Job Title
Lead Engineer - Interior Switches
Ref #
59520
Date posted
Friday, October 2, 2026
Country
United Kingdom
Location
Bicester
Business area
R&D
Department
Electrical & Controls - Vehicle Engineering
Position level
5 - Supervisory / Professional​ - (L-17)
Working time
Full Time
Contract type
Permanent
Working pattern
9am - 6pm Monday to Friday
Salary
.
What to Expect
As Lead Engineer for the Interior Switches, you will lead the team responsible for the development and delivery of state-of-the-art interior switch hardware and associated electronic controls for current and future McLaren road cars.
The team is responsible for the specification, design, integration, validation and production delivery of interior switch systems, including their mechanical, electrical, network and human-machine interfaces within the vehicle electrical and electronic architecture.
The position requires a highly motivated and hands-on team player with exceptional attention to detail, diligence and a positive attitude. The fast-paced development environment is suited to an engineering lead who can make sound technical decisions, manage delivery across multiple vehicle programmes and collaborate effectively within a multidisciplinary organisation.
Working within the Switch Hardware Electronics team, this role will have responsibility of delivering Interior Hardware Switches and support the development from concept through to production.
What You'll Do
– Lead a cross-functional team of Project Engineers to deliver all interior switches and switch-control systems for current and future vehicles.
– Take technical ownership of interior switch hardware and associated electronic controls units from concept through engineering development, integration, validation, industrialisation and production.
– Develop and co-ordinate detailed system and component specifications, including mechanical, electrical, network, diagnostic, illumination, haptic and interface requirements.
– Ensure effective integration of switches into the overall vehicle electrical architecture in collaboration with functional teams, technical partners and Tier 1 suppliers globally.
– Maintain the current supply base and support the establishment of strategic supplier partnerships that strengthen capability, quality and the interior controls technology roadmap.
– Support commercial and purchasing activities to achieve system development on time and within agreed cost and investment targets throughout the product lifecycle.
– Own commodity attributes including quality, cost, timing, investment, weight, homologation, feature delivery and technical risk, ensuring alignment with business targets.
– Develop and co-ordinate DFMEA, DFM/DFA and Design Validation Plans (DVPs), including environmental, durability, electrical, EMC, functional, vehicle-level and user-interface validation.
– Lead engineering release, Bill of Materials structuring and change-control activities for all components and systems within the area of responsibility.
– Report technical status, programme progress, risks and issues at all levels of the business, including executive and gateway reporting.
– Lead quality concern investigation and resolution, ensuring robust root-cause analysis, corrective actions and lessons learned.
– Work closely with Design, EE Architecture, HMI, Software, Quality, Manufacturing, Purchasing, Programme, Logistics, Service and Workshop teams.
– Manage team objectives, workload, resource forecasting, recruitment, capability development, mentoring and performance reviews.
– Support future technology planning, research activities and business-case development for interior controls and switch technologies.

What You'll Bring
– Experience in automotive Interior Electronics / Switch Packs development
– Excellent understanding Automotive New Product Development Process, Milestones and deliverables for each phases
– Demonstrable experience of electrical switches development and manufacture for multiple projects.
– Working knowledge of automotive Ethernet, CAN, FlexRay, LIN networks and vehicle diagnostics, homologation standards, ISO26262 and EuroNCAP
– Understanding of Functional Safety and Cyber Security requirements for a global market vehicle

What We'll Do for You
We offer a wide – ranging benefits package, which includes:
  • Structured career development framework
  • 25 days’ holiday, plus bank holiday. Annual buy & sell up to five days
  • Enhanced company pension scheme
  • Discretionary annual bonus award
  • Private medical insurance and health cash plan
  • Life assurance benefit
  • Ability to apply for a sabbatical of up to one year after only two years’ service
  • Benefits you can adapt to your lifestyle, such as discounted shopping
  • Generous parental leave policies
  • A range of wellbeing initiatives, such as employee assistance programme and free financial & mortgage advice
Who Are We?
No restraints. No limitations. We don’t simply push boundaries. We completely rethink them. McLaren Automotive exists to create breath-taking performance road cars.

It takes a community to do what we do. A diverse group of people with many areas of expertise, united by their passion to deliver visionary products and set new benchmarks. 

McLaren Automotive commits to equal opportunity for all. Diversity, Equality and Inclusion is at the heart of our impact, it drives our innovation and enables us to truly create something special. Join us on our journey. 

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