Strategy Engineer - IMSA

The company:

Meyer Shank Racing [MSR]’s facility is located in Columbus, Ohio (United States). MSR is taking part in various race series, most recently IMSA and Indycar.

Purpose & summary of the role: Strategy Engineer (IMSA)

The primary purpose of the role is to prepare, manage and execute race strategy for one GTP car in IMSA.

As the Strategy Engineer, you will be in charge of all aspects of strategy for a given car. This includes routine tasks as well as short-term and long-term projects, that you will be tasked to lead from the start to completion and delivery. The primary responsibilities include:

• Strategy preparation, including analysis work relying on real-world data, historical and simulation data. You will be responsible for the entire process, from setting up the analysis tools to reviewing and interpreting the data, as well as producing appropriate reports and documents and feeding information back to the engineering group(s).
  • Define, create and implement the processes for strategy engineering, including workflows, procedures and mathematical approach.
  • Maintain the strategy engineers’ tools up to date.
• Supporting the race engineer(s) with analytics and event/race planning, including energy management and tire management.
• Defining strategy plans before the race, and delivering decisions during the race.
• Ensuring permanent collaboration and communication with other strategy engineers and the various engineering groups and departments of the team or manufacturer or external contributors to coordinate strategy related work, and ensure the race team needs are met in a timely manner.

Location for the role:

This is a full-time position and can include partial or full presence on site at the MSR’s facility located in Pataskala, Ohio, East of Columbus, Ohio, US. Remote work between race events is an option – to be determined on case-by-case basis.

Mobility: this position requires traveling to racetracks for all IMSA race events (not required for test events).

Detailed tasks:

You will be required to lead and deliver race strategy related work and be on the front line as part of the race team. The following tasks are expected but not limited to:

• Generating pre/post event strategy content – including but not limited to reports and presentations.
• Assisting race engineers with test plans (race events and test events) – as necessary to gather strategy relevant information.
• Collaborating with performance engineers on vehicle data analysis – to extract strategy relevant information.
• Analyzing Timing & Scoring data – generating reports and evaluating performance and decisions based on T&S data.
• Develop and maintain strategy tools/software – to process data, and prepare the tools event by event.
• In-event continuous analysis and preparation work – update strategy content throughout practice sessions.
• In-race live strategy projection, planning and running of strategy tools – and provide live analysis/feedback throughout the race.
• In-race decision maker – providing the strategy calls for a given car at any time in the race.
• Virtual energy and Fuel management – and monitoring.
• Tire strategy management – planning and in race tire decisions.
• Collaborate with other strategy engineer(s) – on all strategy work.
• Lead strategy meetings – and be a point of contact for strategy related communications.
• Attend and participate in all engineering meetings – representing strategy for a given car.

Target skills:

• Numbers driven engineering mindset – high attention to details and deep preparation work.
• Statistics and analytics – calculating statistical metrics, applying methods of analytics to large and complex datasets, and how to interpret and present the data.
• Advanced level in using vehicle data analysis and telemetry software – (Primary: Cosworth Pi toolbox).
• Advanced level in using Timing & Scoring data analysis software (i.e: HH Timing, SBG RaceWatch).
• Experience using HH Development software products including HH Timing and HH Data Management.
• Coding languages and specific math syntax – Python, MATLAB, VBA, C#, C++, Cosworth Math.
• General race car mechanical and systems knowledge.
• Advanced understanding of race engineering topics, concepts and methods.
• Advanced understanding of tire behaviors applied to race strategy.
• Advanced understanding of (virtual) energy and fuel management.
• Advanced proficiency with computer work and collaborative tools: MS365, MS Teams.
• Good communication skills (speaking, writing and using digital communication tools efficiently – emails/MS Teams).
• Self-sufficient and organized: be able to operate, organize and solve problems and technical challenges autonomously and follow workflows.
• Ability to operate in high expectation environment – deliver projects on a short timeline (working with tight deadlines and quick turnaround times).
• Experience with intercom communication protocols (how to communicate properly and following team protocols).

Target experience:

• B.S.M.E. / B.S.C.S.
• 5 to 10 years of experience in a strategy role in top level of motorsports (FE, LMP1, F1, LMH/LMDh-GTP, GT3), preferably in endurance racing.
• Multi-year experience making strategy decisions in race situation.