Automotive HVAC Product Engineer

About the role

Role: Automotive HVAC Product Engineer
Location: Saskatoon
Schedule: Full Time, Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Travel: Up to 10%; occasional travel to testing facilities in the United States may be required

Crestline Coach, a long-established family-oriented organization in Saskatoon, SK, has grown to become North America’s leading ambulance manufacturer and Canada’s largest supplier of small to mid-size commercial buses. With safety, innovation, and durability always at the forefront of our business, we now inspire today’s industry standards. Crestline Coach has strong values that align with our culture, demonstrating a customer-centric focus, leadership, integrity, family spirit, and excellence in all we do.

We’re looking for an Automotive HVAC Product Engineer to join our Engineering team in Saskatoon. This role will serve as Crestline’s subject-matter specialist for automotive HVAC systems and support HVAC design requirements across multiple vehicle-development projects.

The Automotive HVAC Product Engineer will apply a systems-engineering approach that begins with stakeholder and performance requirements and progresses through initial calculations, computational fluid dynamics analysis, bench testing, vehicle testing, and design validation.

You’ll work closely with Engineering, Supply Chain Management, Manufacturing Engineering, production, service, testing resources, suppliers, and other Pulse Vehicles business units. If you enjoy solving complex technical problems, collaborating across functions, and carrying designs from initial requirements through practical implementation, this could be the role for you.

Responsibilities

As the Automotive HVAC Product Engineer, you will:

• Serve as Crestline’s technical specialist for automotive HVAC systems across multiple vehicle-development projects.
• Develop and maintain stakeholder, functional, and performance requirements for vehicle HVAC systems.
• Own the HVAC concept definition and technical delivery of subsystem designs.
• Work with mechanical and electrical project engineers to define performance targets for airflow, heating, cooling, filtration, humidity, and thermal management.
• Complete initial system calculations and apply computational fluid dynamics and other simulation methods to evaluate system performance.
• Size HVAC components, evaluate complete system performance, and identify required design upgrades or changes.
• Conduct design reviews and support bill-of-material costing reviews.
• Develop and execute analytical, bench, and vehicle-level testing to validate HVAC performance.
• Review CFD and CAE results and use the findings to refine product designs.
• Support the manufacture and troubleshooting of proof-of-concept, bench, and prototype systems.
• Support First Article Inspections and the review of quality escapes.
• Assess design risks through the development and maintenance of HVAC subsystem DFMEAs.
• Ensure designs meet requirements for manufacturing, installation, maintenance, and serviceability.
• Provide technical guidance to Supply Chain Management and suppliers throughout sourcing and prototype development.
• Translate complex engineering findings into clear, practical recommendations for technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Work with production and service teams to investigate system-performance concerns and identify opportunities for future design improvements.
• Help advance HVAC design standards and best practices across Crestline’s product portfolio.
• Participate in cross-functional HVAC standardization initiatives with other Pulse Vehicles business units.

Requirements

As the Automotive HVAC Product Engineer, you will have:

• A bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or a closely related engineering discipline.
• Approximately five or more years of relevant HVAC engineering experience.
• Knowledge of HVAC systems beyond a general mechanical engineering background.
• Strong knowledge of heating, cooling, refrigeration, airflow, humidity, thermodynamics, heat transfer, fluid dynamics, and thermal-management principles.
• Experience with computational fluid dynamics and HVAC modelling.
• Experience defining system requirements, sizing components, evaluating performance, and validating technical solutions.
• Experience with analytical, bench, and vehicle-level testing.
• A systems-engineering mindset and the ability to evaluate an HVAC system as a whole.
• The ability to move a technical solution from requirements and analysis through testing, validation, and implementation.
• 3D CAD drafting skills and an understanding of accepted engineering-drafting principles.
• A strong understanding of design for manufacturing and value engineering.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications.
• Strong analytical, critical-thinking, and problem-solving abilities.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to explain technical concepts in practical terms.
• The ability to work independently while collaborating effectively across multiple functions.
• A proactive, practical, and implementation-focused approach.
• Strong attention to detail and a commitment to quality.

The following would be considered assets:

• Direct automotive HVAC experience.
• Experience with an automotive OEM or Tier 1, Tier 2, or Tier 3 supplier.
• Experience designing HVAC systems for vehicles, mobile equipment, transportation products, or another high-volume manufacturing environment.
• A master’s degree or formal specialization in HVAC, thermodynamics, fluid dynamics, or a related field.
• Hands-on knowledge of HVAC components, installation, reliability, troubleshooting, and testing.
• Experience with HVAC validation or DVPV processes.
• Familiarity with applicable SAE automotive HVAC and ASHRAE standards.
• Experience with Autodesk Inventor and Vault in an engineering environment using a PDM or PLM system.
• Exposure to SimScale or comparable CFD and simulation software.
• A valid passport for occasional travel to testing facilities in the United States.

Benefits

Crestline Coach takes pride in a strong company culture that embodies excellence, integrity, trust and innovation. To foster a strong culture, we believe in a progressive, dynamic and solution-based environment and want to prosper amongst the best and brightest in the country. Benefits of working with Crestline Coach include:

• Health benefits including dental, extended health care, long and short-term disability coverage, accident and serious illness insurance, life insurance, and a health spending account.
• A group registered retirement savings plan that has a 4% matching, occupational vision care, employee and family assistance programs along with a virtual walk-in clinic that provides unlimited healthcare for you and your family.
• Milestone and service awards at five-year increments.
• Access to CUBBI, a discounted food delivery service of fresh meals from local kitchens, and Sutton Smart Perks Discounts for services and discounts from local businesses.
• Career path and career longevity support by approved professional development opportunities and cost reimbursement, including association memberships.