Vehicle Platform Engineering: The Common Thread

Every role at DDS exists to conceive, engineer, validate, build, or sustain one thing: the vehicle platform.

Vehicle Platform

Engineering (VPE - VEHICLE PLATFORM ENGINEERING) is the discipline that treats the vehicle as a complete, integrated system, from component to assembly to full vehicle, across the entire range: 500 kg to 3,000 kg curb/kerb weight, from 50 to 300 to 400 HP ICE engine, up to 5 metres in length, in 4WD, 6WD, and 8WD all terrain beyond roads configurations, for defence, troops carrying, load carrying, logistics, high altitude, and light duty tactical combat applications, powersports, and other industrial and civilian application.

Every platform DDS builds is composed of seven VPE - VEHICLE PLATFORM ENGINEERING systems. Every role in this document is defined by its relationship to these seven systems. Whether a role designs them, processes them, sources them, machines them, fabricates them, assembles them, plans them, or proves them, the seven systems are the shared language of the company.

The Seven VPE - VEHICLE PLATFORM ENGINEERING Systems

Powertrain: engine (diesel, hybrid, electric variants up to 300 to 400 HP), transmission, transfer case, engine mounts, cooling system, air intake, exhaust, fuel system, and engine management

Drivetrain: front and rear axles, differentials (open, limited slip, locking), propeller shafts, CV joints, wheel hubs, and the 4WD/6WD/8WD drive configurations

Suspension, Steering and Brakes: independent suspension (double wishbone, trailing arm, multi-link), springs and dampers, anti-roll bars, power steering, steering linkages, hydraulic and pneumatic brake systems, ABS, and ride height systems

– Chassis: ladder frame, space frame, or monocoque structures; torsional rigidity, fatigue life, underbody protection, recovery and towing points, and crash and rollover structures

– Body and Trim: crew cabin, cargo body, doors and hatches, glazing, sealing, ballistic protection interfaces, seating, NVH treatment, ergonomics, and ingress and egress

– Sub-systems: HVAC, lighting (including blackout and convoy lighting), auxiliary power, winch, communication equipment mounts, weapon mount interfaces, stowage, and special role equipment

– Vehicle Integration: the complete vehicle-level integration of all systems, mechanical, electrical, software, and thermal, into a coherent, high-performing, mission-capable platform

Pre-Conditions for Application

Read this before reviewing any role. Continuing past this point confirms you have read, understood, and accepted every condition below.

Hands-On and Shop-Floor Presence

- Must have come up through the shop floor, not arrived at it
- Career must show years on the line, at the machine, under the vehicle, in the weld fixture, and on the proving ground before any leadership chair
- Must be able to read a machining setup, question a weld, and diagnose a production problem from the floor without being briefed
- Shop-floor presence is the default mode of work here, not a gesture
- Careers built primarily in offices, spreadsheets, or management layers above the floor: this organisation is not for you
- This is non-negotiable and will be assessed directly in the hiring process

Platform Knowledge

- Every role carries one or more of the five VPE capabilities: Conceptualisation, End to End Engineering including vehicle dynamics, Engineering to design to development, Integration, and Testing and validation
- Every role is mapped to one or more of the seven platform systems: Powertrain, Drivetrain, Suspension/Steering/Brakes, Chassis, Body and Trim, Sub-systems, and Vehicle Integration
- If you do not have hands-on knowledge of the systems and capabilities your role carries, do not apply

Working Conditions

- DDS is an indigenous defence R&D; organisation building platforms, proving technology, and standing up manufacturing simultaneously
- There are no fixed hours, no predictable schedules, and no defined boundary between work and personal time
- Programme milestones, trial calendars, prototype builds,



and certification deadlines run on technical reality, not the clock
- Extended effort across evenings, weekends, and holidays will occur, without advance notice, and within agreed compensation terms
- This is not an exception. It is the working model

Passion, Not Endurance

- DDS does not ask for endurance. It asks for passion
- Endurance is working long hours. Passion is being unable to stop thinking about the problem when the day ends
- The engineer who reads suspension papers on a Sunday because the problem is alive. The planner who lies awake on the convergence plan. The quality lead who cannot release a root cause unresolved. The machining lead who notices the bore drifted before anyone else does
- If that is you, the conditions above are not a burden. They are a context
- If it is not you, this document is not addressed to you. DDS holds no adverse view of that

Joining Timeline

- This is an immediate requirement, not a future hire
- Expected joining: within 15 days of offer acceptance
- Maximum accommodation: 30 days, at the sole discretion of the company
- Notice periods beyond 30 days, garden leave that cannot be shortened, or any obligation delaying joining beyond one month: disqualifying at the offer stage
- Resolve your notice period obligations before applying

The of CAD, GD&T;, Tolerance Analysis and Manufacturing Definition Engineering Expert shall be responsible for creating, validating, auditing, controlling and continuously improving all engineering drawings, manufacturing drawings, assembly drawings, inspection drawings, welding drawings, supplier drawings and production release documentation.

Core Areas of Responsibility

– GD&T;

– Dimensional Engineering

– Tolerance Stack-Up Analysis

– Statistical Variation Analysis

– Datum Strategy Development

– Fit and Functional Analysis

– Manufacturing Definition Control

– Drawing Audits

– Design Release Audits

– Production Drawing Validation

– Inspection Requirement Definition

Core Mission To eliminate drawing ambiguity, dimensional variation, assembly mismatch, tolerance conflicts, supplier interpretation errors and manufacturing defects by creating world class engineering definition systems that ensure precision, repeatability and manufacturability.

Key Responsibilities

Engineering Drawing Development

Develop and release

– Part Drawings

– Manufacturing Drawings

– Production Drawings

– Supplier Drawings

– Fabrication Drawings

– Weldment Drawings

– Assembly Drawings

– Vehicle Integration Drawings

– Inspection Drawings

– Service Drawings

– Installation Drawings

– Tooling Drawings

– Fixture Drawings

– Jig Drawings

– Prototype Drawings

– Production Release Drawings

GD&T; Engineering

Establish

– Datum Structures

– Functional Datums

– Primary Datums

– Secondary Datums

– Tertiary Datums

Define

– Position

– Profile

– Flatness

– Straightness

– Circularity

– Cylindricity

– Parallelism

– Perpendicularity

– Concentricity

– Symmetry

– Runout

– Total Runout

Tolerance Stack-Up Analysis

Analyse

– Part to Part Variation

– Assembly Variation

– Weld Distortion Impact

– Manufacturing Process Variation

– Supplier Variation

– Thermal Expansion Effects

– Assembly Interface Conditions

Develop

– Worst Case Analysis

– Statistical Stack-Up Analysis

– RSS Analysis

– Monte Carlo Analysis

– Process Capability Analysis

Variance Engineering

Study

– Manufacturing Variation

– Tooling Variation

– Fixture Variation

– Process Variation

– Assembly Variation

– Inspection Variation

Design for Manufacturing Review

Validate





– Manufacturability

– Machinability

– Weldability

– Fabrication Feasibility

– Assembly Feasibility

– Inspection Feasibility

– Serviceability

Production Drawing Audit

Verify

– Dimension Completeness

– GD&T; Accuracy

– Datum Integrity

– Material Specifications

– Surface Finish Requirements

– Heat Treatment Specifications

– Welding Specifications

– Inspection Requirements

– Revision Control

– Drawing Notes

– Critical Characteristics

– Key Characteristics

Manufacturing Process Drawing Development

Create

– Process Drawings

– Operation Drawings

– Setup Drawings

– Fixture Location Drawings

– Inspection Drawings

– Process Flow Documentation

– Manufacturing Sequence Documentation

Assembly Engineering Support

Analyse

– Interface Conditions

– Gap and Flush Conditions

– Chassis Alignment

– Suspension Geometry

– Steering Geometry

– Drivetrain Interfaces

– Body Mounting Systems

– Welded Structure Interfaces

Metrology and Inspection Engineering

Define

– CMM Requirements

– Inspection Datums

– Gauge Requirements

– Measurement Plans

– Validation Procedures

Support

– CMM Programming

– First Article Inspection

– PPAP

– Production Validation

Supplier Drawing Governance

– Release supplier drawings.

– Audit supplier interpretation.

– Review supplier manufacturing capability.

– Resolve supplier dimensional issues.

– Support supplier PPAP approvals.

– Support localisation initiatives.

Technical Competencies

Mandatory Expertise

– GD&T; Expert Level

– ASME Y14.5

– ISO GPS Standards

– Tolerance Stack-Up Analysis

– Statistical Variation Analysis

– Datum Engineering

– Drawing Audits

– Manufacturing Drawings

– Production Drawings

– Inspection Drawings

– CAD Modeling

– Manufacturing Engineering

– Metrology

– CMM Interpretation

– Process Capability Analysis

– Six Sigma Concepts

– Design for Manufacturing

– Design for Assembly

Preferred Software Expertise

– CATIA

– Siemens NX

– SolidWorks

– Creo

– AutoCAD

– CETOL

– VisVSA

– 3DCS

– Minitab

– PolyWorks

– Teamcenter

– Windchill

– Enovia

Educational Qualification Priority

First Priority:

– ITI Tool & Die Maker

– ITI Machinist

– Tool Room Technology

– Diploma Mechanical Engineering

– Diploma Tool Engineering

– Diploma Production Engineering

Second Priority:

– BE Mechanical Engineering

– BE Production Engineering

– BE Manufacturing Engineering

Third Priority:

– ME Manufacturing Engineering

– ME Mechanical Engineering

– Masters Specialisation in Dimensional Engineering

Experience Requirements

Minimum Experience: 10 Years

Preferred Experience: 15 to 25 Years

Preferred Industries:

– Automotive

– Defence

– Aerospace

– Heavy Engineering

– Precision Manufacturing

– Motorsport

– Robotics

– Off Highway Vehicles

Key Performance Indicators

– Drawing Error Reduction

– Release Quality

– First Pass Assembly Success

– Manufacturing Rejection Reduction

– Supplier Quality Improvement

– Stack-Up Accuracy

– GD&T; Compliance

– Production Readiness

– PPAP Success Rate

– Assembly Fit Quality

– Engineering Change Reduction

– Warranty Defect Reduction

Desired Personal Attributes

– Obsessive attention to dimensional accuracy

– Strong manufacturing mindset

– Solid analytical capability

– Exceptional engineering discipline

– Detail oriented

– Process driven

– Fact based decision maker

– Excellent problem solver

– Hands-on manufacturing understanding

– Passion for engineering precision

Mission Statement To establish DDS’s engineering definition system as a world class benchmark where every dimension, tolerance, datum, fit, interface and manufacturing requirement is fully defined, fully validated and fully manufacturable, ensuring repeatable production quality, assembly excellence and long term product reliability.

📌 GD&T Expert (Bengaluru)
🏢 Dhash Defense Systems
📍 Bengaluru