Design Release Engineer- Soft Trim

Net2Source•Long Beach, CA

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Design Release Engineer will contribute to an automotive interior trim engineering team, developing and delivering soft interior trim components from concept through production. The role focuses on material engineering, surface application, detail design, and launch execution, working with design, color and materials, vehicle engineering, manufacturing, program teams, and supplier partners to deliver premium interior solutions. The position is based in Long Beach, California, with a hybrid schedule of four days onsite and one day remote. The assignment is 12+ months, with the possibility of extension or conversion to full-time employment. The engineer will help ensure soft trim components meet luxury, tactile feel, craftsmanship, safety, ergonomics, and durability goals. Work includes translating design and CMF intent into manufacturable constructions, defining material and construction specifications, managing component-level engineering documentation, supporting supplier readiness and validation, and helping resolve quality issues during prototype builds and launch.

Requirements

At least 4 years of experience in automotive soft interior trim engineering, such as wrapped panels, soft instrument panels, door armrests, or textile liners.
Strong understanding of soft trim material systems, manufacturing processes—including slush molding, vacuum forming, sewing, and lamination—and DFM principles.
Proficiency in CATIA V5/V6 or equivalent CAD tools for surface definition and packaging.
Experience supporting vehicle or product launches, including supplier readiness and pre-production build support.
Familiarity with DFMEA, DVPR, and soft trim quality documentation processes.

Nice To Haves

Ownership of at least one full program lifecycle from concept through SOP.
Experience in a fast-paced OEM or startup EV environment.
Deep knowledge of soft trim construction methods, including grain tooling, hide matching, sewing patterns, and foam tuning for tactile performance.
Understanding of material aging, light fastness, and chemical resistance requirements per OEM specifications.
Experience with CMF alignment, including grain sampling, color approval, and texture sign-off.
Knowledge of airbag deployment zones and seamless airbag door integration within soft trim assemblies.
Hands-on, practical engineering mindset with strong attention to surface quality and material behavior.
Excellent communication skills and ability to work across design studios, CMF teams, and Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers.
Passion for craftsmanship and premium interior material execution.

Responsibilities

Contribute to developing high-quality soft interior trim components that meet luxury, tactile feel, craftsmanship, safety, ergonomics, and durability goals.
Lead or support the engineering, packaging, release, and launch of soft trim components such as wrapped panels, seat surrounds, soft-touch instrument panel skins, armrests, and textile-based liners.
Translate interior design and CMF intent into production-feasible, manufacturable soft trim constructions that preserve design fidelity despite tooling and process variation.
Define and manage material and construction specifications for substrates, foam, skins, and adhesive systems, and oversee layered construction feasibility.
Manage component-level DFMEA, DVPR, boundary diagrams, and robustness checklists through design and release milestones.
Collaborate with CMF, design, vehicle engineering, manufacturing, purchasing, and program teams to maintain craftsmanship intent and timing.
Work with soft trim suppliers on process capability, grain and texture consistency, cost targets, and on-time delivery.
Support durability and environmental validation testing, including UV resistance, thermal cycling, abrasion, and seam strength.
Perform and support DFM assessments for slush molding, vacuum forming, sewing, bonding, and related soft trim processes.
Support prototype builds and buck reviews, and resolve surface, seam, and texture quality findings.
Apply and continuously improve engineering tools, methods, and best practices to support accelerated product development.