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Job description
Head of Class 8 Vocational Product Definition & Applications
Birmingham, Alabama
Reports to: President, Autocar
Product Platform: Autocar DC-64 Severe-Service Conventional Truck
The Mission
Autocar is seeking a senior vocational-truck expert to define what the DC-64 must be for every customer application and vocation we choose to serve.
Autocar does not build a generic truck and ask customers to adapt their operations around it. We start with the work the customer must perform, the operating environment, the body or equipment, the duty cycle, and the customer’s economic requirements. We then custom engineer, configure the complete truck to perform that work.
The Head of Class 8 Vocational Product Definition & Applications will own this process for the DC-64 conventional platform.
This person will become Autocar’s senior authority on how customers use severe-service conventional trucks in concrete, construction, dump, roll‑off, logging, and other demanding applications. They will identify the problems customers face, determine which problems Autocar should solve, and translate those needs into measurable product requirements, optimized vehicle specifications, body‑in‑integration standards, and a multiyear product roadmap.
The role owns what the truck must accomplish, for whom, under what operating conditions, and what economic value it must create. Engineering owns how the solution is designed, validated, and released.
The objective is clear: make every Autocar DC‑64 the best tool for the customer’s specific job and the strongest total‑cost‑of‑ownership choice in its application.
What You Will Own
Understand the Customer’s Work
Spend substantial time where the trucks actually operate. Ride with drivers, observe loading and unloading, visit jobsites, landfills, quarries, concrete operations and maintenance facilities, and work directly with fleet managers, technicians, body manufacturers, and equipment suppliers.
Develop a fact‑based understanding of:
What work the customer needs the truck to perform
How the truck, body, driver, and operation interact
Duty cycle, payload, terrain, speed, idle time and PTO usage
Productivity constraints and operating inefficiencies
Failure points, maintenance requirements and causes of downtime
Driver visibility, ergonomics and safety risks
Body, equipment, chassis, electrical and control integration
The economic consequences of the current problems
Go beyond what customers request. Identify the underlying operational problem and determine the best scalable solution.
Define the Right Truck for Each Application
Create clear product definitions for each priority vocation and major application.
Translate customer operating requirements into:
Vehicle performance requirements
Chassis and powertrain requirements
Axle, suspension, braking and steering requirements
Electrical, controls and data requirements
Cab, visibility, access and driver‑environment requirements
Body and equipment integration requirements
Reliability, durability, serviceability and uptime targets
Application‑specific configuration and validation standards
Every significant product requirement should connect:
Customer application → operating problem → field evidence → required truck performance → customer economic value
Convert Custom Requirements into Scalable Product Intelligence
Autocar’s customer‑engineered, build‑to‑order model is a competitive advantage. It must not become uncontrolled one‑off engineering.
Build the systems that allow Autocar to deliver mass customization through:
Defined application architectures
Proven component and configuration rules
Reusable engineering solutions
Standard body‑integration interfaces
Intelligent specification methodologies
Approved application‑specific configurations
Clear boundaries for when a unique customer requirement justifies new engineering
Convert customer and engineering knowledge into repeatable tools and institutional knowledge that improve speed, quality, margin, and product performance.
Own Customer TCO and Product Value
Determine how the DC‑64 can improve the customer’s economics through:
Higher productive hours
Greater payload or work completed per shift
Reduced unplanned downtime
Faster diagnosis and repair
Lower maintenance and operating costs
Improved fuel efficiency
Longer vehicle life
Better body and chassis integration
Improved driver productivity and retention
Reduced accident and safety exposure
Stronger residual value
Partner with Finance, Sales, Service, and Engineering to build credible TCO, payback, and return‑on‑investment models.
Ensure that Autocar can demonstrate why a truck with a higher acquisition price may produce a lower operating cost and greater economic return over its working life.
Own Competitive Application Intelligence
Establish objective, application‑level comparisons against Mack, Peterbilt, Kenworth, Freightliner, Western Star, International, Volvo, and other relevant competitors.
Go beyond published specifications. Understand:
How competing trucks perform in actual applications
Where competitors create customer value
Where their products create operational compromises
Why customers select one platform over another
Where Autocar is objectively superior
Where Autocar must improve
Which differences customers will pay for
Translate competitive findings into product requirements, investment priorities, sales tools, and differentiated customer value propositions.
Set the DC‑64 Product Roadmap
Own the rolling three‑to‑five‑year product‑definition roadmap for the DC‑64.
Prioritize product investments based on:
Customer and application value
Market size and growth opportunity
Competitive differentiation
Customer TCO and willingness to pay
Autocar margin and return on investment
Engineering and manufacturing complexity
Product, warranty and execution risk
Ability to scale across customers and applications
Recommend where Autocar should invest, what should be improved, and what should not be pursued.
Close the Loop Between the Field and the Product
Establish a disciplined product‑definition process:
Field observation → operating data → problem definition → product requirement → engineering solution → validation → production → field measurement
Use warranty, reliability, telematics, service, quality, and installed‑base data to verify whether the truck is delivering the intended customer outcome.
Ensure lessons from every truck and customer improve future product definitions and configurations.
Initial Measures of Success
During the first 12 to 18 months, the successful candidate will:
Establish a structured application‑definition process for the DC‑64.
Produce product‑definition documents for each priority vocation and major application.
Identify the most important customer problems Autocar can solve better than competitors.
Build a force‑ranked DC‑64 product roadmap supported by customer value and economic evidence.
Create an intelligent specification methodology for translating applications into optimized truck configurations.
Establish measurable TCO and customer‑value models for priority vocations.
Define the highest‑value chassis‑body integration standards.
Build a competitive fact base that clearly establishes where Autocar wins, loses, and must improve.
Reduce avoidable one‑off engineering by converting recurring customer requirements into reusable product solutions.
Required Experience
At least 10 years of relevant experience in Class 8 vocational trucks, vocational equipment, off‑highway equipment, major truck bodies, or closely related severe‑service equipment.
Deep practical knowledge of at least one major vocational‑truck application.
Experience working directly with fleets, drivers, technicians, body manufacturers, and equipment suppliers.
Demonstrated ability to translate customer applications and operating problems into vehicle or equipment requirements.
Strong working knowledge of chassis, powertrain, axles, suspension, braking, steering, electrical systems, controls, and body integration.
Ability to understand customer operating economics and quantify TCO, productivity, uptime, and return on investment.
Sufficient technical credibility to challenge Engineering and sufficient commercial judgment to challenge Sales.
Experience influencing cross‑functional decisions involving Engineering, Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, Sales, Service, and Finance.
Willingness to spend significant time with customers and trucks in actual operating environments.
Willingness to relocate to Birmingham, Alabama. Relocation assistance will be provided.
Preferred Background
Candidates may come from:
A Class 8 truck OEM
A vocational body or equipment manufacturer
A large and technically sophisticated vocational fleet
A construction, mining, agricultural, or off‑highway equipment manufacturer
A vocational application‑engineering or vehicle‑integration organization
Relevant current or previous titles may include:
Director of Product Planning
Director of Application Engineering
Chief Engineer, Vocational Trucks
Vehicle Applications Director
Vocational Product Manager
Platform Chief Engineer
Vocational Segment Director
Product Definition Manager
Product Strategy Director
Vocational Engineering Manager
Experience across several vocations is valuable, but deep expertise in one or two vocations combined with the ability to learn others is more important than superficial experience across all of them.
The Person
The right person is:
Application driven: Starts with the work the customer must perform.
Field oriented: Wants to see how trucks operate, fail, and create value.
Technically credible: Understands the complete vehicle and asks the right engineering questions.
Commercially grounded: Connects product decisions to customer and Autocar economics.
Evidence based: Tests opinions against operating data and field observation.
Systems oriented: Converts individual customer knowledge into repeatable product rules and tools.
Decisive: Force‑ranks requirements and makes clear trade‑offs.
Customer focused, but not customer dictated: Solves underlying problems rather than automatically accepting requested solutions.
Competitive: Wants objective evidence of why Autocar wins or loses.
Why Autocar
At a large truck OEM, this role might influence one component, feature, or narrow segment of a product plan. At Autocar, this person will define how an entire Class 8 vocational platform solves customer operating problems.
The role provides direct access to customers, Engineering, manufacturing, senior leadership, and product‑investment decisions. It is an opportunity to build a differentiated product‑definition system around Autocar’s customer‑engineered, build‑to‑order model and turn deep application knowledge into trucks that deliver measurable economic value.
Job Duties Disclaimer:
The duties and responsibilities outlined here are representative but not exhaustive of the tasks that the employee may be required to perform. Management reserves the right to modify, add, or remove duties and to assign other tasks as necessary to meet business needs.
Equal Employment Opportunity:
Autocar is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law.
Reasonable Accommodations (ADA Compliance):
Autocar complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. Employees who require assistance or accommodations should contact Human Resources.
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Worksite address
birmingham, AL, 35275, US
Who can apply
Review the original listing for work authorization, qualifications and employer requirements.