Principal Engineer – Accessories (Contractor)

About the role

Reporting to the Manager C&A, the Accessory Product Development Engineer will be responsible for product development and realization, including design, development, testing and documentation of new accessory products for vehicles.

Key responsibilities

• Product design (including FEA, CAE, FMEA, technical drawing)
• Product development schedule creation & milestone management
• Ensure adherence to Accessory Design Guidelines
• Lead design reviews (DRBFM, Simultaneous Engineering) to prevent re‑occurrence
• Product testing, evaluation & fitment, and creation of installation/user manuals
• Develop clear evaluation plans to meet Toyota CAOD requirements
• Fire‑hazard evaluation for wire‑harness design
• Manage Engineering Change Instructions (ECI)
• Present progress and results to management up to executive level

Required profile

• NQF Level 6 (360 credits – level 8 framework) in Mechanical/Electrical Engineering or Mechatronics
• Post‑graduate qualification advantageous
• Minimum four years of relevant experience
• Proficiency in CATIA (V5 and above)
• Knowledge of Toyota engineering standards and systems
• Ability to read and interpret technical and electrical schematic drawings
• Experience in component development, manufacturing, quality and evaluation processes
• Basic regulatory knowledge (SANS, ICASA, CRAN, BOCRA)
• Design review expertise (failure analysis, troubleshooting, counter‑measures)
• ECI planning, implementation and documentation management
• Manufacturing in‑process quality control knowledge
• Problem identification and resolution skills
• Project management for part development and reporting

Required skills

• Accurate information gathering and analysis
• Problem solving using root‑cause analysis and PDCA methodology
• Critical thinking
• Active learning
• Effective communication
• Collaboration
• Business acumen
• Attention to detail
• Project management