Sustaining Engineer

Yama Vans is a premium adventure van manufacturer based in Calgary. We build custom Mercedes Sprinter conversions that combine exceptional craftsmanship with thoughtful design.

We are at an inflection point: transitioning from a skilled production shop to a highly scalable manufacturing operation. We are implementing a complete PDM + ERP ecosystem, formalizing our product data architecture, and building the digital foundation to support our growth from 30 vans/year to 100+ vans/year.

To help drive this transformation, we are hiring a Sustaining Engineer to join our three-person engineering team. While our design engineers focus on forward-looking concepts and prototyping (the first 85%), you will own the final 15% to ensure clean handoffs and manufacturing consistency.

About the Role

As Sustaining Engineer, you will own the technical foundation that translates engineering intent into manufacturing execution. You will split your focus between driving short and long term solutions to released products, and maintaining the structure, discipline, and integrity of our engineering data.

This is a technical ownership role requiring strong cross-functional communication and deep procedural discipline. You are the ideal candidate if you possess excellent physical engineering intuition but are equally driven by systematic order, clear documentation, and data optimization.

What You'll Do

1. Lead RCAs, Warranty, and Rework Investigations

Act as the primary driver for resolving field failures and production bugs, taking immediate engineering debt off our design team’s plate.

• Lead the warranty investigation process from triage through to approved corrective action.


• Drive the process, define the data collection strategy, perform the engineering analysis, and determine the technical root cause.


• Design and engineer permanent bug fixes, continuous improvement of existing products to reduce build complexity, cost, and assembly friction.

2. Own Engineering to Production Handoff and Release Documentation

Ensure that what we design is exactly what our production floor builds, tracks, and scales.

• Finalize drafting, documentation, and technical packages for released products.


• Configure BOMs to align with production requirements.


• Review drawings, schematics, and files to eliminate tribal knowledge and catch inconsistencies before they reach Supply Chain or Production.

3. Maintain Revision Control & Data Discipline

Enforce engineering rigor to ensure our digital systems match physical reality as we scale.

• Maintain accurate revision control on all released technical documentation (drawings, BOMs, CNC files, work instructions, schematics).


• Enforce materials taxonomy, naming conventions, and formatting standards.


• Enforce cross functional data governance through scripting and automation.

Requirements

Must Have:

• Experience: 4+ years of engineering experience in a manufacturing-focused environment (Mechanical, Electrical, Systems, or Industrial Engineering preferred).


• Credentials: P.Eng designation or Engineer-In-Training (EIT) status with active eligibility to register in Alberta.


• Technical Skills: SolidWorks proficiency and strong Excel or Google Sheets skills.


• Problem Solving: Proven experience executing Root Cause Analysis and managing Engineering revision control


• Detail Orientation and Discipline: A borderline obsessive attention to detail. You are genuinely bothered by small out-of-place details (e.g., inconsistent capitalization, trailing spaces, double spaces, or messy file structures)


• Communication: Excellent cross-functional communication skills including office staff, technicians, and engineers.

Nice to Have:

• SolidWorks PDM or alternative PDM experience.


• ERP system experience (we use Odoo).


• A systems-thinking mindset with an interest in using basic scripting, AI tools, or macros to automate administrative workflows.

This Role is NOT a Fit For Someone Who:

• Wants to lead new product development, original design work, or blank-canvas sketching.


• Gets bored with documentation, data standards, and revision control.


• Thinks an engineering package is \"done\" just because the CAD model is finished.


• Prefers to work in isolation rather than collaborating actively across departments.

Why This Role Matters

Yama is scaling production volume rapidly. That growth only works if the engineering foundation underneath it is solid—accurate BOMs, clean documentation, resolved field issues, and continuous improvement on what's already been built.

You will own the integrity of that foundation. Every revision you keep clean, every investigation you close, and every automated pipeline you build makes the entire operation more reliable and easier to scale. This is a unique opportunity to play a hands-on role in building the engineering backbone of a premier growing brand.

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