Mechanical System Engineer - Exterior Sensor Integration

Net2Source•Long Beach, CA

15h•Onsite

About The Position

The Mechanical System Engineer will contribute to an automotive body exterior engineering team, integrating ADAS and autonomy sensors into vehicle exteriors and developing the cleaning systems that keep them functional. The role owns the physical envelope around cameras, radars, lidars, and ultrasonic sensors, including packaging, field-of-view protection, mounting stiffness and alignment, thermal and environmental robustness, and washer- and air-based cleaning architecture. The engineer works across exteriors, ADAS and perception, electrical, thermal, closures, and supplier teams to deliver sensor installations that perform in real-world conditions and withstand production variation. This is an onsite position in Long Beach, California, offered for 12+ months with the possibility of conversion to a full-time employee role. The listed pay range is $60 to $65 per hour on W2.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Automotive, or Systems Engineering, or equivalent experience.
At least 5 years of automotive mechanical engineering experience, including direct vehicle-level work on ADAS or autonomy sensor integration.
Hands-on experience packaging and releasing exterior-mounted sensors and their supporting brackets, housings, or apertures.
Working knowledge of camera, radar, lidar, and ultrasonic sensor operating principles and their mechanical constraints.
Strong GD&T, tolerance stack-up, and datum-strategy skills applied to precision-mounted components.
Experience with injection-molded plastics, sheet metal, and die-cast components, including DFM and tooling constraints.
Demonstrated ownership of DFMEA, DVP&R, and test-plan development through validation and release.
Proficiency with CATIA V5, 3DEXPERIENCE, or Siemens NX, and PLM release systems such as Teamcenter.
Strong cross-functional communication skills and ability to negotiate requirements between exteriors, ADAS, electrical, and manufacturing.

Nice To Haves

Direct experience with sensor cleaning or washer systems, including nozzle development, fluid delivery, e-valves, or heated cleaning hardware.
Experience with ADAS sensor calibration processes, both end-of-line and service-level, and their mechanical prerequisites.
Familiarity with radome design, radar attenuation testing, and material selection for RF sensitivity.
Experience with CFD, thermal analysis, or spray and soiling simulation applied to sensor cleaning or contamination.
Exposure to functional safety and SOTIF concepts as they relate to sensor availability and degradation.
Prior work on an electric vehicle or L2+ autonomy program from concept through start of production.
Experience developing environmental and durability tests, including thermal cycling, humidity, vibration, salt spray, and stone impact.

Responsibilities

Lead mechanical integration of exterior-mounted ADAS sensors—including forward and surround cameras, radar, lidar, and ultrasonic sensors—across fascias, grilles, windshield, roof, closures, mirrors, and liftgate locations.
Own field-of-view and line-of-sight analysis, including obstruction studies, aperture sizing, sensor pointing-angle definition, and coordination with perception and ADAS teams on coverage requirements.
Define and release sensor brackets, housings, covers, and mounting interfaces, balancing stiffness, mass, cost, tolerance capability, and serviceability.
Develop sensor alignment and positional-accuracy strategies, including tolerance stack-up to optical or antenna references, datum and locator schemes, and end-of-line calibration feasibility.
Own exterior sensor cleaning architecture, including nozzle design and aiming, washer-fluid routing, pump and valve selection, air-assisted and telescopic nozzle concepts, heated nozzle and lens strategies, and fluid-volume and reservoir sizing.
Define and validate cleaning performance requirements and test methods for soiling, mud, salt, insects, ice, and snow, including spray-pattern coverage, cleaning efficiency, dry-out behavior, and cycle time.
Coordinate with thermal and electrical teams on sensor heat rejection, heater circuits, condensation and fogging mitigation, harness routing, connector sealing, and grounding.
Manage radar transparency and material compatibility requirements for emblems, fascias, and covers, including thickness control, paint and coating constraints, and attenuation targets.
Manage component-level DFMEA, DVPR, boundary diagrams, and robustness.
Support water management, sealing, and ingress protection for sensor apertures and cleaning hardware, including IP-rating verification and high-pressure wash and car-wash durability.
Collaborate with suppliers on design feasibility, tooling, process capability, cost targets, and on-time delivery of sensor-mounting and cleaning components.
Support prototype builds, buck reviews, and vehicle-level test events, resolving sensor blockage, misalignment, calibration, and cleaning-performance findings.
Support homologation and regulatory needs related to sensor visibility, pedestrian-protection interaction, and applicable ADAS and NCAP requirements.