Senior Trim & Lighting Engineer

In this role, you will: Serve as the Trim & Lighting engineering point of contact for the program, coordinating across the body team, suppliers, and internal engineering groups. Own the design and release of attachment and mounting interfaces for interior, exterior, seating, and lighting components. Drive multiple suppliers in parallel across trim, lighting, seating, and exterior commodities, holding each to design, cost, and timeline commitments. Maximize carryover of components and part numbers, minimizing new part creation and preserving existing designs wherever feasible. Drive attachment solutions that require minimal to no change to existing tooling; assess and document tooling impact with suppliers where changes are unavoidable. Manage interfaces and changes with the body/structures team, translating structural changes into trim, seating, and lighting attachment requirements. Partner with the Validation team to define and execute component and subsystem validation plans (DVP&Rs). Work across all engineering teams to release parts and assemblies in 3DEXPERIENCE (3DX), owning data quality and change management through release. Apply sound cost judgment in design decisions, including VA/VE, carryover, and should-cost awareness to protect program cost targets. Present technical direction, anticipate objections, and bring parties together to build consensus on interface and integration decisions. Lead a small team of engineers as needed, defining tasks and providing technical supervision, and lead smaller projects that span multiple teams. Own design and release using CATIA V6, translating system and interface requirements into manufacturable designs. Create and maintain technical documentation, including DFMEAs and DVP&Rs, to support validation and quality. Review and apply CAE simulation results to optimize attachment performance, fit, and durability. Qualifications: Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering with 8+ years of relevant experience, or a Master's with 7+ years, or a PhD with 3+ years. Deep knowledge across multiple relevant areas of automotive interior/exterior trim, seating, or lighting engineering. Proven experience taking automotive components and subsystems through at least one full design-to-launch cycle at the OEM or Tier 1 level, from concept through production launch. Demonstrated experience with carryover strategy and attachment/interface design across components or subsystems. Strong command of GD&T, tolerance stack-up analysis, and selection of fastening and joining methods (clips, fasteners, welds, adhesives) for attachment design. Proven ability to draft and execute against technical requirements, implementing industry-standard engineering principles and rigorous design methodologies. Experience managing interfaces and change with a body/structures team, translating structural changes into trim, seating, and lighting attachment requirements. Proficient in 3D modeling with CATIA V6 (or CATIA V5 / equivalent), with a strong understanding of Design for Manufacturing and attachment/fastening design. Experience releasing parts and managing change in a PLM environment (3DEXPERIENCE / 3DX preferred). Experience managing multiple technical suppliers and project timelines in parallel, delivering under tight constraints. Sound cost judgment in design decisions, including VA/VE and should-cost awareness. Familiarity with validation processes, including DVP&Rs and DFMEAs, across at least one complete vehicle lifecycle program. Comfortable operating in an early-phase, ambiguous, fast-moving program, defining scope and validation plans where none yet exist. Able to work independently on substantial problems and to lead a small team (2-3 people) and cross-team projects.