Mechanical Engineer – Exterior Lighting Design & Release Engineer

Title: Mechanical Engineer – Exterior Lighting Design & Release Engineer

Industry: Autonomous Vehicle / Technology

Location: Foster City, CA

Duration: Approximately 6 months

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, validate, and release exterior automotive lighting systems and components from concept through production, balancing appearance, performance, quality, cost, weight, durability, regulatory, manufacturing, and timing requirements.
• Translate styling intent into feasible, manufacturable lighting solutions using expertise in plastics, injection molding, optical design, electronics, GD&T, and tolerance stack-up analysis.
• Lead technical collaboration with studio design, manufacturing, cross-functional teams, and Tier 1 suppliers, including RFQs, design reviews, supplier deliverables, and issue resolution.
• Diagnose component- and system-level lighting faults using vehicle and module diagnostics, communication logs, CAN traces, root-cause analysis, and system architecture knowledge.
• Own engineering documentation and lifecycle activities, including DFMEAs, validation plans, test support, change management, BOMs in Enovia, and 3D/2D data release in CATIA V6.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or a closely related discipline; a master’s degree is preferred.
• At least 5 years of automotive exterior and/or interior lamp development experience within an OEM or Tier 1 supplier environment is preferred.
• Demonstrated experience with automotive lighting systems, including mechanical, optical, electrical, electronic, and vehicle communication interfaces; familiarity with CAN diagnostics is required.
• Strong proficiency with CATIA V5 and/or V6, including Part Design and Geometric Surface Design, along with practical knowledge of plastics, injection molding, GD&T, and tolerance analysis.
• Working knowledge of FMVSS, ECE, NCAP, and other applicable automotive requirements, plus strong root-cause analysis, communication, prioritization, and independent problem-solving skills.

Skills

• Automotive lighting systems
• Exterior lighting design
• CATIA V5/V6
• CAN diagnostics
• DFMEA
• GD&T
• Tolerance stack-up analysis
• Injection molding
• Supplier engineering
• Vehicle regulatory compliance

Hourly rate is commensurate with experience and is an estimated range provided by WorkGenius.

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