NHTSA Sr. Investigator

The NHTSA Investigator leads formal and informal vehicle safety investigations to evaluate alleged defects or regulatory noncompliance, coordinating cross‑functional efforts to ensure accurate analysis, timely agency responses, and compliance with internal governance and regulatory requirements.

Job Description:

The NHTSA Investigator is responsible for managing the full lifecycle of safety and compliance investigations, serving as the central point of coordination between internal teams and regulatory stakeholders. Core responsibilities include:

• Lead formal and informal NHTSA investigations, including defining scope, coordinating responses, and driving investigations to completion.
• Establish and manage cross‑functional investigation teams, set timelines, assign responsibilities, and ensure milestone readiness.
• Oversee collection, validation, and analysis of investigation data, including field data review and engagement with subject matter experts to assess potential safety concerns and root cause.
• Prepare and present investigation findings, responses, and supporting documentation for internal reviews and agency engagement.
• Guide investigations through internal governance processes (Triage, Pre‑IRM, IRM, VRC) when potential safety issues are identified.
• Support recall, compliance, and remedy implementation activities, including regulatory filings, portal uploads, and cross‑functional coordination.
• Contribute to process improvement and governance activities, including development of work instructions and support of special initiatives.
• Contributing to continuous improvement efforts through participation in special governance initiatives, process development, and work instruction creation.

Basic Qualifications: 

• Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering from an ABET accredited university, or other engineering degree or related technical degree
• A minimum of 8 years of experience in cross functional Vehicle Engineering roles
• Detailed understanding of vehicle integration, systems, and validation process
• Knowledge of multiple automotive systems including body, chassis, powertrain and electrical
• Cross functional knowledge of system interactions and vehicle integration
• Passion for excellence, drive for deliver in the presence of obstacles and litigation
• Ability to develop strategic options working with both business and technical assumptions
• Ability to understand and break down complex issues
• Ability to clearly communicate both written and verbal to management, engineering, internal and external stakeholders and regulators
• Ability to lead a team of engineers and legal discovery groups in the execution of deliverables on a condensed time-line