Mechanical Design Engineer

Astemo Ltd.; Farmington Hills (MI); On-site; USD 95,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Astemo Ltd. in Farmington Hills, MI, is seeking a Senior Mechanical Engineer for ECU development. You will design advanced mechanical structures for ECUs, focusing on thermal management and environmental protection, aiming for reliable automotive performance.

The role requires collaboration with hardware teams, suppliers, and cross-functional units, with hands-on CAD work (SolidWorks), validation testing, and adherence to GD&T and DFMEA/DRBFM practices.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience in ADAS or ECU design.
• Thermal management design experience.
• Experience on at least one mass production project in ADAS/ECU.
• Strong understanding of automotive mechanical components and quality requirements.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop robust mechanical structures for ECU systems, ensuring accurate thermal management, and protection against environmental factors.
• Generate new concepts and validate them through experiments and engineering analysis.
• Collaborate with hardware teams to optimize ECU housing designs and integration with PCBs and wiring.
• Perform 3D modeling and drafting using SolidWorks.
• Conduct tolerance stack-up analyses and apply GD&T principles.
• Develop and oversee mechanical testing protocols (shock, vibration, thermal cycling).
• Evaluate materials and manufacturing processes to optimize quality and cost.
• Collaborate with suppliers and production teams to ensure production-readiness.
• Participate in design reviews with Astemo US & Japan Design Engineering.
• Prepare BOMs, drawings, and mechanical specifications.
• Communicate progress and risks in cross-functional meetings.
• Follow quality policies and safety/environmental standards.

Skills

CAD proficiency

Communication skills

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering

Master's degree preferred

Tools

SolidWorks

FMEA

DRBFM

GD&T

Thermal analysis

Job description

• Mechanical component engineers are responsible for the development and design of mechanical component products (PT, CS, MC, AD/ADAS, etc.) that meet component product requirements, defined by mechanical system requirements extracted from higher-level system requirements that lead to customers' finished vehicle performance requirements.


• Realize low-cost, efficient, high-quality mechanical product design that meets the required or required feel performance, strength, durability, efficiency, friction, usage environment, NV performance, etc.


• After the production method is specifically decided, it is reflected in the drawings and specifications, and rational standardization design and standardization that can achieve standardization of production equipment, yield improvement, etc. are carried out.


• Using design tools (DFMEA, DRBFM, etc.), we conduct design verification to ensure that component requirements are satisfied, develop and define verification methods by testing, and verify design validity on both sides.


• The engineer will coordinate specifications for rational development, coordinate schedules and negotiations with customers, manage related suppliers, and coordinate and negotiate with related departments within the company in the area of responsibility. In addition, there are cases where coordination and negotiation involve communication in a foreign language (mainly English).


• Justification


• Justification


• SDV Solution BU, Electrification Business Division, NEW


• Need Senior Engineer with Mechanical Engineering background with ECU development experience. Team is working on GM HPC (High Performance Compute) module as R&D and we will need capability in the team to create 3D CAD concepts, perform engineering analysis, validation and meet project timelines.

General Responsibilities

Under the direction of the Director, this role is responsible for the design, implementation, and optimization of advanced mechanical structures, with a strong focus on software-defined mobility solutions for the automotive industry.

Job Responsibilities

• Design and develop robust mechanical structures for ECU systems, ensuring accurate thermal management, and protection against environmental factors (e.g., vibration, shock, thermal cycling or sealing).


• Generate new concepts and validate them through experiments and engineering analysis.


• Collaborate closely with hardware engineering teams to optimize ECU housing designs, ensuring appropriate integration with electronic components, PCBs, connectors and wiring harnesses.


• Perform detailed 3D modeling and drafting using Solidworks CAD software.


• Conduct comprehensive tolerance stack-up analyses and apply GD&T principles to ensure manufacturing feasibility, functionality, and assembly accuracy.


• Develop and oversee mechanical testing protocols, including shock, vibration, and thermal cycling, to confirm system robustness and reliability.


• Evaluate and select appropriate materials and manufacturing processes (e.g., injection molding, die-casting, sheet metal stamping) to optimize quality, performance, manufacturability, and cost-efficiency.


• Collaborate with suppliers and internal production teams to ensure designs are production-ready and support smooth transition into high-volume manufacturing.


• Participate with Astemo US & Japan Design Engineering organizations in the original design / existing design improvements and performance validation of ECUs.


• Prepare comprehensive technical documentation, including Bill of Materials (BOM), detailed component and assembly drawings, and mechanical design specifications.


• Participate actively in cross-functional meetings, effectively communicating design progress, risks, and improvement recommendations.


• Follow the company’s quality policies and procedures.


• Uphold safety standards and environmental compliance.

Qualifications

Knowledge skills and abilities:

• At least 3 years of experience in ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) or ECU design


• Design for thermal management with liquid cooling


• Experience with at least one mass production development project in ADAS or ECU.


• Strong understanding of automotive mechanical components and production quality requirements.


• Proficiency in CAD tools (e.g., SolidWorks).


• CAE skills including stress, thermal, and vibration analysis.


• Experience with D-FMEA DRBFM, Tolerance Stack, GD&T


• Ability to create test plans and execute development experiments.


• Strong communication and presentation skills.


• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team.


• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and general PC software applications.


• Additionally, the ability to work independently with minimal direction is required as are strong verbal and written communication skills. Experience with PCs and application software, such as MS Office tools is also required.

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field (Master’s degree preferred).

Experience

Minimum 5 years of relevant experience with a Bachelor’s degree, or 2 years with a Master’s degree.

Job level determined by various factors such as organization size, responsibility, career stage, and capabilities.

Additional Requirements

• Ability to travel domestically and internationally as needed.


• Comfortable working in a professional office, testing environments, and occasionally in manufacturing settings.