Contract Designer

Job Description

Job Description

Job Title: Contract Designer – Automotive Lighting
Job Description

The Contract Designer is responsible for the end-to-end design and release of automotive lighting systems and components, from initial concept through production. You will develop robust 2D and 3D lighting designs in Catia V5, conduct packaging studies, and ensure that all CAD deliverables align with customer contract requirements, manufacturing constraints, and internal best practices. Working closely with senior designers, product engineers, and international team members, you will play a key role in translating design intent into manufacturable, high-quality lighting products.

Responsibilities

• Develop 2D and 3D lighting concepts in Catia V5 from initial feasibility through production, ranging from single components to full assemblies.
• Collaborate with the senior Designer to create and implement solid design concepts that meet customer contract requirements and align with internal best practices, plastic injection molding guidelines, OEM specifications, and manufacturing standards.
• Perform vehicle-level packaging studies that balance physical space limitations, legal and functional requirements, and manufacturing constraints.
• Apply a strong understanding of dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T) to independently devise dimensioning schemes that ensure proper fit and function of parts and account for mating conditions with other components in an assembly.
• Work with Product Engineers to provide CAD data required for CAE studies and interpret CAE results, including thermal and vibration analyses, to refine and improve designs.
• Participate in weekly customer meetings and present CAD data as needed, clearly communicating design intent and status.
• Monitor progress of CAD deliverables against project timelines and propose action plans when issues or delays arise.
• Maintain and update internal design checklists prior to gate reviews to ensure completeness and design quality.
• Execute internal CAD change management processes with expert accuracy and adapt effectively to customer change management systems to ensure proper submission and control of math data.
• Maintain and revise design-responsible CAD files within the customer’s data management system, ensuring accuracy, traceability, and proper revision control.
• Support data translation requests from the supply base to facilitate tool builds and concurrent design activities in various CAD packages.
• Drive CAD file management best practices and uphold individual CAD data integrity in accordance with company standards.
• Maintain Component Change Logs after TKO to ensure proper tracking, documentation, and management of design changes.
• Ensure accurate execution of assignments related to Engineering Change Notices, maintaining correct revision levels and proper change sequencing.

• At least 4 years of automotive design experience related to exterior or interior lighting and complex systems with subsystems and components.
• Expert-level proficiency in Catia V5 CAD software, including successful completion of lighting design work using Catia V5.
• Strong ability to develop 2D and 3D lighting concepts and models in Catia V5 from feasibility through production.
• Deep understanding of Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T) and the ability to define and interpret standard drafting practices.
• Proven experience conducting vehicle-level packaging studies that balance space, legal, functional, and manufacturing constraints.
• Solid knowledge of plastic part design and the application of standard plastics geometries, including draft, wall stock, radii, and fillets, to ensure manufacturability.
• Comprehensive understanding of manufacturing processes such as injection molding, coating systems, and assembly techniques.
• Demonstrated knowledge of BOM assemblies, extensions, LED lamps, A-surfacing, reflectors, and front-end modules.
• Ability to interpret and act on CAE results (thermal and vibration) and adjust designs accordingly.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for documentation, reporting, and presentations.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to collaborate effectively with international design team members, including participation in periodic evening meetings.
• Experience with CAD file management and change management processes within customer data management systems.

• Experience with automotive exterior lighting design and development.
• Familiarity with additional CAD tools such as UG NX (UGNX, UG) for 3D modeling and plastics design.
• Experience with automotive data management systems such as GM Teamcenter or similar PLM platforms.
• Background in CAE-supported design workflows, including collaboration with CAE teams for thermal and vibration analysis.
• Exposure to exterior lighting components and systems, including LED-based solutions and complex assemblies.
• Ability to support data translation and collaboration with suppliers using various CAD packages.
• Strong attention to detail, particularly in maintaining design checklists, component change logs, and accurate revision histories.
• Comfort presenting CAD data and technical information in customer-facing meetings.

This role is based in a clean, modern office environment within a technical research and development center recognized as a Center of Excellence. You will work in a professional setting focused on advanced automotive lighting design and engineering, using Catia V5 and other CAD and PLM tools such as Teamcenter and UG NX. The environment emphasizes collaboration with cross-functional and international teams, including occasional evening meetings to align with global colleagues. The facility supports focused design and engineering work, with access to the tools and systems necessary for complex CAD, data management, and CAE-supported development.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract position based out of Novi, MI.

The pay range for this position is $36.00 - $50.00/hr.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following:
• Medical, dental & vision
• Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital
• 401(k) Retirement Plan – Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available
• Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)
• Short and long-term disability
• Health Spending Account (HSA)
• Transportation benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

This is a hybrid position in Novi,MI.

This position is anticipated to close on Jun 29, 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 ziprecruiter.com 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.