Brake Refinement Engineer

At Tata Technologies we make product development dreams a reality by designing, engineering and validating the products of tomorrow for the world's leading manufacturers. Due to our continued growth we are now recruiting for a Brake Refinement Engineer to be based at our customer's site in Gaydon, Warwickshire. Our Engineering Research and Development department (ER&D) is a fast-growing function within Tata Technologies Limited that is assembled to work on exciting projects globally for multiple customers. It comprises highly specialized engineers across Automotive, Aerospace and Industrial Heavy Machinery.

The Role:

As a Brake Refinement Engineer, you will be responsible for delivering world-class brake refinement performance through a combination of vehicle-level evaluation, CAE analysis, and structured engineering problem-solving. Working within the Chassis domain, you will support the development and optimisation of brake systems throughout the product development lifecycle, ensuring attribute targets are achieved and customer expectations are exceeded.

The role combines hands-on vehicle testing with advanced analytical techniques to investigate and resolve brake NVH concerns including squeal, judder and creep groan. You will work closely with Attribute Engineers, Design Engineers, CAE specialists and Test Teams to identify root causes and implement robust engineering solutions.

Area of Responsibility:

• Conduct brake refinement evaluations on-road and at proving grounds across multiple European locations, with travel assignments of up to three weeks at a time.
• Assess vehicle brake performance and provide detailed technical feedback to support root cause identification and corrective action development.
• Investigate and resolve brake NVH concerns including squeal, judder, creep groan and other customer-perceived refinement issues.
• Collaborate with Design, CAE and Test Engineers to develop, implement and validate engineering countermeasures.
• Carry out objective and subjective vehicle assessments to correlate customer perception with engineering data.
• Utilise NVH measurement and analysis equipment including HEAD Acoustics systems, Polytec laser vibrometry equipment, LMS Test.Lab and Link brake dynamometers.
• Conduct and support Finite Element Analysis (FEA) activities using 3Dx, Altair and Abaqus to predict and improve brake refinement performance.
• Support correlation activities between CAE predictions and physical test results.
• Analyse brake NVH and thermal performance data to identify trends, anomalies and optimisation opportunities.
• Acquire, process and interpret test data using Artemis, Link and LMS software tools.
• Produce clear technical reports, recommendations and evidence-based design change proposals.
• Apply structured engineering methodologies including 8D, Root Cause Analysis (RCA) and FMEA to resolve complex technical issues.
• Support continuous improvement activities across brake system development and chassis engineering programmes.
• Maintain engineering documentation and quality records in accordance with customer and business requirements.

Knowledge / Experience:

Essential Skills & Experience:

• Proven experience in automotive brake system refinement, brake attribute development or Brake NVH engineering.
• Hands-on vehicle testing experience, including instrumentation and data acquisition for brake refinement assessments.
• Experience operating NVH measurement and analysis systems such as HEAD Acoustics, LMS Test.Lab and Polytec equipment.
• Practical experience using brake dynamometers and supporting brake development activities.
• CAE and FEA capability using tools such as 3Dx, Altair and Abaqus.
• Experience processing and analysing engineering data using Artemis, Link and LMS applications.
• Good understanding of brake system architecture, component design, materials and thermal behaviour.
• Proven capability in structured problem-solving methodologies including 8D, Root Cause Analysis and FMEA.
• Ability to interpret complex engineering data and translate findings into practical engineering solutions.
• Effective communication and stakeholder management skills with the ability to work across multidisciplinary engineering teams.
• Experience supporting vehicle development programmes within an OEM, Tier 1 supplier or advanced engineering consultancy environment.

Desirable Experience:

• Experience in brake thermal performance analysis and optimisation.
• Knowledge of brake pedal feel development and brake system performance tuning.
• Exposure to whole vehicle NVH development and refinement activities.
• Understanding of mechatronic braking systems and associated functional safety requirements.
• Knowledge of ISO 26262 functional safety principles.
• Experience working on premium automotive vehicle programmes.
• Previous experience supporting European proving ground and international vehicle test activities.

Qualifications:

• Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Automotive Engineering or a related discipline, or equivalent industry experience.
• Full UK Driving Licence.
• Industry recognised Advanced Driver Training qualification (e.g. Class 3 Road, 3PG or 1OR).
• Eligibility to travel freely across Europe without additional visa requirements.
• Ability to work in a variety of climates and test environments as required by programme activities.

In return for bringing your expertise to our business we can either offer a competitive hourly rate (inside IR35) OR a competitive salary along with excellent benefits including:

• Pension Scheme – We match employee contribution up to 5% of salary
• 25 Days' Holiday
• Private Health Care
• Tata Jaguar Land Rover Privilege Scheme - up to 20% off new JLR vehicles
• Group Income Protection
• Health Assured – Employee Assistance Program
• Group Life Assurance
• Health Shield – Private Health Cash Plan

If you are passionate about bringing innovation to the projects you work on and want to join a global company, then this is the place for you. Tata Technologies: Engineering a better world.

Tata Technologies would like to thank all applicants for their interest, each application will be reviewed against the set criteria for the role. We would like to advise that only candidates under consideration will be contacted. If you do not hear from us within 10 working days following the closing date it will mean that unfortunately your application has not been successful. We will however retain your details for any suitable future opportunities.