LEE O’DONNELL
Staff Engineer - Field Measure Compliance & CARB Liaison
Los Angeles
Summary
A highly accomplished Vehicle Reliability and Validation Engineering Leader with over 15 years of experience at Mercedes-Benz, Hyundai, Honda, and an EV startup. Proven expertise in leading root cause analysis, developing comprehensive design validation campaigns, and translating complex system failures into actionable hardware and software improvements. Combines a deep knowledge of physics of failure with a data-driven approach to enhance product reliability from early concept through to post-launch support.
Innovative technology professional with several years of diverse experience. Skilled in enhancing systems and aligning technical solutions with business objectives. Proven success in leading projects from start to finish and contributing to organizational growth and success.
Overview
19
19
years of professional experience
2018
2018
years of post-secondary education
1
1
Certification
Work History
Staff Engineer – Field Measure Compliance & CARB Liaison
Mercedes-Benz R&D North America
01.2019 - Current
- Leads a cross-functional initiative to improve the end-to-end field measure process, enhancing post-launch product reliability and speed of resolution for customers.
- Uses Jira to track software and hardware changes for field measures, providing direct data inputs for Power BI dashboards to monitor progress and outcomes.
- Serves as the primary technical liaison to regulatory agencies (CARB), ensuring product compliance by translating new legislation into specific engineering and testing requirements.
- Mentors junior engineers in advanced problem-solving, engineering ethics, and root cause analysis methodologies.
Manager – Test & Validation
Faraday Future
01.2018 - 01.2019
- Managed the durability test fleet for the flagship FF91 EV, overseeing all validation activities in a fast-paced, lean startup environment.
- Led a team of 6 test engineers responsible for system-level validation, issue tracking, and root cause analysis.
Senior Engineer & Manager – Test & Validation
HYUNDAI MOTOR GROUP (HATCI)
01.2012 - 01.2018
- Managed, mentored, and developed a team of six validation engineers; directly responsible for hiring and training two new members of the team.
- Led successful root cause analysis campaigns for complex system failures across diverse engineering disciplines, including Powertrain, EV/HEV/FCEV, Chassis, and Telematics/ADAS.
- Defined and executed comprehensive Design Validation Plans (DVP&R) for vehicle durability programs, specifying test scope, instrumentation, and accelerated test profiles to capture real-world performance data.
- Drove reliability improvements into the product development roadmap by analyzing customer fleet data (J.D. Power IQS/VDS) to identify failure trends, and set performance targets for future models.
Research & Development Engineer, Systems/Drivability
HONDA R&D AMERICAS
01.2007 - 01.2009
- Managed projects to creatively solve complex vehicle performance issues, balancing trade-offs between safety, emissions, fuel economy, drivability, and marketability.
- Received a U.S. patent for developing and implementing a novel transmission control logic, managing the project from initial concept to mass production.
Education
MBA - Technology Commercialization, Modeling, and Analysis
SEGAL GRADUATE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS, SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
Vancouver, BC 05.2001 - 01.2012
Bachelor of Science - Mechanical Engineering
KETTERING UNIVERSITY
Flint, MITechnical Diploma - Plastic Engineering
BRITISH COLUMBIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Burnaby, BCSkills
- Test & Validation: Reliability Target Setting, Design Validation & Test Campaign Development, Accelerated Life Testing (ALT), FMEA/DFMEA, Root Cause Analysis, Physics of Failure (Fatigue, Wear, Environmental), Vehicle & System Durability, Six Sigma, Continuous Improvement
- Analysis & Diagnostics: JD Power IQS/VDS Data Analysis, Customer Feedback Analysis, Failure Data Treatment, Forensic Engineering, Powertrain & Systems Analysis
- Standards & Compliance: CARB & EPA Regulations, Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS)
- Data Analysis, Data Visualization & Reporting
- Project Management & Documentation: Jira, Confluence
Machine learning
Performance optimization
Technical leadership
Cost analysis
Technical writing
Process improvement
Product development
System troubleshooting
Certification
Data Science and Machine Learning: Making Data-Driven Decisions | Issued Nov 2022 Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Publications
- Patent: Exhaust heat recovery system for a conventional vehicle as well as hybrid vehicle (GB2608401, Issued Jan 2023)
- Patent: A method and a system for controlling a customized playback of sound files based on playlist scoring (GB2598920, Issued Mar 2022)
- Patent: Torque compensation method and system (US 9487207, Issued May 2010)
- Publication: Assessing development and commercialization priorities for a novel hydrogen production process through technical-economic cost modeling. Journal of Translational Materials Research, Mar 2015.
Timeline
Staff Engineer – Field Measure Compliance & CARB Liaison
Mercedes-Benz R&D North America
01.2019 - Current
Manager – Test & Validation
Faraday Future
01.2018 - 01.2019
Senior Engineer & Manager – Test & Validation
HYUNDAI MOTOR GROUP (HATCI)
01.2012 - 01.2018
Research & Development Engineer, Systems/Drivability
HONDA R&D AMERICAS
01.2007 - 01.2009
MBA - Technology Commercialization, Modeling, and Analysis
SEGAL GRADUATE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS, SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
05.2001 - 01.2012
Technical Diploma - Plastic Engineering
BRITISH COLUMBIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Bachelor of Science - Mechanical Engineering
KETTERING UNIVERSITY
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