Technical Group Leader

Our OEM Client based in Gaydon, is searching for a Technical Group Leader to join their team, Inside IR35. This is a contract position with a proposed end date of 31st March 2027.

Umbrella Pay Rate: £33.64 per hour.

What to expect:

You’ll be a Technical Group Leader driving the development of new and existing vehicle architectures, leading either Cockpit, Closures and Exterior or Cabin Zone within a vehicle program. Responsible for driving and leading the integration of new technologies within that zone into new and existing vehicle architectures. Drive functional and attribute target delivery, acting as the voice of the customer to lead any arbitration required.

You’ll also develop vehicle level end-to-end technical delivery plan for key systems, identifying inter-dependencies and maturation versus customer requirements, throughout virtual and physical test phases. Leading the Technical Problem Resolution Cross-Squad / cross-Zone including escalation as required.

Accountabilities and Responsibilities:

• Accountable as the leader and final technical arbitrator, integrating and delivering the engineering for the given zone whilst ensuring compatibility with GRID, the commodity/system strategies and functional targets.
• Lead Group functional integration within the given zone, to drive out complexity and deliver the most efficient technical solutions.
• Work closely with Vehicle Attribute Robustness team to drive delivery of embedded design quality, service and manufacturing requirements.
• Drive Zonal Group coordinated technical data progression (CAD, DV, AIMS, Build, Test & Releasing etc..) with squads & interfacing chapter team leads.
• Oversee alignment on, and subsequent delivery of, Minimum Viable Product into both virtual and physical verification and validation through life of Programme.
• Drive Zonal cross squad obstacle resolution, ensuring timely escalation to nameplate and / or Architecture VEM as required.
• Ensure prompt escalation of technical blockers/incompatibilities to Vehicle/Chapter/Enterprise leadership via the Obstacle process.
• Support study & Agile spike activities to solve complex engineering problems.

Essential Skills, Knowledge and Experience Required:

• Automotive technical knowledge and extensive experience of complex interactions, including technical analysis and decision-making.
• Demonstrated understanding automotive technology with an advanced level of technical depth into vehicle, system and component detailed design, development and delivery, ability to interrogate and ratify incoming technical standards, system and component assumptions.
• Excellent written and verbal technical communication, influencing and negotiation skills.
• Experience in leading teams of people to solve complex technical issues using a structured approach e.g. 8D and/or Six Sigma.
• Project Management experience of delivery against a complex set of Programme technical deliverables.

Essential Personal Profile Required:

• An individual with a customer first mindset who is easy to do business with and makes people feel special, driven to deliver experiences that are personalised, transparent and dependable.
• Progressive thinking individual who takes a keen interest in new ideas and key industry developments.
• Ability to embrace the Agile model and work effectively as a champion of Agile principles in practice.
• A resilient individual who has strong influencing and engagement skills, is comfortable challenging all stakeholders and can build credibility and trust through experience and personal style.
• An individual who can demonstrate exceptional capability in leadership and management skills, who can motivate, develop and lead cross-functional and functional teams.

Key Interactions:

• PGL (Program Group Lead) for the given zone.
• PGL/TGL for interfacing zones.
• STGL & VEM.
• Engineering Delivery Director.
• Technology Center Leads.
• Architecture & Vehicle Programme Product Owners (POs).
• Lead Engineers.
• Engineering Delivery.
• Design.
• External supplier / partner specialist technical collaboration as required to develop complex strategic technical proposals.