Rear Closures Design Engineer

Actalent; United States; Hybrid; USD 55,000 - 63,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental & vision

401(k) Retirement Plan

PTO / Vacation

Life Insurance

Short and long-term disability

HSA

Transportation benefits

Employee Assistance Program

Job summary

Actalent in Dearborn, MI seeks a Rear Closures D&R Engineer for a contract role. You will develop technical requirements and strategies for rear closures such as liftgates, tailgates, and cargo doors, and ensure robust system integration of sheet metal structures, hinges, latches, and mechanisms.

You will create core docs (DVPR, FMA, technical strategies), work with customers on requirements, and employ CATIA/3DX for modeling, DFMEA support, and manufacturing considerations.

Responsibilities

• Develop and release technical requirements and strategies for rear closures (liftgates, tailgates, cargo doors).
• Serve as SME for rear closures, guiding design and integration.
• Define engineering requirements with customers to meet performance needs.
• Create and maintain DVPR, technical requirements, FMA, and strategies.
• Lead design and development of sheet metal structures, hinges, latches, mechanisms.
• Prepare technical specs and docs from scratch using physics-based approaches.
• Perform product engineering from concept through launch, meeting durability and quality targets.
• Use CATIA/3DX to view, measure, and create basic 3D shapes for studies.
• Conduct VOC analysis to translate needs into measurable requirements.
• Apply statics and dynamics to analyze mechanisms and develop Free Body Diagrams.
• Support DFM and robustness tools; contribute to quality improvements.
• Prepare reports and presentations with Word, Excel, PowerPoint.

Skills

CATIA/3DX

Teamcenter Engineering

3D Modeling

Tools

DVPR

FMA

Job description

Job Title: Rear Closures D&R Engineer

Job Description

This role focuses on developing and releasing technical requirements and strategies for moving rear closures on vehicles, including liftgates, tailgates, cargo doors, swing gates, and other hinged rear closures. The engineer serves as a core engineering subject matter expert, partnering with internal and external customers to define engineering requirements that meet performance expectations and customer needs. The position involves creating core documentation such as DVPR, technical requirements, FMA, and technical strategies, while ensuring robust system integration of sheet metal structures, hinges, latches, mechanisms, and related components.

Responsibilities

• Develop and release technical requirements and strategies for moving rear closures, including liftgates, tailgates, cargo doors, swing gates, and similar systems.
• Act as a core engineering subject matter expert for rear closures, providing guidance on design, performance, and system integration.
• Work closely with internal and external customers to define engineering-related requirements that align with customer performance expectations.
• Create and maintain core engineering documentation, including DVPR, technical requirements, FMA, and technical strategy documents.
• Lead the design and development of sheet metal structures, hinges, latches, mechanisms, and associated system integration for rear closure systems.
• Develop technical specifications and requirements, drafting clear and accurate documentation from scratch using physics-based approaches and customer use cases.
• Perform product engineering activities from early concept development through launch, ensuring designs meet functional, durability, and quality targets.
• Utilize 3D modeling tools to open, view, measure, and section parts and assemblies, and create basic 3D shapes to support design studies.
• Conduct competitive benchmarking to collect data such as mass, size, and features, and compare these findings with existing designs to inform improvements.
• Gather and interpret Voice of the Customer (VOC) data to translate customer needs into measurable technical requirements.
• Apply mechanical engineering principles, including statics and dynamics, to analyze mechanisms and structures and develop Free Body Diagrams for moving systems.
• Support system engineering disciplines and Design for Manufacturing principles to proactively identify and solve issues in rear closure systems.
• Contribute to solving current model quality issues and implement corrective actions to improve performance and reliability.
• Collaborate on the development of control plans, DFMEA, dimensional variation analysis, and other quality and robustness tools.
• Use CATIA/3DX and Teamcenter Engineering to support design, digital mock‑up, and system integration activities, including simple parts, sections, and studies.
• Prepare and deliver technical reports, presentations, and documentation using Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Participate in engineering reviews, design validations, and cross‑functional meetings to ensure alignment on technical requirements and strategies.
• Support continuous improvement of rear closure systems by leveraging benchmarking, craftsmanship expectations, and future technology trends.

Job Type & Location

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

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $40.00 - $46.00/hr.

Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your jobclassification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may besubject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefitsavailable 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)

Workplace Type

This is a hybrid position in Dearborn,MI.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Oct 15, 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 withoutregard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability,sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protectedby law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification oradjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability,please email [e-mail] for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in thecity and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicantswith arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector

It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as acondition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this lawshall 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 applicationsand qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, youacknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.