Lighting Design Engineer

Actalent; Troy (MI); On-site; USD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Actalent is seeking a Design Engineer to lead exterior vehicle lighting systems design, covering front-end headlamps/fascias or rear-end tail lamps and CHMSL. You will coordinate with cross-functional teams through design, validation, and launch support, ensuring manufacturability and cost targets are met.

You will own design release documents, liaise with OEM styling studios, and guide engineers to deliver robust lamp solutions on time, while adapting to regulatory requirements across markets.

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

Job description

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