Design & Release Engineer - Lighting

Seeking a highly motivated Design Release Engineer (DRE) to lead the development, validation, and release of exterior lighting systems including headlamps, tail lamps, fog lamps, and signaling devices. The DRE will serve as the primary technical point of contact responsible for delivering lighting components that meet performance, cost, quality, and timing targets throughout the vehicle development lifecycle.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead the end-to-end engineering delivery of exterior lighting systems from concept through production launch
• Own design release of components in PLM systems (e.g., Teamcenter, Windchill)
• Coordinate cross-functional teams including Styling, Packaging, Electrical, Manufacturing, Purchasing, and Suppliers
• Ensure designs meet regulatory requirements (FMVSS, ECE, SAE, etc.)
• Manage supplier development activities, including design reviews, technical discussions, and issue resolution
• Drive DFMEA, DVP&R, and engineering validation activities
• Support prototyping builds, testing, and launch readiness
• Identify and resolve engineering issues (fit, function, durability, optics, thermal, sealing, etc.)
• Track and meet program milestones, cost targets, and quality metrics
• Support root cause analysis and corrective actions for field or launch issues
• Lead change management and engineering change requests (ECR/ECN)

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related field
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in automotive exterior lighting or related systems
• Experience with design release engineering processes
• Working knowledge of lighting components (LEDs, optics, housings, electronics, wiring interfaces)
• Familiarity with CAD tools (CATIA, NX, or similar)
• Strong understanding of GD&T and tolerance stack-ups
• Experience with automotive validation processes (DV/PV testing)
• Working Knowledge of regulatory lighting standards (FMVSS 108, ECE, etc.)
• Strong communication and problem-solving skills