Senior Director, Design Engineering, Electrical

Senior Director, Design Engineering, Electrical

Job Category: Engineering

Requisition Number: SENIO
004620

• Posted :
  August 7, 2026
• Full-Time
• On-site

Showing 1 location

Blue Bird Fort Valley
402 Blue Bird Blvd
Fort Valley, GA 31030, USA

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,  .

JOB SUMMARY

Reporting to the SVP of Engineering, the Senior Director, Design Engineering - Electrical provides strategic and operational leadership for Blue Bird's Electrical and Controls Engineering function across the full product portfolio and multiple locations. This role leads the development and execution of the technical direction, governance, organizational capability, and operating model for high- and low-voltage electrical systems, vehicle controls, and next-generation electrical architectures across all powertrains and vehicle configurations.

The Senior Director translates business and product strategy into a multi-year engineering roadmap; delivers safe, compliant, reliable, manufacturable, and cost-effective solutions from concept through launch and field support; and builds a high-performing leadership and engineering team. As a senior engineering leader, this position partners across Product Development, Program Management, Manufacturing, Quality, Supply Chain, Purchasing, Service, Finance, and commercial teams to improve speed to market, product quality, warranty performance, customer satisfaction, and long-term business results.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Develop and execute the electrical and controls engineering strategy, multi-year technology roadmap, operating model, and priorities in alignment with Blue Bird's product and business objectives.
• Lead a multi-site organization of engineering managers, technical leaders, and professionals; manage organizational structure, workforce plans, talent development, succession, performance expectations, and accountability.
• Serve as the senior technical authority for high- and low-voltage electrical systems, vehicle controls, electrical architecture, diagnostics, electric vehicles, and electrical safety.
• Implement and maintain engineering governance, design standards, technical review and approval processes, configuration and change controls, and documentation requirements.
• Lead the portfolio of electrical engineering programs from concept through production launch and field support, ensuring disciplined scope, resource, schedule, budget, risk, and milestone management.
• Lead development and launch of next-generation electrical architectures, technologies, and processes that improve vehicle capability, reliability, serviceability, scalability, and speed to market.
• Ensure designs and validation plans meet applicable federal, state, industry, safety, and customer requirements and support the company's product safety and compliance obligations.
• Champion robust engineering practices, including systems engineering, requirements management, design reviews, DFMEA, DFM/DFA, verification and validation, and engineering release discipline.
• Lead resolution of significant product, launch, field, and warranty issues by driving cross-functional root cause, containment, corrective action, and lessons learned.
• Partner with Manufacturing, Quality, and Operations leadership to improve design for manufacturability, first-time quality, production efficiency, and long-term product performance.
• Partner with Supply Chain, Purchasing, and Supplier Quality to develop a…