO, 40 hours of unplanned PTO, and 14 company or floating holidays annually.
• Up to 16 weeks of paid parental leave, plus paid leave for bereavement, jury duty, voting time, and military leave.
• Full-time exempt employment with an annual performance bonus program.