Vehicle Diagnostics Specialist

Position Summary:

The Senior Specialist – Diagnostics provides advanced technical expertise to support fleet reliability and performance across automotive, auxiliary, and medium/heavy-duty equipment. This role analyzes fault codes, breakdown trends, and prognostic indicators to identify root causes and recurring failure patterns, translating findings into actionable insights that reduce vehicle downtime and improve overall fleet performance.

Key responsibilities for the role include conducting technical fleet reviews to identify fault trends, coordinating corrective repairs with key customers, and generating performance analyses to drive operational and behavioral improvements for both internal and external stakeholders.

Additionally, this position provides subject matter expertise to support the continued evolution and expansion of the Digital Fleet Management diagnostic products line as needed.

Major Responsibilities:

Vehicle Maintenance Research

• Conduct continued research on vehicles subscribed (or potential customers) to the Digital Fleet Management connected products, including understanding maintenance intervals, fault code trends, fault code failures, bulletins, and service messages.

• Document all learned information in a clear and concise format for uploading into the DFM platform, ensuring consistent formatting across all equipment for accurate compatibility.

Communication

• Manage customer communication across a broad range of stakeholders including field personnel, 24/7 teams, corporate departments, and external customers such as dispatchers, fleet managers, high-level leaders, and drivers.

• Address technical customer concerns; initial communications are most likely informative in nature, though persuasion and sales skills may be utilized and may include billing. Some communications could be escalated.

• Present complex research findings using structured, data-driven communication methods to cross-functional stakeholders, ensuring alignment and informed decision-making throughout the development and expansion of supported products.

Program Evaluation

• Continuously evaluate the program to ensure success, including receipt of fault code (FC) information through all levels of the PRD Diagnostic programs.

• Leverage missed opportunity data and apply technical knowledge to understand root cause.

• Utilize systems such as Qlik, QlikSense, ServiceNet, OEM software, and raw data to evaluate the number of prevented road calls.

New Maintenance Opportunities

• Identify key customer opportunities to develop a key customer focus program; identify and create processes and follow-up actions.

• Conduct daily reviews to identify scenario gaps and other at-risk units; support updates to customers and account representatives on performance.

• Work with customers to grow functionality and fleet-specific opportunities and update leadership on program performance and growth.

• Stay current with market trends and developments related to equipment being used by fleets today and entering the market.

Team Liaisons

• Support the technical knowledge and understanding of Diagnostic Programs to adjacent teams.

• Meet with other teams on a regular basis to explain program advancements, changes, and vision.

• Other projects and tasks as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree preferred in Automotive Technology, Automotive Management, Diesel Mechanics, or Analytics; equivalent work experience required in lieu of a degree

• Minimum 1 year of mechanical repair knowledge required

• 3 years of automotive repair experience preferred

• 3 years of VDA or diagnostic tech experience, or comparable fault code experience/knowledge preferred

• 3 years of Microsoft Office experience preferred

• Must have an understanding of fault codes and their meanings

• Mechanical repair knowledge and understanding of vehicle operations and mechanics required

• Strong communication skills, both verbal and written

• Ability to explain technical vehicle applications in simplified terms

• Must be able to adapt to new technologies

• Strong research, documentation, and presentation skills

• Strong decision-making and problem-solving skills required

• Ability to interpret data required

• Excellent attention to detail and time management skills

• Strong leadership skills and the ability to collaborate with other team members

• Regular, predictable, full attendance is an essential function of the job

• Willingness to travel as necessary, work the required schedule, work at the specific location required, complete a Penske employment application, submit to a background investigation (to include past employment, education, and criminal history), and drug screening are required

Physical Requirements

• The physical and mental demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an associate to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• The associate will be required to: read; communicate verbally and/or in written form; remember and analyze certain information; and remember and understand certain instructions or guidelines.

• While performing the duties of this job, the associate may be required to stand, walk, and sit. The associate is frequently required to use hands to touch, handle, and feel, and to reach with hands and arms. The associate must be able to occasionally lift and/or move up to 25lbs/12kg.

• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

Penske is an Equal Opportunity Employer.