Design & Release Engineer - Lighting

Stellantis•Auburn Hills, MI

About The Position

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

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a 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, including LEDs, optics, housings, electronics, and wiring interfaces.
Familiarity with CAD tools such as CATIA, NX, or similar.
Strong understanding of GD&T and tolerance stack-ups.
Experience with automotive validation processes, including DV/PV testing.
Working knowledge of regulatory lighting standards, including FMVSS 108 and ECE.
Strong communication and problem-solving skills.

Responsibilities

Lead end-to-end engineering delivery of exterior lighting systems from concept through production launch.
Own component design release in PLM systems such as Teamcenter or Windchill.
Coordinate cross-functional teams including Styling, Packaging, Electrical, Manufacturing, Purchasing, and Suppliers.
Ensure designs meet regulatory requirements, including FMVSS, ECE, and SAE standards.
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 involving fit, function, durability, optics, thermal performance, and sealing.
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).