Design Engineer

Job Title: Design Engineer

This role leads the design and engineering of exterior vehicle lighting systems, serving as the primary engineering contact from program assignment through validation and launch support. You will own the front-end (headlamp and fascia lamp) or rear-end (tail lamp, deck lid lamp, and CHMSL) lamp systems, coordinating cross-functional teams to deliver high-quality, cost-effective, and manufacturable designs that meet customer, regulatory, and internal standards.

Responsibilities

• Take ownership of one vehicle exterior lamp program, focusing on either front-end (headlamp and fascia lamp) or rear-end (tail lamp, deck lid lamp, and CHMSL) systems, with support from an additional design engineer depending on workload and lamp complexity.

• Serve as the primary engineering and design contact from initial program assignment through approximately three months after validation test completion, supporting both internal and external teams.

• Partner with the program manager to interface with OEM styling studios and product development teams to refine styling and engineering options while meeting internal and external cost targets.

• Lead and coordinate cross-functional resources, including design, optics, electronics, tooling, CAE, validation, quality, manufacturing, purchasing, and suppliers, to develop feasible solutions and optimize lamp executions.

• Deliver high-quality design and engineering services, including accurate math data, while strictly adhering to defined project timelines.

• Apply Design for Manufacturing principles and cost-saving strategies as a primary consideration in all design work.

• Perform lamp assembly-level 3D layout, packaging, and feasibility studies to ensure robust and manufacturable designs.

• Execute detailed structural design of lamp components and assemblies, creating, updating, and modifying parametric 3D models and optimizing datum schemes, either directly or by clearly guiding assistant design engineers and designers.

• Monitor all design activities to ensure compliance with legal regulations for each market, customer specifications, and internal design standards, best practices, and top issue lists.

• Prepare design study reports and presentations for team design reviews and open-issue communication.

• Own all internal and external design and engineering release documents required at each project gate or step.

• Manage the designer checklist, ensuring all items are completed or formally approved for deviation by the appropriate department when full implementation is not possible.

• Maintain and drive closure of the design open-issue list, developing action plans with the project team and tracking execution until all issues are resolved.

• Maintain and update DFMEA documents, proactively identifying potential design issues, planning solutions, and implementing early corrective actions.

• Support validation and pre-production engineers in updating ADVP&R documents, securing approvals from both the customer and internal teams, and reviewing detailed internal test plans.

• Lead the creation and maintenance of five-phase reports and assist validation and pre-production engineers in analyzing validation test failures, appearance issues, and root causes, implementing design changes when cost and timing impacts are agreed upon.

• Create and update GD&T drawings to meet both internal and external engineering requirements, collaborating closely with quality, pre-production, and gauge/fixture engineering teams.

• Organize and manage different versions of 3D math models for lamp components and assemblies in a clear and traceable manner.

• Organize and track versions of inbound and outbound math data, including customer uploads, milestone releases, engineering work orders, FTP transfers, and kickoff packages for prototypes, tooling, and gauges/fixtures, maintaining clear data transfer histories.

• Organize and maintain different versions of vehicle environment 3D math data downloaded from customers.

• Prepare 3D math data that meets customer data checker and release criteria, and generate data transfer request forms for data administration to upload into customer databases.

• Prepare clean, interference-free 3D math data and submit it, along with required application forms, to internal optics, CAE, tooling, electronics, manufacturing, and gauge/fixture teams for feasibility studies, simulations, and prototype builds.

• Define all required features in 3D math data according to internal criteria, including tooling features, datum points, critical attachment points, and specific surface treatments.

• Provide clear instructions to designers and drafters for creating lamp component and assembly 2D drawings.

• Review lamp component and assembly 2D drawings for accuracy, completeness, and compliance with requirements.

• Participate in early-morning or evening web conferences with overseas teams to review project design and engineering issues.

• Host or attend internal and external technical and design review meetings, supporting the program manager in reviewing meeting minutes before internal or external release.

• Perform other related duties as assigned to support successful program delivery.

Essential Skills

• Bachelors degree in design, engineering, or a related technical field.

• 5 or more years of design or engineering experience within the plastics industry.

• Proficiency in SolidWorks and/or CATIA, including the ability to design from scratch and modify existing designs.

• Experience with plastic injection molding and plastic component design.

• Ability to perform 3D layout, packaging, and feasibility studies for complex assemblies.

• Strong understanding of Design for Manufacturing principles and cost optimization.

• Experience with automotive lighting systems or closely related products.

• Ability to create, update, and manage parametric 3D models and datum schemes.

• Experience generating and maintaining GD&T prints and engineering documentation.

• Ability to coordinate and communicate effectively with cross-functional teams and external customers.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including proactive identification and mitigation of design risks.

• Experience interfacing with automotive OEM engineering or product development teams.

• Ability to manage multiple versions of 3D math data and maintain clear data histories.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• 1+ years of experience who are highly proficient in SolidWorks or CATIA.

• 23 years of experience leading project design and engineering while interfacing with automotive OEMs is preferred.

• Design experience in the automotive lighting industry is preferred.

• Experience with exterior lighting technologies, including LEDs, xenon, and halogen bulbs, is preferred.

• Experience with plastics, injection molding, decorating, and electronics is preferred.

• Experience with OEM-specific requirements and exterior lighting standards is beneficial.

• Ability to participate in global collaboration, including web-based meetings with international teams.

• Ability to speak Mandarin Chinese is considered a bonus.

• Interest in working on exterior lighting programs for major automotive OEMs, including headlamp and taillamp applications.

Work Environment

The role is based in a production and manufacturing engineering environment that focuses on maintenance, tooling, injection molding, and related operations.

Job Type & Location

This is a Permanent position based out of Troy, MI.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $75000.00 - $130000.00/yr.

Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

Health/Medical Vision Dental 401k

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Troy,MI.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Oct 19, 2026.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email View email address on click.appcast.io for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.