使命
Here is a tailored Design Release Engineer (DRE) – Engine & Battery Cooling Plumbing job description for the automotive industry. It covers both traditional Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) and Electric Vehicle (EV) thermal management systems (hoses, pipes, lines, quick connectors, and valves).
Design Release Engineer (DRE) – Cooling Plumbing & Thermal Systems
Location: [City, Country / Hybrid / Remote]
Department: Vehicle Engineering / Thermal Management
Employment Type: Full-time
Job Summary
We are seeking a proactive and detail-oriented Design Release Engineer (DRE) – Cooling Plumbing to lead the end-to-end design, development, validation, and release of vehicle cooling lines, hoses, pipes, and fluid distribution components. In this role, you will be responsible for thermal management plumbing systems spanning ICE, Hybrid (PHEV/HEV), and Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) architectures—ensuring robust routing, durability, manufacturability, and cost efficiency from initial concept through Production (SOP).
Key Responsibilities
1. Component Design & System Integration
Lead the mechanical design and CAD routing of rigid/flexible cooling lines, molded rubber hoses, plastic/aluminum coolant pipes, quick connectors, and flow control valves.
Ensure packaging feasibility within tight engine compartments or battery pack enclosures, maintaining required clearances to hot surfaces, sharp edges, and dynamic engine movement envelopes.
Drive Design for Manufacturability and Assembly (DFMA) principles to optimize line routing for ergonomics and assembly plant installation efficiency.
2. Validation, Testing & Problem Solving
Develop and execute the Design Verification Plan and Report (DVP&R) for cooling components, including pressure cycle, burst, thermal shock, vibration, fluid compatibility, and environmental aging tests.
Perform root cause analysis (using 8D, 5 Whys, or Ishikawas) on validation failures, assembly plant issues, or field quality concerns.
Conduct virtual and physical vehicle-level routing checks, prototype builds, and plant trial runs (PERs).
3. Change Management & Release Execution
Author and manage technical document releases, including Design FMEAs (DFMEA), engineering drawings, material specifications, and CAD models.
Create and process Change Notices (CNs/ECNs), tracking technical implementation timelines across engineering, purchasing, and manufacturing.
Issue Tool Kick-Off (TKO) approvals, manage Source Package technical releases, and issue Interim Approval Authorizations (IAAs) when necessary.
4. Supplier Management & Cross-Functional Interface
Serve as the primary technical contact for Tier-1 cooling plumbing and connector suppliers; manage supplier progression through APQP / PPAP milestones.
Interface directly with Thermal System Architects, CAD Packaging Teams, Quality, Purchasing, and Assembly Plant Operations to achieve program targets.
Drive Design-to-Cost (DtC) initiatives, weight optimization, and complexity reduction across cooling line families.
简介
Qualifications & Requirements
Education: Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Automotive Engineering, Mechatronics, or related technical field.
Experience: 3+ years of experience as a DRE or Product Engineer specializing in automotive fluid routing systems (cooling, HVAC, power steering, or fuel lines).
Technical Knowledge:
Deep understanding of automotive cooling fluids, elastomeric materials (EPDM, AEM), thermoplastics (PA66, PA12), aluminum tubing, and quick-connector standards (e.g., VDA SAE quick-release couplings).
Familiarity with thermal expansion, pressure drop analysis, dynamic engine movement, and hose clamp mechanics.
Solid working knowledge of CAD systems (e.g., CATIA V5/V6, Siemens NX) for packaging and routing checks.
Process Familiarity: Solid understanding of DFMEA, DVP&R, GD&T, APQP, PPAP, and automotive release management software (e.g., Teamcenter, Enovia).
Languages: Business fluency in English (written and spoken).
Preferred Qualifications
Experience with BEV / HEV Battery & Power Electronics cooling loop plumbing (chillers, battery cold plate manifolds, multi-way coolant valves).
Direct experience participating in plant pilot builds and launch support at OEM assembly plants.
Key Competencies
Technical Ownership: Strong accountability for component life-cycle management from concept to field performance.
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Ability to negotiate packaging space and technical trade-offs with adjacent vehicle commodities (e.g., Body, Powertrain, Electrical).
Problem-Solving Skills: Methodical approach to diagnosing fluid leaks, mechanical abrasion, and pressure loss issues.