Automotive Product Development Engineer - Structures

LHH Recruitment Solutions; Detroit (MI); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

LHH Recruitment Solutions seeks a Product Development Engineer to support the development and commercialization of lightweight vehicle structural solutions. You will collaborate with automotive OEMs and internal teams to translate structure requirements into manufacturable, cost-effective designs.

The role requires strong experience in automotive body structures, product development, and engineering analysis, with exposure to customer-facing technical work.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related field.
• 5+ years in automotive product development or vehicle structures.
• Experience with OEMs or Tier 1 suppliers.
• Strong APQP understanding and vehicle launch knowledge.
• Experience with CAD/CAE, GD&T, and engineering drawings.
• Familiarity with LS-DYNA, Primer, ANSA, and AutoForm is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Translate customer vehicle structure requirements into optimized product and manufacturing solutions.
• Perform engineering analyses, including CAE/FEA and structural evaluations.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams through prototype development, validation, and production.
• Manage multiple automotive programs and deliver milestones on time.
• Develop technical presentations and communicate recommendations to customers and stakeholders.
• Build relationships with OEMs, Tier 1 partners, and other industry groups.
• Support continuous improvement of engineering methods and design processes.
• Identify opportunities to incorporate AI and automation into workflows.
• Provide technical mentorship to less experienced engineers.
• Occasionally travel to customer locations and manufacturing facilities.

Skills

Automotive product development

Vehicle structures

Project management

Technical communication

Cross-functional collaboration

Presentation skills

Mentorship

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering

Master’s degree (preferred)

Tools

LS-DYNA

Primer

ANSA

Meta

AutoForm

CATIA

PowerPoint

Excel

Planner

Job description

LHH Recruitment Solutions seeks a Product Development Engineer to support the development and commercialization of lightweight vehicle structural solutions. You will collaborate with automotive OEMs and internal teams to translate structure requirements into manufacturable, cost-effective designs.

The role requires strong experience in automotive body structures, product development, and engineering analysis, with exposure to customer-facing technical work.