Design Release Engineer - Vehicle Mechanisms

Design Release Engineer - Intermediate

Are you looking to work for a company that provides an innovative work environment, and your voice is heard? We have a position for a Design Release Engineer to work onsite at our client in Auburn Hills, MI (this is a contract position). LER Tech Force is an industry leader in embedded controls, software, functional safety, and engineering talent. For over 20 years LER has been working with customers across North America to meet their engineering resource challenges.

What you will be doing:

• Lead supplier design reviews and ensure designs meet Stellantis requirements and specifications.
• Deliver systems that meet quality, performance, timing, weight, and cost targets.
• Collaborate with advanced engineering to define and package designs prior to sourcing.
• Provide regional, on-site mechatronics component support as needed.
• Develop and maintain boundary diagrams, interface matrices, parameter diagrams, DFMEA, and DVP&R.
• Ensure integration with adjacent components, network communications, and ECUs.
• Manage design integrity and releasing in NX/Teamcenter, including EBOM, change management (CCD/WebCN), and hardware/software releases/changes (including DVP&Rs).
• Plan and execute analysis and validation activities (e.g., CAE/CFD, kinematic/compliance modeling), including benchmarking and competitive/technology investigations.
• Drive issue management, root cause analysis, and corrective actions; support quality and warranty initiatives and field concerns.
• Support RFQ activities, technical evaluations, and business cases; identify innovative, cost-effective solutions to meet functional objectives.
• Own program timing and deliverables, meeting vehicle program milestones and communicating status via issue lists, timelines, and technical presentations.
• Coordinate regulatory compliance activities with suppliers and internal Stellantis compliance teams.
• Direct suppliers in developing, testing, and releasing hardware and software to meet vehicle- and subsystem-level functional/behavior objectives; support requirements development with EE systems engineering (VF specs) and supplier requirements analysis (RAR).
• Apply Stellantis design best practices and lessons learned.
• This is a product engineer / design responsible engineer role for active aerodynamic systems. It is not a CAD designer, CFD engineer, or software developer role. The engineer will own systems end to end and lead suppliers who design and develop the hardware. Primary systems include:
• Active grille shutters
• Active air dams
• Future rebalancing could include other mechatronic or exterior commodities such as mirrors, alerting systems, or wiping and washing systems.

What you'll need to be successful:
Essential :

• Minimum 5 years of product development experience preferred (less than 5 years must include strong justification with strong relevant experience but absolutely no less than 3 years)
• Able to work independently and "hit the ground running"
• Comfortable owning a component or system from concept through launch
• Experience with mechatronics or moving systems
• Examples include actuators, deployable mechanisms, shutters, flaps, cooling systems, or other electro mechanical products
• Experience owning supplier designed components
• Experience leading suppliers and holding them accountable
• Familiarity with system integration into the vehicle
• Understands requirements, testing, launch, and validation activities
• Behavioral expectations (critical)
  • Self starter and proactive
  • Comfortable making decisions without constant direction
  • Resourceful when blocked (finds answers, alternative contacts, paths forward)
  • Able to lead cross functional teams and juggle multiple issues at once

Preferred :

• Exterior components or plastics experience
• Injection molding or design for assembly exposure
• Plant or launch experience
• Ability to read and understand CFD reports (not perform them)
• Aero experience is helpful but not required

What you'll get:

• Full benefits: medical, dental, vision, HSA and FSA
• 401K with a match and immediate vesting
• Short-term & Long-term disability, life insurance and other optional benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Employee Discounts
• Ongoing professional development opportunities including Technical Training and Leadership Development
• The opportunity to work on industry leading projects