Digital Vehicle Test Engineer (KTP Associate)

As a KTP Associate, you will mainly be based at Nissan Technical Centre Europe (NTCE) in Cranfield, Bedfordshire but will work in conjunction with the Centre for Digital and Design Engineering (CDDE), located within the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Cranfield University.

The aim of the KTP is to develop a Virtual Testing Assistant (VTA) that leverages semantic technologies, AI models, and knowledge graphs to support smarter, more efficient vehicle testing processes. This innovation will contribute to the digital transformation of automotive testing at Nissan by improving test planning, reducing duplication, and increasing the reusability of test data.

In this role you will lead the technical development of the VTA, including ontology engineering, AI model training, and the design of interoperable knowledge systems. You will be responsible for embedding academic research into practical engineering tools, working across software architecture, data strategy, and simulation workflow. You will work with Test teams across Europe to analyse the current situation and will prepare a clear appraisal of the current situation and proposals to apply digital tools to support the business transformation. You will also need to understand that the developments that are made through this project will need to be sense-checked to ensure they make commercial sense.

Key Deliverables

1. Delivery and management of research and knowledge translation (KT) tasks:
   • Perform applied research in semantic technologies, knowledge graphs, and large language models to support the development of a Virtual Testing Assistant (VTA) tool.
   • Design, implement, and test AI-driven tools for recommending vehicle test scenarios, reducing duplication, and improving planning efficiency.
2. Publications:
   • Disseminate and publish high quality journals and conference papers relevant to digital engineering and AI in automotive testing.
   • Support Cranfield colleagues in delivering a Research Excellence Framework (REF) Impact case study relating to AI and digital transformation in vehicle testing.
   • Individual and Nissan profile raising through authoring and submission of articles to peer reviewed science journals, and other industry publications, helping to disseminate project outcomes and enhance the visibility of both the Associate and Nissan within the automotive and academic communities.
3. Business reporting and communication:
   • Produce regular progress reports, presentations, and summaries tailored to Nissan stakeholders, with guidance from the Business Supervisor/Lead.
   • Present results in a clear, commercially relevant way to support decision-making and industry adoption.
4. Project Management:
   • Manage the project on a day-to-day basis, including disseminating regular relevant project updates to the relevant stakeholders
   • Coordinate activities between Nissan and Cranfield, organise regular meetings with academic and industrial supervisors, and prepare progress reports for the Local Management Committee (LMC).
5. Cost-benefit analysis:
   • Work with Nissan’s senior engineering and business teams to assess the potential impact of the VTA tool, including improvements in efficiency, cost savings, and scalability. Develop a robust business case and support knowledge transfer planning for long-term adoption within Nissan.
6. Personal development and Knowledge base, and company, induction:
   • Personal development activities.
   • Contribute to the effective operation of Nissan, ensuring that KTP activities comply with all relevant environmental sustainability, ethical and health and safety policies of Nissan and Cranfield University.

An exciting opportunity to work as a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) Associate has arisen as part of a collaboration project between Nissan Technical Centre Europe Ltd and Cranfield University. The project will focus on the development of a Virtual Testing Assistant (VTA) that integrates ontologies, knowledge graphs, and AI models to support Nissan’s digital transformation in vehicle testing.