Lighting Engineer Specialist

Scout Motors • Charlotte, NC

4h • $110,000 - $135,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Lighting Engineer Specialist is part of Scout Motors’ Exterior Systems and Lighting Team and focuses on developing exterior lighting components for the company’s electric pickup truck and rugged SUV programs. The role is based at Scout Motors’ corporate headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina, and requires at least four days per week in the office. It includes occasional travel for company events, assembly-plant launch activities, Virtual Build events, supplier and tool-shop visits, and international travel as needed; a passport is required.

The specialist develops and maintains exterior lighting standards, requirements, specifications, and validation plans for assigned components and subsystems. The role leads or participates in product development teams, RFQ activities, technical reviews, supplier recommendations, design and packaging decisions, testing, and issue resolution. The engineer works across Scout teams and with suppliers to meet piece-cost, budget, timing, weight, and quality targets, and to bring components to market.

The position also coordinates CAD modeling and packaging, analytical validation, prototypes, and physical and virtual verification. It ensures requirements traceability, adequate testing, and compliance with applicable design rules and regulatory requirements, while considering factors such as optics, FEA, CFD, NVH, water management, and craftsmanship. The role evaluates technical and program risks, recommends improvements, and applies automotive engineering practices including Robust Engineering, Design for Manufacturability, and Design for Serviceability.

This is a full-time, exempt position eligible for a base salary and annual performance bonus. The initial base salary range is $110,000–$135,000.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, or a relevant field.
• Seven years of relevant automotive exterior lighting experience, including design, testing, and launch phases.
• Skill in using CATIA to design and develop detailed parts.
• Strong technical skills and expertise in lighting components and systems, with a first-principles approach to problem solving.
• Strong oral and written communication skills, including the ability to explain difficult technical matters to audiences with varying levels of subject-matter knowledge.
• Excellent organization and prioritization skills.
• Familiarity with computer-aided engineering (CAE) or direct experience in the field.
• Ability to build strong working relationships across organizational levels and functional teams.
• Teamwork skills and ability to provide informal technical guidance and mentorship to less experienced engineers without direct supervisory responsibility.
• Comfort with ambiguity and ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment, evaluate technical factors, adapt engineering approaches, and seek review or escalate risks at critical decision points.
• Integrity, curiosity, resourcefulness, a positive attitude, a growth mindset, flexibility, and a collaborative approach.
• Ability to work at the Charlotte headquarters at least four days per week.
• Ability to travel for company events and international travel as needed; passport required.

Nice To Haves

• Experience working on Electric Vehicle programs.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain Scout Exterior Lighting Standards and requirements for assigned components and subsystems, ensuring a robust product.
• Ensure appropriate electrical vehicle connection points are present in applicable base truck and SUV architectures.
• Participate in or lead RFQ package development, technical reviews, and supplier recommendations for assigned components.
• Lead product development teams for assigned exterior lighting components, collaborating with internal functions and suppliers on design direction, development, packaging, and execution.
• Develop and maintain product specification books, test plans, DVP&R, DFMEA, Control Plans, and Quality Assurance requirements.
• Coordinate with design and analysis groups to create 3D CAD models, complete 3D packaging, and validate designs using analytical models such as Optics, FEA, and CFD.
• Ensure component compatibility with design rules, regulatory requirements, and attributes such as NVH, water management, and craftsmanship.
• Serve as a technical contributor and liaison with Scout functional teams, making technical recommendations and decisions within the assigned component scope.
• Develop and maintain component and subsystem requirements and specifications, including device transmittals and interface control documents (ICD).
• Track and support piece-cost, ED&D budget, timing, weight, and quality targets.
• Track open issues and collaborate with functional groups and suppliers to resolve them.
• Evaluate technical, packaging, validation, supplier, cost, timing, weight, and quality factors; select courses of action; adapt engineering approaches to unusual circumstances; and escalate risks at critical decision points.
• Ensure on-time validation, adequate testing coverage, and requirements traceability for assigned components, subsystems, and applicable vehicle-level requirements.
• Conduct product evaluations and design reviews during prototype and pre-production development.
• Develop prototypes for virtual and physical verification testing, including field testing.
• Monitor advancements, market trends, and consumer experience, and recommend improvements within the assigned scope.
• Follow automotive design best practices, including Robust Engineering, Design for Manufacturability, and Design for Serviceability.

Benefits

• Competitive insurance, including medical, dental, vision, and income protection plans.
• 401(k) program with employer match and immediate vesting.
• 20 days of planned PTO, as accrued.
• 40 hours of unplanned PTO and 14 company or floating holidays annually.
• Up to 16 weeks of paid parental leave for biological and adoptive parents of all genders.
• Paid leave for bereavement, jury duty, voting time, or military leave.
• Annual performance bonus program.
• Competitive compensation and benefits supporting physical, mental, and financial wellbeing.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior