Staff Systems Architect

As the leading transit bus manufacturer in the United States, GILLIG buses play a critical role in the environmental and social initiatives in communities across our nation.  GILLIG is on the forefront in the transition to zero-emission vehicles and has an unmatched reputation in the industry for quality, reliability, durability, service, and support.  From initial design through final assembly, each GILLIG bus is designed and built in Livermore, CA. 

WHY GILLIG

• Leader in environmentally friendly mobility solutions including battery electric, hybrid electric, near-zero CNG and clean diesel transit buses
• Renowned for its inclusive team/family-oriented culture
• Stable, successful, and growing organization – a Bay Area business for over 132 years!
• Flexible schedules (*depending on project needs)
• Excellent compensation including company paid medical premiums, generous retirement plan and other comprehensive benefits

DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW

GILLIG Engineering is responsible for the development, customization, and configuration of GILLIG’s clean technology heavy-duty transit buses.  We are committed to developing the most reliable buses that connect communities, eliminates congestion, and contributes to a greener environment.  Our engineers are engaged in designing, analyzing, testing, launching, and problem solving across a wide range of technical areas. 

Systems Engineering is responsible for defining, integrating, and optimizing vehicle-level and subsystem requirements, architectures, interfaces, and verification strategies across hardware and software domains. The team works across software architecture, controls development, software processes, cyber security, functional safety, and toolchains to ensure GILLIG buses are reliable, maintainable, secure, and ready to scale with future technology needs. Systems engineers collaborate closely with mechanical, electrical, controls, manufacturing, validation, Supply Chain and Customer Care teams to manage technical risk and deliver robust product solutions tailored to heavy-duty transit buses.

ABOUT THE ROLE

We are looking for a Staff Systems Architect who will be a thought leader in the development, integration, and industrialization of major new content for GILLIG’s continuously evolving product line. The Staff Systems Architect will have direct influence over vehicle, system, software, and controls architecture decisions by leading technical trade-offs in the areas where GILLIG has the greatest need and risk, and which are expected to remain critical into the future. These areas include software architecture, controls development, software creation and management processes, cyber security, functional safety, and software tools and toolchains. This role provides stronger technical leadership for product-facing initiatives such as stability teams and diagnostics development, and requires a leader with deep subject matter expertise who combines hands-on technical depth with process and organizational acumen. The role also requires strong practical mechanical aptitude to connect system decisions to real vehicle integration, serviceability, manufacturability, and field performance. This is a direct, full-time position with GILLIG.

This is a hands-on, on-site role at our Pleasanton satellite office and reports to the Head of The Zero Emission Product Platform.

TECHNICAL FOCUS

Software and Controls Development

You will contribute to the development, integration, and improvement of vehicle software and controls systems that support safe, reliable, and high-performing heavy-duty transit buses. This includes helping define control strategies, software behavior, system interfaces, diagnostics, and overall functionality across vehicle features and subsystems. The role requires sound engineering judgment, strong cross-functional collaboration, and the ability to connect software and controls decisions to vehicle performance, serviceability, manufacturability, and long-term product support.

IN THIS ROLE YOU WILL

• Lead technical evaluation and trade-off studies across software architecture, controls development, software processes, cyber security, functional safety, toolchains, diagnostics, and vehicle integration to drive robust product decisions
• Play a lead role in interpreting customer, regulatory, internal, and supplier requirements, deploying actionable system requirements, and resolving incompatibilities across hardware and software domains
• Define and maintain system, subsystem, and interface architectures, including allocation of requirements to hardware, software, and controls functions
• Establish and improve software creation and management processes, development workflows, and engineering operating cadence to increase product quality, traceability, execution speed, and organizational effectiveness
• Assess designs, plans, and implementation strategies of self and others using structured systems thinking, risk analysis, verification planning, and sound engineering judgment
• Guide cyber security, functional safety, and verification strategies by identifying risks early, defining mitigations, and ensuring requirements can be validated through test and analysis
• Provide significant support toward engineering programs by shaping technical scope, integration plans, verification strategy, schedules, and cross-functional deliveries, with particular leadership on product-facing initiatives such as stability teams and diagnostics development
• Lead and influence large, collocated cross-functional teams working in-person across engineering disciplines to solve complex vehicle and product challenges, while raising technical rigor, decision quality, and team capability
• Collaborate and iterate with mechanical, electrical, controls, manufacturing, validation, quality, supplier, and service teams to ensure architectures and solutions are practical, manufacturable, and supportable in the field

• Autonomy: Ability to work independently with review at critical points and may direct the activities of others. Accountable for results that may impact the entire department.
• Technically Minded: Serve as an expert in the field and key advisor. Provide, guide and use professional concepts in developing resolution to critical issues. Apply extensive knowledge of theories, practices and design matters. Lead the application of existing principles and guide development of new ideas. 
• Time Management: Work is completed at a highly accelerated pace due to familiarity with subject matter and execution experience.
• Communication: Collaborate and teach up, down and across the organization to help raise the skills and knowledge of the GILLIG team. Create formal networks involving coordination among groups. Convey advanced information and persuade diverse stakeholders.
• Complexity: Work on significant and unique issues where analysis of situations or data requires an evaluation of intangibles. Require conceptual thinking to understand advanced issues and implications. Exercise independent judgment in methods, techniques and evaluation criteria for obtaining results. Recognized internally as a subject matter expert.
• Quality & Standards: Technical requirements, architectures, interface definitions, software and controls processes, and other engineering documentation are accurate and complete. Released solutions are cost effective, manufacturable, serviceable, secure, safe, meet performance objectives, and satisfy customer and regulatory requirements.

• Bachelor or advanced degree in Systems Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, or related field
• Minimum 8 years of experience within the Engineering industry
• Experience in automotive, commercial vehicle, and/or heavy-duty vehicle product development required
• Fluent with requirements management, documentation control, configuration management, and revision/version management. Experience with a configure-to-order product and modular architecture management a plus.
• Experience making technical trade-offs in high-risk, high-value domains such as software architecture, controls development, software processes, cyber security, functional safety, software tools/toolchains, diagnostics, and related vehicle integration topics
• Experience leading large, collocated engineering teams across multiple disciplines and aligning stakeholders around architecture, execution, stability, and diagnostics decisions
• Experience working with major component suppliers, engineering service suppliers, testing suppliers, software partners, and product validation engineers
• Strong understanding of systems engineering methods including requirements decomposition, interface management, risk management, verification planning, issue resolution, and the ability to translate technical direction into effective team processes and organizational execution
• Experience with hands-on troubleshooting, product assembly, prototyping, testing, and validation activities (on site and at remote locations), including strong practical mechanical skills
• Enhanced product-facing technical skills combined with strong process and organizational acumen, with demonstrated ability to guide initiatives that improve product stability, diagnostics capability, and cross-functional execution
• Working knowledge of vehicle mechanical systems and the ability to connect software and controls decisions to packaging, integration, serviceability, and field performance

WORK ENVIRONMENT

• Ability to lift 25 lbs.
• Prolonged periods of sitting/standing at a desk and working on a computer
• Regularly required to sit, stand, and walk and occasionally kneel or squat
• The ideal candidate must be able to complete all physical requirements of the job with or without a reasonable accommodation.
• Limited travel may be required
• Must be able to navigate manufacturing environment, comfortable around heavy machinery, tools, etc.
• Must be able to wear Personal Protective Equipment, (i.e. safety glasses, bump caps, hearing protection, etc.)
• Standard start time: 8:00 am

EXPECTED COMPENSATION

$145,000 - $200,000/annual salary + premium benefits  

Pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job classification, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. The total compensation package for this position may also include other elements dependent on the position offered. Details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided if a candidate receives an offer of employment.

Other Duties

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

GILLIG is committed to providing equal opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment. We are committed to creating an inclusive and diverse workplace that values and respects the unique talents, experiences, and perspectives of our employees and the people we serve. As an equal opportunity employer, we do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, pregnancy, gender identity or any other characteristic protected by law.

GILLIG is an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action employer.