Wiring Harness Design Responsible (DR) – Discipline Manager
About The Position
The Wiring Harness Design Responsible (DR) – Discipline Manager is the technical owner of low-voltage and/or high-voltage wiring harness systems across multiple vehicle platforms and programs. The role leads Design Leads (DLs), Design Release Engineers (DREs), assigned engineers, and supplier engineering teams, providing consistent technical direction, prioritization, and alignment. It owns harness architecture, routing strategy, segmentation, protection, grounding, connectors, and attachment methods, ensuring full vehicle integration and supporting an in-house Build To Print strategy. The position defines and approves wiring harness designs, requirements, and changes, including 2D/3D designs, bills of materials, and specifications, in alignment with program milestones. It serves as the primary technical authority for Tier-1 harness suppliers and approves DFMEAs, DVPRs, validation results, and PPAPs. The role coordinates with Vehicle Integration, Manufacturing, Purchasing, Quality, and Program Management to resolve technical, timing, and cost issues, while driving design-to-cost, weight reduction, and complexity management without compromising robustness, quality, or manufacturability. The manager provides technical leadership during prototype builds, launch, early production, and warranty resolution, and is the final technical decision authority for wiring harness topics within the assigned scope. It also provides direct people management, including performance reviews, coaching, development planning, resource allocation, hiring and onboarding support, and handling employee concerns and cross-program conflicts. The role is based at 800 Chrysler Drive, Auburn Hills, Michigan, and is listed as 40 hours per week. Employment requires legal authorization to work in the United States.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree or foreign equivalent in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
- At least 10 years of experience in the job offered or a related position in automotive product development.
- Experience owning low- and/or high-voltage wiring harness systems across multiple vehicle platforms.
- Experience leading Tier-1 supplier engineering teams, including performance management.
- Experience with wiring harness architecture and integration, including routing, segmentation, grounding, protection, and connection systems.
- Experience managing end-to-end product lifecycle ownership from concept through launch and production, including warranty resolution.
- Experience managing PLM, requirements flow-down, release processes, and OEM governance.
- Must have legal right to work in the United States if offered employment.
Responsibilities
- Lead wiring warranty response, including rapid issue containment, root-cause resolution, and systemic corrective actions; prepare summaries and conclusions for presentation to all levels, up to and including the CEO.
- Lead Quality GEMBA Walk initiatives, coordinating Engineering, Manufacturing, Supplier Quality, and suppliers to reduce warranty issues and improve customer satisfaction through hands-on problem solving and execution.
- Conduct hands-on reviews at assembly plants, module supplier plants, and powertrain plants.
- Own low-voltage and/or high-voltage wiring harness systems across multiple vehicle platforms and programs.
- Lead and manage Design Leads, Design Release Engineers, assigned engineers, and supplier engineering teams, ensuring consistent technical execution, prioritization, and alignment across programs.
- Own harness architecture, routing strategy, segmentation, protection, grounding, connectors, and attachment methods, ensuring full vehicle integration.
- Bring harness knowledge in-house to support the Build To Print strategy.
- Define and approve wiring harness designs, requirements, and changes, including 2D/3D designs, bills of materials, and specifications, in alignment with program milestones.
- Serve as the primary technical authority with Tier-1 harness suppliers and approve DFMEAs, DVPRs, validation results, and PPAPs.
- Coordinate with Vehicle Integration, Manufacturing, Purchasing, Quality, and Program Management to resolve technical, timing, and cost issues.
- Drive design-to-cost, weight reduction, and complexity management while maintaining robustness, quality, and manufacturability.
- Provide technical leadership during prototype builds, launch, early production, and warranty issue resolution.
- Ensure compliance with Stellantis Engineering Standards, regulatory requirements, and program targets.
- Act as the final technical decision authority for wiring harness topics within the assigned scope.
- Conduct mid-year and annual performance reviews, including objective setting, feedback, and development planning.
- Provide day-to-day guidance, coaching, and technical mentorship, ensuring clear expectations and consistent execution.
- Support career development, role progression, and succession planning within the wiring harness discipline.
- Approve and manage vacation requests, time reporting, and attendance in accordance with company policies and program needs.
- Ensure appropriate resource allocation and workload balancing across programs and timing-critical activities.
- Participate in hiring, onboarding, and performance improvement actions as required.
- Serve as the primary escalation point for employee concerns, priorities, and cross-program conflicts.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Manager
