Mission
About the Role
We are seeking a highly accomplished Design Release Engineer (DRE) – Interior Preprogram Development Lead to drive early-stage concept synthesis, architecture definition, and feasibility for complete vehicle interior systems.
In this expert lead role, you will sit at the intersection of Design Studio, Advanced Engineering, Packaging, and Manufacturing. You will own the interior architecture from concept inception through program approval—shaping interior components such as instrument panels, center consoles, door trim, hard/soft trim, seats, and overhead systems before handing off execution-ready architectures to downstream production release teams.
Key Responsibilities
Preprogram Architecture Ownership: Lead the early-stage engineering, packaging feasibility, and spatial integration of complete vehicle interior systems across pre-program phases (Pre-Concept through Program Approval/Gate 1).
Studio & Design Feasibility: Serve as the primary engineering partner to the Design Studio, translating creative aesthetics, surface models, and ergonomic vision into technically feasible, manufacturable, and compliant interior concepts.
Supplier & Innovation Integration: Partner with Tier-1 interior suppliers to evaluate cutting-edge materials, sustainable substrates, smart surfaces, ambient lighting integration, and modular assembly strategies during early development.
Cross-Functional System Alignment: Drive pre-program convergence across Safety/Crashworthiness, NVH, Climate Control/HVAC routing, Electrical/Display integration, Airbag deployment envelopes, and Vehicle Ergonomics/HMI.
Cost, Weight, & DFM Benchmarking: Establish target cost, mass, tooling budget, and Design for Manufacturability/Assembly (DFM/DFA) guidelines; perform competitive tear-downs and teardown benchmarking to set best-in-class targets.
Hand-Off & Release Standards: Author key pre-program engineering documentation, including initial DFMEAs, boundary diagrams, interface control documents (ICDs), and preliminary DVP&R requirements to ensure seamless transition to production release engineers.
Profile
Qualifications & Skill Requirements
Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Automotive Engineering, Plastics Engineering, or a related discipline.
Experience: Minimum 5+ years of direct engineering experience in automotive interior trim development, with proven leadership in pre-program or advanced engineering phases.
Interior Domain Expertise: Deep technical knowledge of interior component manufacturing processes, including plastic injection molding, thermoforming, leather/fabric wrapping, soft trim, foam-in-place, instrument panel ducting, and structural cross-car beams.
Advanced CAD & Packaging Skills: Expert-level proficiency in 3D CAD platforms (CATIA V5/V6 or Siemens NX) for complex packaging studies, clearance checks, section analysis, and surface evaluations.
Automotive Standards & Regulatory: Solid grasp of global regulatory requirements (FMVSS/ECE for occupant safety, interior impact, airbag deployment, head form impact) and automotive quality frameworks (DFMEA, GD&T, APQP).
Travel Flexibility: Willingness and capability to travel 20%–30% for studio alignment meetings, supplier feasibility reviews, and cross-functional engineering workshops.
Preferred Qualifications
Master’s Degree in Mechanical or Automotive Engineering.
Demonstrated experience with smart interior surfaces, display integration, or sustainable vehicle interior materials.
Prior experience leading pre-program architecture or advanced engineering teams at a major automotive OEM or Tier-1 supplier.