Exterior Trim & Lighting Design Release Engineer

General Motors; Warren (MI); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

General Motors in Warren, MI, seeks a Design Release Engineer – Exterior Trim & Lighting Accessories. The role is hybrid, with on-site work at the Warren Tech Center at least three days per week and leadership from concept through production.

You will design, develop, and release exterior trim and lighting components, manage specifications, CAD models, GD&T, and tolerance analyses, and guide cross-functional teams to meet safety, regulatory, and quality requirements.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field is required.
• Three+ years of experience in product development engineering; exterior trim and/or lighting experience preferred.
• Knowledge of automotive exterior trim and lighting systems.
• Knowledge of automotive safety, regulatory, and compliance requirements.
• Experience with DFMEA, DRBFM, DFSS, GD&T and tolerance analysis.
• Strong technical leadership, communication and collaboration skills.
• Ability to apply structured problem‑solving techniques to design and manufacturing challenges.
• Ability to analyze complex engineering data and make sound technical decisions.
• Ability to learn and apply new technical information quickly.
• Strong project management skills with ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop exterior trim and lighting accessory components that meet vehicle, manufacturing, and customer requirements.
• Create and manage engineering specifications, CAD models, drawings, GD&T, and tolerance analyses.
• Lead component delivery from concept through launch and mass production.
• Manage engineering changes, deviations, and issue resolution throughout the product lifecycle.
• Provide technical leadership to cross‑functional teams and suppliers.
• Ensure compliance with applicable safety, regulatory, and quality requirements.
• Benchmark competitive designs and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Analyze warranty and field data, determine root causes, and implement corrective actions.
• Apply DFMEA, DRBFM, DFSS, and structured problem‑solving methods.
• Use CAE and TcVis analyses to validate designs and predict performance.
• Track engineering data, monitor trends, and drive continuous improvement.

Skills

Technical leadership

Communication

Collaboration

Structured problem solving

Engineering data analysis

Learning agility

Project management

DFMEA/DFSS/DRBFM

GD&T tolerance analysis

CAEs

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering or related field

Job description

General Motors in Warren, MI, seeks a Design Release Engineer – Exterior Trim & Lighting Accessories. The role is hybrid, with on-site work at the Warren Tech Center at least three days per week and leadership from concept through production.

You will design, develop, and release exterior trim and lighting components, manage specifications, CAD models, GD&T, and tolerance analyses, and guide cross-functional teams to meet safety, regulatory, and quality requirements.