Position Title: Engineer Product II – Product Verification & Validation
Location Preference: Local candidates preferred
Pay Rate: $41.50/hour
Driving Requirement: Yes – 80–90% of time operating 5 Series John Deere Tractor and Gator; other series may be used as needed
Travel Requirement: Up to 90%, including Riverdale, CA and Irvine, CA
Glider Assessment: Not required
Enable Skills-Based Hiring: No
Role Summary
The Engineer Product II will lead product design, testing, and analysis for moderately scoped projects or subsystems within larger initiatives. Operating in a collaborative team environment, this role contributes to design reviews, feasibility testing, process improvements, and engineering documentation. The engineer may oversee portions of work assigned to support personnel and make decisions within established guidelines.
Key Responsibilities
- Plan and execute product verification and validation activities for StarFire GNSS receivers.
- Serve as the primary liaison with UC ANR South Coast Farm for coordinating test operations.
- Collaborate with engineering teams across ISG-T and John Deere to align testing at the Irvine site.
- Train and support UC ANR staff on John Deere Precision Ag technologies.
- Maintain and coordinate repairs for John Deere equipment and test vehicles.
- Manage on-site storage and readiness of test equipment.
- Conduct field testing, including setup, data logging/export, and analysis.
- Operate agricultural machinery in experimental environments.
- Travel to Riverdale, CA for orchard-based testing and TDP validation.
- Develop GPS fundamentals knowledge through hands-on work and training.
- Create and maintain high-quality technical documentation.
Qualifications
Required:
- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Agricultural Systems Technology, Agricultural Engineering, or related field.
- 1+ years of experience operating precision agriculture equipment.
- Familiarity with John Deere machinery.
- Experience in system validation, verification, and regression testing.
- Strong analytical, communication, and reporting skills.
- Hands-on experience with equipment setup and infrastructure installation.
Preferred:
- Deep understanding of Precision Ag systems.
- Experience testing GNSS receivers.
- Familiarity with CAN bus communication protocols.
- Strong troubleshooting skills for hardware issues.
Core Competencies
- Independently applies advanced engineering technologies and tools.
- Executes engineering designs and development targets with minimal supervision.
- Produces and evaluates technical specifications and engineering outcomes.
- Manages safe systems of work and project-related risks.
- Communicates effectively and formulates actionable plans.
- Tracks project progress and manages scope changes.
- Analyzes data trends and evaluates solution alignment with requirements.
- Maintains quality control through verification and design standards.
- Supports cross-functional collaboration and continuous learning.