Program Development Engineer / Senior Program Development Engineer

At Kia, we’re creating award-winning products and redefining what value means in the automotive industry. It takes a special group of individuals to do what we do, and we do it together. Our culture is fast-paced, collaborative, and innovative. Our people thrive on thinking differently and challenging the status quo. We are creating something special here, a culture of learning and opportunity, where you can help Kia achieve big things and most importantly, feel passionate and connected to your work every day.

Kia provides team members with competitive benefits including premium paid medical, dental and vision coverage for you and your dependents, 401(k) plan matching of 100% up to 6% of the salary deferral, and paid time off. Kia also offers company lease and purchase programs, company-wide holiday shutdown, paid volunteer hours, and premium lifestyle amenities at our corporate campus in Irvine, California.

Status

Exempt

General Summary

The Product Quality department’s Forward Model group represents the voice of the North American customer in new Kia models, collaborating with global Hyundai Motor Group (HMG) affiliates to ensure regional expectations are built into every new Kia product from concept to launch.

The Program Development Engineer (PDE) leads the technical development of new Kia products by communicating regional Voice of Customer (VoC) objectives with development teams. This role provides engineering oversight for assigned model lines, guiding projects from concept through major development gates, including clay model reviews, master car evaluations, prototypes, and pilot stages. The PDE sets and tracks performance objectives based on regional product strategy and engages cross-functional engineering teams to define system and component performance targets, adjust strategy, and report status to regional leadership.

As a Subject Matter Expert, the PDE plays a key role in shaping Kia NA’s future products and must demonstrate deep technical expertise across existing vehicle systems (dynamics, NVH, powertrain and HVAC) and emerging vehicle technologies (ADAS, Advanced Powertrain, EV, Hybrid Systems, and Alternative Fuel Systems).

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Priority One – 40% of Time

• Manage the engineering and technical progress of assigned vehicle models, including scheduling, reporting, and follow up of all open items. Develop products aligned with regional VoC technical strategy to ensure new products meet customer expectations. Provide clear direction and collaborate closely with R&D and Quality teams to achieve key milestones and ensure effective technical engineering support.

Priority Two – 20% of Time

Priority Three – 20% of Time

Priority Four – 10% of Time

Priority Five – 5% of Time

Priority Six – 5% of Time

This list of essential responsibilities and duties is not exhaustive and may be supplemented and changed as necessary by management.

Qualifications / Education

Education

Qualifications

Vehicle dynamics and suspension tuning / evaluation

Job Requirement

Specialized Skills and Knowledge Required

Competencies

Pay Range

Engineer II : $82,382 - $110,272

Sr. Engineer I : $87,317 - $121,409

Sr. Engineer II : $96,015 - $133,393

Pay will be based on several variables that are unique to each candidate, including but not limited to, job-related skills, experience, relevant education or training, etc.

Equal Employment Opportunities

KUS provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, including pregnancy and childbirth and related medical conditions, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, legally protected physical disability or mental disability, legally protected medical condition, marital status, sexual orientation, family care or medical leave status, protected veteran or military status, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.  KUS complies with applicable law governing non-discrimination in employment in every location in which KUS has offices.  The KUS EEO policy applies to all areas of employment, including recruitment, hiring, training, promotion, compensation, benefits, discipline, termination and all other privileges, terms and conditions of employment.

Disclaimer :   The above information on this job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification and for this position.  It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees assigned to this job.