Exterior Trim Design Engineer

Job Description

Job Description

We're ALTEN Technology USA, an engineering company helping clients bring groundbreaking ideas to life—from advancing space exploration and life-saving medical devices to building autonomous electric vehicles. With 3,000+ experts across North America, we partner with leading companies in aerospace, medical devices, robotics, automotive, commercial vehicles, EVs, rail, and more.

As part of the global ALTEN Group—57,000+ engineers in 30 countries—we deliver across the entire product development cycle, from consulting to full project outsourcing.

When you join ALTEN Technology USA, you'll collaborate on some of the world's toughest engineering challenges, supported by mentorship, career growth opportunities, and comprehensive benefits. We take pride in fostering a culture where employees feel valued, supported, and inspired to grow.

Workplace:  On-site, 4 days per week. Friday, Remote.
Location: Long Beach, CA
Salary: $120-140k

The Exterior Trim Design Engineer will create and mature detailed designs for automotive exterior trim components. The role translates styling and engineering intent into manufacturable product definition, with particular focus on A-surface modeling, GD&T, locating strategy, and cross-functional integration.

Responsibilities 
• Develop exterior trim part models from early concepts through detailed design maturation.
• Create and refine A-surface and engineering surfaces while maintaining design intent and downstream manufacturability.
• Define part geometry, interfaces, attachment features, locating schemes, and datum structures.
• Apply GD&T and support tolerance stack-up reviews to achieve fit, function, and assembly targets.
• Collaborate with DREs, styling, manufacturing, suppliers, quality, and tooling teams to resolve design issues.
• Apply DFM principles and incorporate feedback from toolmakers and manufacturing engineers.
• Support design reviews, prototype builds, tool reviews, part inspections, and engineering changes.
• Maintain accurate models, drawings, and product data in 3DEXPERIENCE (3DX).

Required Qualifications 
• Automotive exterior trim design experience from concept through design maturation.
• Hands-on experience with A-surface part modeling and production-intent product definition.
• Working knowledge of GD&T, datum schemes, locating strategy, and tolerance stack-up.
• Experience applying DFM principles to automotive components.
• Proficiency with 3DEXPERIENCE (3DX) and relevant CAD modeling workflows.
• Ability to work collaboratively and resolve design feedback in a fast-paced program environment.

Preferred Qualifications 
• Familiarity with Class-A surface requirements, styling-to-engineering surface transition, and surface quality checks.
• Knowledge of injection molding and other relevant trim processes, including draft, wall thickness, ribs, bosses, clips, shutoffs, and undercuts.
• Understanding of material selection, shrinkage, warpage, sink, read-through, and appearance considerations.
• Experience with digital mock-up, packaging, assembly access, serviceability, and adjacent-part interfaces.
• Familiarity with engineering change control, design reviews, and supplier collaboration.

Salary
• $120,000-140,000
• The actual salary offered is dependent on various factors including, but not limited to, location, the candidate's combination of job-related knowledge, qualifications, skills, education, training, and experience 

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, age, genetic information, or pregnancy.

Please beware of job seeker scams and see this important notice on our careers page for more information about our recruiting process.

Compliance Notice: Alten USA is a federal contractor subject to the requirements of the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) and Executive Order 11246. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.

Drug Screening Requirement: As a federal contractor, Alten USA maintains a drug-free workplace. All candidates selected for employment will be required to successfully complete a pre-employment drug screening as a condition of hire.