Manager, Prototype & Pre-Series Management

Here at Scout Motors, we're carrying forward the heritage of one of the most iconic American vehicles in history. A vehicle dating back to 1960. One that forged the path for future generations of rugged SUVs and trucks and will do so once again.

But Scout is more than just a brand, it’s a legacy steeped in a culture of exploration, caretaking, and hard work.

The Scout brand is all about respect. Respect for the past and the future by taking an iconic American brand that hasn’t been around for a while, electrifying it, digitizing it, and loading it with American innovation. Respect for communities by creating a company that stands for its people and its customers.

Respect for both work and play, with vehicles that are equally at home at a camp site, a job site, or on a Tuesday commute. And respect for our customers by developing two powertrains that meet their requirements — an all-electric powertrain as well as the Harvester™ range extender powertrain which includes a built-in gas-powered generator with an estimated 500 miles of combined range.

At Scout Motors, we empower our talented, inclusive, and entrepreneurial teams to innovate. What makes a Scout employee? Someone who is a visionary and a leader, who seeks new paths and shares lessons learned. A knowledgeable doer who collaborates across the company to build better. A go-getter with unrivaled passion.

• Join us at Scout Motors and be part of shaping the future of transportation. If you're ready to drive change and make history, apply now!
• Overview

The Manager, Prototype & Pre-Series Management leads the operational planning, coordination, readiness, and execution of Scout’s engineering Prototype, prototype, and pre-series vehicle activities.

The role provides leadership across engineering fleet operations, pre-series management, test-location and proving-ground coordination, and vehicle/test readiness. It establishes an integrated operating model to ensure vehicles, test assets, locations, logistics, and validation activities are aligned with vehicle-program priorities.

Serving as the central operational interface among Vehicle Engineering, Verification & Validation, Prototype Builds, Logistics, Procurement, test organizations, proving grounds, and external partners, the Manager ensures that vehicles and supporting resources are available in the right configuration, at the right location, and at the right time.

The role leads the team responsible for day-to-day execution while maintaining overall accountability for operational priorities, resource allocation, issue escalation, process maturity, and transparent reporting to program leadership.

What you’ll do

Become part of an iconic brand that is set to revolutionize the electric pick-up truck & rugged SUV marketplace by achieving the following:

Prototype & Pre-Series Operations

Lead the operational management of Scout’s engineering

prototype

, prototype, and pre-series vehicle activities.

Establish priorities for vehicle readiness, allocation, configuration, usage, movement, maintenance, and availability based on engineering and validation requirements.

Ensure engineering vehicles are available in the required configuration and condition to support development and validation activities.

Establish standardized processes for vehicle intake, handover, tracking, readiness, storage, and release.

Provide leadership and escalation support when vehicle availability, configuration,

logistics

, or operational constraints put program activities at risk.

Pre-Series & Validation Readiness

Lead operational coordination between prototype and pre-series vehicle availability and planned engineering and validation activities.

Ensure alignment among Design Verification Plans (DVPs), vehicle availability, vehicle configuration, test requests, test locations, and program timing.

Establish visibility of planned versus executed validation activities and ensure significant gaps and risks are escalated.

Support prototype-build and vehicle-program milestone readiness through structured status reporting and risk management.

Drive resolution of conflicts involving vehicle demand, test priorities, available assets, timing, and engineering requirements.

Engineering Fleet & Vehicle Logistics

Provide leadership for engineering fleet operations across applicable Scout locations.

Oversee vehicle receiving, release, internal handover, storage, transportation, operational readiness, and real-time status visibility.

Oversee domestic and international movement of prototype and engineering vehicles, including associated documentation and import/export requirements.

Ensure

appropriate management

of vehicle

• permits,
• insurance, compliance records, and prototype identifiers.

• Oversee benchmark and competitor-vehicle operations where applicable and drive effective fleet utilization
• .

Test Locations & Proving Grounds

Provide leadership for the identification, planning, evaluation, and

utilization

of proving grounds and other vehicle test locations.

Ensure test-site capabilities, availability, timing, and cost are aligned with engineering and validation requirements.

Oversee coordination with proving-ground operators, test agencies, and external partners.

Ensure test locations and associated

logistics

are secured early enough to support program and seasonal test requirements.

Support commercial and operational coordination with Procurement, Legal, and external test partners.

Operational Planning & Program Integration

Translate vehicle-program and validation requirements into an integrated operating plan across vehicles, test locations,

logistics

, and supporting resources.

Establish short- and medium-term priorities based on program milestones and identify resource bottlenecks early.

Coordinate dependencies across Engineering, V&V, Prototype Builds, Logistics, Procurement, and external partners.

Provide clear status, risks, escalations, and decision requirements

to

program and engineering leadership.

Team Leadership

Lead, coach, and develop the

Prototype

& Pre-Series Management team.

Establish clear ownership, responsibilities, priorities, and operating standards across the function.

Balance team capacity and workload against changing program demands.

Create a culture of accountability, transparency, proactive issue resolution, and hands-on execution.

Build scalable processes and organizational capability as Scout’s prototype and pre-series fleet grows.

Governance, Reporting & Continuous Improvement

• Establish operational KPIs and management reporting covering vehicle readiness, fleet utilization
• ,

validation

readiness,

logistics

• , test-location utilization
• , risks, and constraints.

Implement structured processes for

identifying

and escalating issues affecting program execution.

Drive standardization of processes, tools, and reporting across

prototype

and pre-series operations.

Capture lessons learned and

incorporate

them into future prototype and pre-series phases

Location & Travel Expectations

:

This role will be based out of the

• Scout Motors corporate headquarters in Charlotte, NC or Novi, Michigan.
• .

This role requires 4-5 days per week in the office, with regular in-person meetings and events.

Travel

: Domestic and international travel is required to support vehicle operations, proving-ground activities, test campaigns, supplier engagements, and operational reviews. A valid driver’s license and passport are required.

What you’ll bring

We expect all Scout employees to have integrity, curiosity, resourcefulness, and strive to exhibit a positive attitude, as well as a growth mindset. You’ll be comfortable with change and flexible in a fast-paced, high-growth environment. You’ll take a collaborative approach to achieve ambitious goals. Here's what else you'll bring:

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering

, Automotive Engineering, Operations, Logistics, Supply Chain, or a related discipline, or equivalent professional experience.

10+ years of relevant automotive experience, preferably within an OEM or automotive-development environment.

Significant experience

with prototype,

prototype

, pre-series, engineering fleet, vehicle validation, or vehicle-development operations.

Demonstrated experience leading teams and complex cross-functional operations.

Strong understanding of

vehicle-development

and validation processes, including DVPs, prototype/pre-series builds, vehicle test activities, and program milestones.

Experience coordinating engineering vehicle fleets, prototype

logistics

, vehicle readiness, and/or major test campaigns.

Ability to manage competing

vehicle

,

test

,

resource

, and schedule priorities and to drive effective risk mitigation and escalation.

Strong

stakeholder-management

, analytical, organizational, written, and verbal communication skills.

Comfort

operating

in a fast-paced development environment with evolving processes and priorities.

Preferred Qualifications

Leadership experience within an OEM prototype, pre-series, test, validation, or engineering-operations organization.

Experience supporting complete

vehicle-development

programs from early prototypes through pre-series maturity.

Familiarity with major vehicle

proving

grounds and external test providers.

Experience with domestic and international prototype-vehicle

logistics

and import/export conside