Staff Powertrain Engineer (Advanced Engineering)

Harbinger Motors Inc.

CA$170,000 - CA$200,000 / year

Garden Grove, CAFull-timeOn-siteExpert

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Description

About Harbinger

Harbinger is an American commercial electric vehicle (EV) company on a mission to transform an industry starving for innovation. Harbinger’s best-in-class team of EV, battery, and drivetrain experts have pooled their deep experience to bring a first-of-its-kind EV platform to support the growing demand for medium-duty EVs and Hybrids. Harbinger: Familiar Form, Revolutionary Foundation.

Job Overview

Based out of our Garden Grove headquarters, the Staff Powertrain Engineer serves as a domain leader and technical authority responsible for driving powertrain development from advanced concepts through production launch and full product life. They will have deep knowledge in Electric Drive Units (EDUs) and Internal Combustion (IC) engines. This role requires complete mastery of powertrain engineering disciplines (design, analysis, and validation) alongside broad working knowledge of low-voltage/high-voltage electrical systems, controls, thermal management, packaging, and manufacturing processes. As a technical lead, you will break down broad, ambiguous powertrain challenges into implementable strategies, define functional standards and project timelines, and guide cross-functional teams to deliver high-performing powertrain solutions.

What You’ll Do:

Lead the design and development of key Powertrain systems such as Electric Drive Units (EDUs) or Generator Sets (Gen-sets), and Internal Combustion Engines (ICE)
Break down complex technical challenges into smaller components and support junior engineers in delivering solutions.
Set standards and create best practices for others to follow in technical tasks (FEA, design guidelines, hand calculations etc)
Support developing clean-sheet projects, creating novel solutions from first principals, academic research, and industry benchmarking
Work closely with technicians and suppliers to create prototypes for validations
Take in, process, and communicate complex technical information to a wide audience.

Who You Are:

Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (or similar) with a minimum of 10 years of relevant industry experience with emphasis on mechanical design.
Curiosity for engineering and eagerness to make a positive impact.
Strong project discipline without creating unnecessary bureaucracy.
Foundational knowledge of HV motor/generator design and manufacturing processes.
A design engineer who has owned multiple powertrain systems from concept through full life in an automotive environment.
Demonstrated experience working with Electric Drive Units (EDUs), Internal Combustion (IC) engines, or Power Generation units (Gen-sets).
Deep understanding of powertrain manufacturing processes.
Proficiency in 3D CAD systems (CATIA 3DX preferred), FEA (stress analysis, thermal simulations, etc.) and the design of rotating components.
A clear communicator, who has a proven record of delivering complex projects with multi-disciplinary teams under tight deadline pressure.

Key Benefits & Perks:

Comprehensive Health, Dental & Vision (HDV) – 100% employee covered
Early-stage Stock Options
Robust Retirement Savings (401k, HSA, FSA)
Generous Paid Time Off (PTO) & Parental Leave
Annual Vacation Bonus
Wellness & Fertility Benefits
Cell Phone Stipend
Complimentary Meals & Stocked Kitchens

California Pay Range

$170,000—$200,000 USD

Equal Opportunity

Harbinger is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local fair employment practices laws. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information or characteristics, physical or mental disability, marital/domestic partner status, age, military/veteran status, medical condition, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Harbinger is committed to ensuring that our hiring process is accessible for persons with disabilities. If you have a disability or limitation, such as those covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act, that requires accommodations to assist you in the search and application process, please email us at info@harbingermotors.com.

Candidate Data Privacy

Harbinger may collect, use and disclose your personal information or personal data (within the meaning of the applicable data protection laws) when you apply for employment and/or participate in our recruitment processes (“Candidate Personal Data”). This data includes contact, demographic, communications, educational, professional, employment, social media/website, network/device, recruiting system usage/interaction, security and preference information. Harbinger may use your Candidate Personal Data for the purposes of (i) tracking interactions with our recruiting system; (ii) carrying out, analyzing and improving our application and recruitment process, including assessing you and your application and conducting employment, background and reference checks; (iii) establishing an employment relationship or entering into an employment contract with you; (iv) complying with our legal, regulatory and corporate governance obligations; (v) recordkeeping; (vi) ensuring network and information security and preventing fraud; and (vii) as otherwise required or permitted by applicable law.

Harbinger may share your Candidate Personal Data with (i) internal personnel who have a need to know such information in order to perform their duties, including individuals on our HR, legal, and finance teams, and the team(s) with the position(s) for which you are applying; (ii) Harbinger affiliates; and (iii) Harbinger’s service providers, including providers of background checks, staffing services, and cloud services.

Harbinger may transfer or store internationally your Candidate Personal Data, including to or in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the European Union and in the cloud, and this data may be subject to the laws and accessible to the courts, law enforcement and national security authorities of such jurisdictions.

Please note that we are currently not accepting applications from third party application services. Any unsolicited resumes or candidate profiles submitted in response to our job posting shall be considered the property of Harbinger and are not subject to payment of referral or placement fees if any such candidate is later hired by Harbinger unless you have a signed written agreement in place with us which covers the applicable job posting.

Benefits

401(k)
paid time off
parental leave
wellness program

About this role

Harbinger Motors is seeking a Staff Powertrain Engineer to serve as a technical authority and domain leader in their Garden Grove headquarters, guiding the development of electric and hybrid powertrains from concept through production and beyond. You'll own the design and development of Electric Drive Units, generator sets, and internal combustion engines—breaking down complex technical challenges into actionable strategies while setting standards and best practices for junior engineers and cross-functional teams. This role demands mastery across powertrain disciplines including mechanical design, FEA, thermal management, controls, and manufacturing, paired with the ability to communicate sophisticated technical information clearly to diverse audiences.

The position suits an experienced mechanical engineer with at least 10 years in automotive powertrain development who has shepherded multiple systems from concept to full product life. You should bring proven expertise with EDUs, IC engines, or power generation units; proficiency in 3D CAD (CATIA preferred) and finite element analysis; and a track record of delivering complex projects under deadline pressure with multidisciplinary teams. Beyond technical depth, Harbinger values curiosity, pragmatic project discipline, and a genuine drive to advance electric vehicle innovation in the commercial space.

The role offers a competitive salary of $170,000–$200,000, comprehensive health coverage, early-stage stock options, robust retirement benefits, generous PTO and parental leave, wellness programs, and complimentary meals at the office.

This role's local market on JobMinglr

62 open jobs in Garden Grove

Pay for this role

$170,000 to $200,000 per year

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