VP Engineering Job in Helmond, Netherlands

Electric cars have the potential to benefit everyone tremendously. Not only do they provide a way to reduce emissions and thereby provide us with cleaner air in our cities, electric cars are an important part of the solution to mitigate climate change.

At Lightyear, we love electric cars and know they will prove a turning point in history. We started the Lightyear because we could not just be bystanders of the electric car revolution. We have a very strong drive to accelerate the introduction of electric cars around the globe.

VP Engineering Job Description

What will you do as VP Engineering?
The VP Engineering will be responsible for providing the leadership and management necessary to ensure that the engineering department has the proper team structure, talented personnel and workflows in place to fulfill the ambitious plans of Lightyear. At Lightyear we strongly believe in teams having a high level of autonomy while at the same time being strongly aligned. We encourage that leaders at Lightyear facilitate their teams to make the right decisions and reach Lightyears ambitious milestones. This in an energetic and inspiring way of working where relationships are #1. You are able to empathize, understand and support but you are also someone who is able to take decisions when needed. When this occurs, you always put person(s) affected by this decision at the center. You are honest, you can admit when you don’t have the knowledge needed to provide direction. But you are an influencer and you make sure you'll retrieve the information needed to reach the goals that have been set. In the role of VP Engineering your role will focus but is not limited to:

• Leading and guiding the Domain Experts and Group Leads, within Lightyear in total about 24FTE and indirectly 100+ engineers/architects and growing
• Ensuring that the product vision is realized by incorporating all inter-dependencies between functional domains (e.g. Vehicle Dynamics, Aerodynamics, Ergonomics, Power Electronics, Solar, Thermal, Cyber Security etc)
• Responsible for the expertise level within engineering domains. Ensure the expertise is on the right level of what our products and the organization is requesting but also keeps on evolving
• Leading and guiding the Vehicle System Architect in realizing that the expectations of our products are met
• Keep the total engineering department aligned, motivated and inspired to achieve the mission of Lightyear
• Keeping track and developing the performance of the entire engineering department
• Accountable for the total budget of the engineering department
• Deploy system thinking and guard this way of working
• You shall provide strategic input as part of a highly engaged executive team. You are collaborative, yet not afraid of spirited, respectful debate. You can also enthusiastically support the team when ideas are different from your own conviction
• Work closely with the Chief Product Officer (CPO) and the engineering team to foster innovation. Support a culture that empowers us to think big
• Make everyone in the development organization more successful, addressing and solving any issues getting in the way of our success
• Accountable for the implementation and further development of the Product Creation Process
• Being the escalation level for the Vehicle System Architect, System Architects, Group Leads and Domain Experts and indirectly for the entire engineering department
• You will have a strong vision on all tasks which are focussed on internal delivery and keeping the team moving.

VP Engineering Job Requirements

What do we expect from a VP Engineering at Lightyear?
To succeed in the dynamic world of Lightyear, pro-activity, professionalism, communication and adaptability are crucial. In addition, we are looking for someone with an ambitious attitude who learns from the past (tried and tested) but who is especially open to transforming new developments or ideas into the "tried and tested" of the future! You are also someone with a high sense of responsibility and a cooperative attitude. You have excellent communication skills, you are a self starter with a ‘can do’ mentality. You can create and build from scratch, you are committed, quality minded, a team player, flexible, stress resilient and of course a fast learner. Furthermore you'll bring:

• At least a Master degree in a technical direction
• At least 10 years of senior experience in Automotive Engineering and 5+ years in comparable management roles
• Experience in scaling engineering teams that balance rapid innovation and an overall sustainable system, you are an advocate of system thinking
• The ability to quickly adapt to a fast- changing and rapidly growing company 
• You like the challenge of simplifying complex systems and you always consider the bigger picture even when acting locally
• Ability to translate longterm plans into operational plans which aligns and motivates the engineering department
• Have a keen sense of urgency and the ability to prioritize problems, meet deadlines, analyze and resolve issues
• Be a proven relationship builder with cultural awareness of working within an international organization. Being able to apply situational leadership as part of your natural behaviour
• Highly evolved interpersonal communication skills
• Highly evolved problem solving skills
• An energetic, approachable and authentic personality
• You speak English fluently. Knowledge of the German and Dutch language is seen as a plus

• A high degree of freedom and independence in your role
• A role within a multidisciplinary team consisting of highly motivated, inquisitive and talented people with a broad diversity of experience
• A role at one of the fastest growing technical companies in the Netherlands with accompanying opportunities
• 40 vacation days a year (based on full-time employment)
• Excellent travel allowance 
• An interesting and balanced pension through Zwitserleven that is in line with the mission of Lightyear
• The ability to participate via shares and to be involved in the growth and success of Lightyear
• In addition to a dynamic working environment, there is time for relaxation during our already epic Friday afternoon drinks

VP Engineering Application Information

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VP Engineering Summary

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