Gillig LLC - Senior Manager of Customer Engineering
Company: Beyond SOF
Location: Pleasanton
Posted on: April 3, 2026
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Job Description:
Senior Manager of Customer Engineering Experience level:
Mid-senior Experience required: 15 Years Education level:
Bachelor’s degree Job function: Engineering Industry: Automotive
Compensation: $151,000 - $190,000 Total position: 1 Relocation
assistance: Yes Visa : Only US citizens and Greencard holders Job
Description: Our engineering organization is comprised of three
primary departments: Current Product Engineering (CPE), New Product
Engineering (NPE) and, Product Validation. There are two groups
within CPE, Customer Engineering and Sustaining Engineering. The
mission of the Customer Engineering group is to define robust
fleet-specific customization required for each of our customers’
operational needs. Customer Engineering has technical
responsibility from the initial bid through vehicle delivery,
encompassing bid team support, translation of requested features
into parts and functionality, design & release of
components/installations, validation support, and implementation
into production. The Senior Manager of Customer Engineering is the
key leader for the design of customer-specific variants of GILLIG’s
current production bus models. This position is responsible for the
overall engineering required to deliver safe, robust, serviceable,
and customized transit buses to our established and growing
customer base. In this role, you will lead a multi-disciplinary
team of engineers and Bill of Material (BOM) management personnel
that evaluates unique customer requirements and provides designs
that meet these requirements. Designs are typically adapted from
existing product or precedence, however, may also necessitate
specific clean-sheet design, test, and validation. Ongoing
collaboration with internal engineering managers, supervisors, and
individual contributors as well as external sales, supply chain,
and manufacturing partners will be key to the success of this role.
This position reports to the Director of Current Product
Engineering, located at our head office and manufacturing plant in
Livermore, CA. Responsibilities: As our current product evolves and
new sales orders flow into Customer Engineering, you will have the
opportunity to experience the unique engineering challenges and
characteristics of the heavy-duty transit bus industry, partner
with peers, try new ideas, mentor others, and lead a
multi-disciplinary engineering team to perform the following:
Manage all engineering efforts beginning with the customer bid and
carrying through post-delivery inspection of the bus Proactively
engage Sales, Purchasing, Manufacturing, Quality Assurance, and key
vendors to establish and execute on unique customer requirements
Ensures all system and subsystem designs meet all applicable
federal and state regulations and safety guidelines Coordinate the
on-time and on-budget design, development and release of new
systems/subsystems and new features to existing systems Work with
GILLIG Leadership in developing the strategies, plans of action,
and priorities for the engineering design team. Collaboratively
assist in budget creation Create an atmosphere of driven design
excellence while assuring maximum product safety,
manufacturability, and cost effectiveness Critical contributor and
supporter to the product road mapping and the development of
engineering processes & tools Provide regular status updates to the
Director or Executive members on design, integration, test and
validation results Manage both internal and contracted 3rd party
engineering resources Develop key relationships with both internal
teams and external suppliers, using creativity and teamwork to
solve problems in the most efficient way possible Contribute to the
evolution and implementation of design tools such as Siemens
Teamcenter, NX, and Zuken E3 Oversees hiring, training, performance
management, and provides leadership and coaching to ensure
well-trained, motivated, and goal-oriented workforce Qualification:
BSEE or BSME required, MS preferred 15 years of progressive
engineering experience 7 years of experience managing small to
mid-sized (20) design engineering staff Proven technical and
leadership responsibility in automotive, on/off highway, or
transportation equipment Demonstrated experience leading a
multi-disciplinary environment with a proven track record in
strategic engineering leadership delivering effective engineering
strategies, policies, processes and systems Ability to manage
multiple complex projects in a fast paced, high growth and changing
environment Solid analytical skills and solution-driven thinking
collects and researches data; uses intuition and experience to
complement data. Makes good decisions based upon a mixture of
analysis, wisdom, experience and judgment Able to carry out and
coordinate a cross-functional design review at an advanced level
and in a wide range of work situations without guidance Proven
ability to resolve coincident requirements such as quality,
cost-reduction, customer preference, manufacturability and
time-to-market Working knowledge of heavy-duty vehicle industry
standards, regulations, and guidelines such as FMVSS, ADA, APTA Bus
Procurement Guidelines, SAE HD vehicle standards, NFPA, and NEC
Prior experience using mechanical CAD packages such as CREO, CATIA,
or NX. PLM system experience, such as Teamcenter, is a plus. Highly
proficient with MS Office tools (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) ABOUT THE
ENVIRONMENT and WORKING CONDITIONS: Ability to lift up to 25 lbs.
Regularly required to sit, stand, and walk; occasionally kneel or
squat. Limited travel may be required Typical start time 6:00 AM
(negotiable) About US: GILLIG LLC is the largest and most
dependable manufacturer of Heavy-Duty Transit Buses in North
America. Our customers are in all 50 states, and include cities,
counties, transit districts, universities, and major private fleet
operators. We are headquartered in Livermore, CA. After 130 years,
GILLIG holds strong to its family values and focus on its employees
and customers. Our motivated and dedicated employees have a passion
for quality and customer satisfaction. We are committed to building
buses that connect communities, eliminate congestion, and
contribute to a greener environment. Our Company pride is
exemplified by the thoughtful design and quality craftsmanship
present in every GILLIG bus. GILLIG’s steadfast focus on quality
and unwavering commitment to exceptional customer service sets us
apart from our competition. In compliance with the Drug-Free
Workplace Act of 1988, GILLIG has a longstanding commitment to
provide a safe, quality-oriented, and productive work environment
consistent with the standards in which the company operates. Drug
abuse poses a threat to the health and safety of GILLIG employees
and to the security of the company's equipment and facilities.
Keywords: Beyond SOF, Gilroy , Gillig LLC - Senior Manager of Customer Engineering, Engineering , Pleasanton, California
