About Blue Bird Corporation
Blue Bird (NASDAQ: BLBD) is recognized as a technology leader and innovator of school buses since its founding in 1927. Our dedicated team members design, engineer and manufacture school buses with a singular focus on safety, reliability, and durability. School buses carry the most precious cargo in the world – 25 million children twice a day – making them the most trusted mode of student transportation. The company is the proven leader in low- and zero-emission school buses with more than 25,000 propane, natural gas, and electric powered buses sold. Blue Bird is transforming the student transportation industry through cleaner energy solutions. For more information on Blue Bird’s complete product and service portfolio, visit www.blue-bird.com .
JOB SUMMARY
The Product Integration and Applications Engineering Lead owns the technical product definition for a new commercial chassis platform from concept through production launch.
This role serves as the engineering authority for product configurations, application compatibility, option governance, interface requirements, and body integration throughout the product lifecycle. Working across Engineering, Manufacturing, Strategic Sourcing, Sales, body manufacturers, suppliers, and customers, this position ensures every vehicle configuration is technically feasible, manufacturable, serviceable, and commercially viable.
This role establishes and leads the Applications Engineering function, defining the engineering processes, technical standards, and product governance required to support scalable product configurations, body integrations, customer applications, and future platform growth while providing technical leadership to a growing team of Applications Engineers.
This is a high-autonomy leadership role for an experienced engineer who thrives in ambiguity, makes complex engineering decisions with confidence, and wants meaningful ownership over how a new commercial chassis platform is configured, integrated, and brought to market.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
• Product Definition Ownership: Own the technical product definition, feature content, option strategy, and configuration architecture across the commercial chassis platform throughout the product lifecycle.
• Requirements Management: Develop, manage, and maintain vehicle, customer, regulatory, body builder, and application requirements while ensuring complete traceability through engineering, validation, manufacturing, and production.
• Body Builder Integration: Serve as the primary engineering interface for body manufacturers by defining chassis interfaces, body mounting requirements, electrical interfaces, dimensional envelopes, installation requirements, and integration standards.
• Configuration & Option Management: Own vehicle configurations, option compatibility, feature dependencies, ordering logic, and engineering constraints to ensure technically valid, manufacturable, and customer-ready product offerings.
• Product Governance & Interface Control: Develop and maintain Interface Control Documents (ICDs), application specifications, body builder manuals, configuration standards, engineering requirements, and technical documentation governing product compatibility and system interfaces.
• Engineering Change Management: Evaluate engineering changes for technical feasibility, product compatibility, customer applications, manufacturing impact, option logic, and downstream configuration effects.
• Cross-Functional Product Leadership: Partner with Systems Engineering, Vehicle Integration, Manufacturing, Strategic Sourcing, Supply Chain, Sales, Quality, and Program Management to maintain a controlled, scalable, and consistent product definition throughout development and launch.
• Customer & Application Engineering: Provide technical leadership to customers, dealers, distributors, body manufacturers, and internal teams regarding vehicle applications, configuration feasibility, interface requirements, and special application requests.
• Product Complexity Management: Lead initiatives to simplify product offerings by balancing customer flexibility with engineering complexity, manufacturing efficiency, serviceability, lifecycle cost, and long-term product sustainability.
• Applications Engineering Leadership: Build and lead the Applications Engineering function by establishing engineering standards, developing team capability, mentoring engineers, and driving consistent execution across customer application and product integration activities.
• Prototype, Launch & Production Support: Support prototype builds, manufacturing launch, and early production by resolving product definition issues, configuration conflicts, and application-related engineering challenges.
• Operate in Ambiguity: Create structure and drive execution where product requirements, customer applications, engineering constraints, and business priorities evolve simultaneously.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES FOR SUCCESS
• Deep understanding of commercial vehicle product architecture, configurable product development, and body-on-chassis integration
• Experience developing and managing product requirements, Interface Control Documents (ICDs), configuration management, and engineering change control
• Strong understanding of configurable product architectures, option logic, engineering releases, and product lifecycle management (PLM)
• Experience working directly with body manufacturers, upfitters, OEM partners, customers, or vehicle integration organizations
• Ability to translate customer and market requirements into scalable engineering solutions and configurable vehicle offerings
• Experience leading cross-functional technical initiatives across engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, suppliers, sales, and commercial organizations
• Strong technical leadership, communication, negotiation, and decision-making skills
• Ability to balance customer requirements, engineering constraints, manufacturing capability, and commercial objectives while maintaining product governance
BASIC EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED
• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Automotive Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Mechatronics, Computer Engineering, or related engineering discipline
• 8+ years of experience in product engineering, systems engineering, applications engineering, vehicle integration, configuration management, or commercial vehicle product development
• All candidates must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States and will be required to provide proof of employment eligibility at the time of hire.
PREFERRED EXPERIENCE
• Demonstrated ownership of configurable vehicle products from concept through production launch
• Experience developing product requirements, interface definitions, engineering changes, product configurations, and application strategies
• Experience working directly with customers, body manufacturers, suppliers, and cross-functional engineering organizations
• Demonstrated experience providing technical leadership, mentoring engineers, or leading engineering teams within a product development environment
• Experience with commercial chassis, incomplete vehicles, body-on-chassis platforms, vocational vehicles, or medium- or heavy-duty truck applications
• Experience supporting body builder integration, upfitter engineering, or OEM body integration programs
• Experience implementing configurable product strategies for highly configurable vehicle platforms
• Experience with requirements management, systems engineering, configuration management, or PLM tools
• Experience supporting clean-sheet vehicle development or accelerated product launches
• Master's degree in Engineering or a related technical discipline
• Experience building, leading, or scaling an Applications Engineering or Product Integration organization
WE'RE LOOKING FOR SOMEONE WHO
• Takes ownership of complex product definition and integration challenges and drives them to resolution
• Thrives in fast-paced environments where requirements, customer needs, and engineering priorities evolve rapidly
• Makes sound engineering decisions independently while balancing technical, manufacturing, commercial, and customer considerations
• Thinks at the complete vehicle level and understands how configuration decisions impact engineering, manufacturing, suppliers, customers, and long-term product strategy
• Builds alignment across cross-functional organizations while maintaining clear technical ownership and accountability
• Enjoys building teams, developing engineering capability, and creating scalable engineering processes without unnecessary bureaucracy
• Wants meaningful autonomy and the opportunity to shape how a new commercial chassis platform is configured, integrated, and successfully deployed across multiple markets
INCLUDES
• Continued Professional Development
• Benefits including medical, dental and vision insurance, 14 paid holidays, vacation time and 401k matching
WORK CONDITIONS
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• Office environment and production environment
• Must work in a manufacturing environment with exposure to heat, cold and noise
• Fast-paced production area with moving objects and sheet metal
• Occasional periods of standing or sitting for extended periods of time
• You must wear appropriate PPE when and where required
• Frequent weeks working 40+ hours
• Frequent communication with people throughout the day
*The specific statements shown in each section of this description are not intended to be all-inclusive. They represent typical elements and criteria necessary to successfully perform the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions
Blue Bird® is an equal opportunity employer and makes employment decisions on the basis of merit. We strive to have the best available talent in every job based on the Knowledge, Skills and Abilities each person brings. Blue Bird is committed to compliance with all applicable laws providing equal employment opportunities. This commitment applies to all persons involved in Company operations and prohibits unlawful discrimination in all forms.
All candidates must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States and will be required to provide proof of employment eligibility at the time of hire.
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