Graduate Vehicle Software Support Engineer

PDSL has an opportunity for a Graduate Vehicle Software Support Engineer to join our team supporting prototype and advanced vehicle fleet activities within a premium automotive engineering environment.

This is an entry-level engineering position designed for a graduate who wants to develop a career within vehicle software, diagnostics and prototype vehicle development.

The initial priority of the role will be to support the engineering team by ensuring that vehicle job cards, software activity records and vehicle status information are accurately created, maintained and closed. This information is critical to allowing engineers working across a two-shift operation to understand exactly what has been completed on each vehicle, what issues remain outstanding and what actions are required next.

You will work alongside experienced Vehicle Software Flashing Engineers supporting prototype and advanced fleet vehicles. As your knowledge develops, you will progressively receive training in vehicle software flashing, diagnostics and vehicle systems.

Key Responsibilities

• Create and maintain job cards for prototype and advanced fleet vehicle activities.
• Review existing vehicle history before engineering work begins to understand previous activities, faults and outstanding concerns.
• Ensure completed engineering activities are accurately recorded and job cards are closed correctly.
• Capture clear and concise engineering comments describing work undertaken, software changes, vehicle status and outstanding actions.
• Record identified faults, known issues and engineering workarounds so that other engineers can quickly understand the current condition of the vehicle.
• Maintain accurate vehicle history and traceability of activities performed.
• Ensure information is sufficiently detailed to support effective handover between engineers working across the two-shift operation.
• Liaise with Vehicle Software Flashing Engineers, technicians and engineering stakeholders to obtain accurate information regarding completed activities.
• Support coordination of vehicles through software update and engineering activities.
• Help prevent delays caused by incomplete job cards, missing vehicle history or unclear engineering handovers.
• During periods where administrative workload allows, shadow experienced engineers undertaking vehicle software flashing and diagnostic activities.
• Support general engineering activities required to maintain effective operation of the prototype vehicle fleet.

Development Opportunity

The role is intended to provide a pathway from graduate-level engineering into vehicle software and diagnostic engineering.

The successful candidate will initially concentrate on vehicle administration, workflow coordination and engineering traceability while developing practical knowledge from the experienced engineers around them.

Over time, development will include exposure to:

• ECU software flashing.
• Vehicle software triage processes.
• CAN network fundamentals.
• Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs).
• Software configuration and versioning.
• Investigation of failed or incomplete software updates.
• Engineering diagnostic tools.

Depending upon capability and progress, the individual will increasingly support hands-on vehicle flashing and diagnostic activities., * Comfortable taking ownership of administrative activities that directly affect engineering delivery.

• Able to distinguish between completed actions, outstanding actions and unresolved technical issues.
• Confident asking engineers for clarification where vehicle information is incomplete.
• Capable of writing notes that another engineer can understand without needing further explanation.
• Proactive in identifying incomplete job cards or missing information.
• Comfortable working within a fast-paced prototype engineering environment.
• Interested in progressing towards a more technically focused vehicle software and diagnostics role.

Why This Role Matters

Prototype vehicles can pass between several engineers and activities during a working day. Accurate vehicle records therefore have a direct impact on engineering productivity.

For vehicles experiencing software or electrical problems in particular, it is essential that the incoming engineer can immediately understand:

• What work has already been completed.
• Which software or configuration has been installed.
• What problems have been encountered.
• What diagnostic investigation has taken place.
• Which workarounds have been identified.
• What remains outstanding.
• What should happen next.

The Graduate Vehicle Software Support Engineer will play an important role in maintaining this continuity while developing the technical capability to become increasingly involved in vehicle software flashing and diagnostics.

PDSL will provide the opportunity to work alongside experienced engineers and gain practical exposure to premium automotive vehicle development programmes.

We are looking for an organised and technically curious graduate who combines strong attention to detail with an interest in automotive engineering and vehicle technology.

The individual does not need to arrive as an experienced flashing engineer. More important is the ability to accurately capture technical information, communicate effectively and learn quickly within a fast-moving engineering environment.

The successful candidate should demonstrate:

• Degree, HNC/HND or equivalent qualification in Automotive Engineering, Electrical/Electronic Engineering, Motorsport Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Engineering or a related technical discipline.
• Strong organisational and administrative capability.
• Excellent attention to detail.
• Ability to accurately record technical information.
• Clear written communication skills.
• Confidence communicating with engineers and technical stakeholders.
• Ability to understand and follow engineering processes.
• Logical approach to problem solving.
• Ability to manage several vehicles or activities simultaneously.
• Willingness to learn new engineering systems and software tools.
• Genuine interest in vehicle electronics, software and diagnostics.
• Ability to work effectively as part of a team operating across multiple shifts.

Desirable Knowledge

Previous professional automotive experience is not essential, although exposure to any of the following would be beneficial:

• Vehicle diagnostics.
• CAN or LIN communication networks.
• ECU programming or flashing.
• Vehicle testing or validation.
• CANoe, CANalyzer, INCA, DTS Monaco or similar diagnostic/software tools.

Practical automotive experience gained through university projects, Formula Student, placements, apprenticeships, personal projects or previous employment would also be relevant.