Sr. Design Engineer

About the role

As a Senior Engineer – Interiors, you will play a key role in developing world-class automotive interior components and systems that set new standards in luxury, craftsmanship, performance, safety, ergonomics, and functionality. You will lead the packaging, engineering, release, and launch of interior systems across a diverse vehicle portfolio, working closely with cross-functional marketing, design, and vehicle engineering teams. In this role, you will collaborate with interior trim suppliers to ensure technical excellence and timely delivery, while continuously improving tools and approaches that support efficient and innovative product development.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development of interior components and systems such as hard trim, soft trim, instrument panels, door trims, consoles, and headliners from concept through production launch.
• Create and refine industry-leading interior components and systems that deliver exceptional luxury, craftsmanship, performance, safety, ergonomics, and functionality.
• Own the packaging, engineering, release, and launch activities for interior components and systems across the vehicle portfolio, ensuring alignment with overall vehicle targets.
• Work collaboratively with marketing, design, and vehicle engineering teams, consistently prioritizing overall vehicle benefit over individual subsystem optimization.
• Collaborate closely with interior trim suppliers to ensure technical excellence, manufacturability, and on-time delivery of interior components and systems.
• Develop, maintain, and improve technical product specifications, timelines, and documentation to support accelerated development toward start of production.
• Use CAD tools to create 2D and 3D concept drawings, packaging layouts, and design-for-manufacturing (DFM) studies for interior components and systems.
• Apply strong understanding of plastic part design, structural performance, manufacturing technologies, craftsmanship, ergonomics, safety, and homologation requirements to guide design decisions.
• Conduct and support design reviews, ensuring that designs meet performance, quality, safety, and regulatory requirements.
• Employ and develop effective tools, processes, and innovative approaches to enhance product development efficiency and quality.
• Support and participate in vehicle and product launch activities, resolving interior-related issues and ensuring successful ramp-up to production.
• Collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders to benchmark industry trends, understand supplier capabilities, and incorporate best practices into interior designs.
• Communicate clearly and effectively with internal teams and external partners, providing technical guidance and status updates throughout the development cycle.

Requirements

• Minimum 4 years of demonstrated experience as a detail-oriented interior components and systems development lead, including hard trim, soft trim, instrument panels, door trims, consoles, and headliners.
• Minimum 4 years of experience with automotive interior components and systems, including knowledge of industry benchmarks, trends, and supplier capabilities.
• Minimum 4 years of experience creating, improving, or establishing technical product specifications and development timelines to support accelerated development toward start of production.
• Proficiency in CAD for 2D and 3D concept drawings, interior components and systems design, packaging layouts, and design-for-manufacturing studies (CATIA V5 or V6 preferred).
• Proven vehicle and product launch experience in automotive interior systems.
• Strong understanding of plastic part design and structural performance as applied to interior components.
• Competency in materials selection, particularly for plastics, and knowledge of plastic injection molding and DFM principles.
• Working knowledge of GD&T (Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing) for precise definition and control of interior components.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a practical, hands-on approach to engineering challenges.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to convey complex technical information clearly to diverse stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Flexibility and adaptability to succeed in a fast-paced startup-style environment.
• Experience completing at least one full program cycle from concept through production launch in automotive interior components and systems.
• Profound knowledge of vehicle interior systems with a demonstrable track record of technical excellence and successful program execution.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing technologies relevant to interior systems, including craftsmanship, ergonomics, safety, and homologation requirements.
• A strong desire to create exceptional products as part of a highly capable, collaborative team.
• A practical, hands-on mindset that complements solid theoretical engineering knowledge.
• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related engineering discipline.

Pay

The pay range for this position is $50.00 - $70.00/hr.

Schedule

This is a Contract position based out of Southfield, MI. This is a fully onsite position.

Benefits

• 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)