Advanced Vehicle Development Lighting - Design and Release Engineer

GM•Warren, MI

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Lighting Advanced Vehicle Development Design Release Engineer (AVD DRE) is an individual contributor responsible for defining, integrating, and advancing exterior lighting content from early vehicle programs through design alignment, content approval, sourcing, and handoff to production engineering. The role serves as the primary engineering interface among Studio and Design, vehicle program teams, Technical Specialists, Purchasing, Finance, suppliers, and production lighting DREs. It applies lighting engineering, design-for-cost, supplier, and program execution expertise to guide cross-functional decisions and protect design intent, cost, quality, and timing. The AVD DRE leads early lighting content, feasibility, technology, cost, and sourcing alignment. The role partners with production DREs, Technical Specialists, Studio and Design, Finance, Purchasing, suppliers, and program leadership, but does not replace their responsibilities. Final ownership of production execution, validation, regulatory approval, and released production content remains with the designated execution organizations. This is a hybrid role based at the Warren Tech Center. The selected candidate is expected to work on-site at least three days per week, or at another frequency determined by the hiring leader. The role is not eligible for relocation assistance. GM does not provide immigration-related sponsorship for this role.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, electrical, optical, automotive, or related engineering discipline.
Typically seven or more years of progressively responsible experience in automotive exterior lighting, vehicle engineering, design release, advanced development, or a related field.
Experience with exterior lighting concepts, content approval, RFQ activity, technical reviews, sourcing, or comparable vehicle development processes.
Strong understanding of lighting technology, optical performance, electronics, power consumption, packaging, supplier capabilities, manufacturing, and applicable regulations.
Experience developing cost and content proposals, design-to-cost alternatives, competitive benchmarks, or should-cost estimates.
Ability to balance Studio intent, program targets, technical requirements, supplier capability, regulatory requirements, cost, and timing.
Strong written, verbal, presentation, negotiation, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
Ability to work independently, manage multiple programs, and make sound decisions with incomplete or changing information.
Willingness to work directly with Studio, suppliers, Purchasing, program teams, and engineering organizations in a highly collaborative environment.

Nice To Haves

Experience with GM vehicle development processes and milestones, including GVDP, IBR, PFI, Boxscore, DCR, DCTA, eSOR, and VPI.
Experience with competitiveness development, total enterprise cost, base engineering content calculations, optical efficiency analysis, or power and EV-range impact analysis.
Experience with purchasing analytics, supplier cost databases, cost development tools, or equivalent cost-modeling systems.
Experience with adaptive driving beam, matrix or digital lighting, illuminated grilles, thin-lens modules, micro-optics, light guides, or other emerging lighting technologies.
Experience supporting multiple vehicle architectures, brands, body styles, regions, or accelerated program timelines.
Familiarity with global lighting regulations, GM lighting requirements, validation expectations, and Technical Specialist processes.

Responsibilities

Define early lighting scope, trim content, carryover and new content, technology strategy, supplier options, competitiveness, and engineering criteria.
Partner with Studio, Design, Brand Leads, and lighting designers throughout sketch, clay, theme, and surface development.
Assess feasibility, appearance, optics, photometry, packaging, electronics, power, thermal performance, manufacturability, cost, and regulatory considerations.
Develop engineering alternatives that preserve design intent while meeting program targets.
Build ground-up lighting cost and content models.
Lead content walks, design-to-cost proposals, cost approval forums, and tradeoff discussions involving design, suppliers, investment, piece cost, performance, and timing.
Support Statement of Requirements (SOR) development, requests for quotation (RFQs), supplier quote reviews, negotiations, sourcing decisions, and final quote comparisons.
Evaluate supplier technology, capability, performance, tooling, cost, and timing; support post-sourcing activities and handoff to production DREs.
Serve as an early liaison to Technical Specialists and execution teams, considering lighting design, optics, electronics, power and EV-range impacts, packaging, manufacturing, total enterprise cost, and global regulations.
Improve lighting program execution through cost-estimating tools, purchasing analytics, benchmarking, calculators, templates, databases, and lessons learned.
Share knowledge across programs, regions, AVD, DRE, Finance, Purchasing, and engineering teams.