Design & Release Engineer - Exterior Lighting

We’re ALTEN Technology USA, an engineering company helping clients bring groundbreaking ideas to life—from advancing space exploration and life-saving medical devices to building autonomous electric vehicles. With 3,000+ experts across North America, we partner with leading companies in aerospace, medical devices, robotics, automotive, commercial vehicles, EVs, rail, and more.

As part of the global ALTEN Group—57,000+ engineers in 30 countries—we deliver across the entire product development cycle, from consulting to full project outsourcing.

When you join ALTEN Technology USA, you’ll collaborate on some of the world’s toughest engineering challenges, supported by mentorship, career growth opportunities, and comprehensive benefits. We take pride in fostering a culture where employees feel valued, supported, and inspired to grow.

Role Overview

• As a Design & Release Engineer (DRE) for Exterior Lighting
  , you will play a pivotal role in the development, validation, and industrialization of exterior lighting systems (e.g., headlamps, taillights, fog lamps, illuminated grilles, and sensors).
• This role combines design engineering with rigorous testing and release processes to ensure that lighting components meet performance, safety, regulatory, and cost targets
  .
• You will collaborate with cross-functional teams (optical, mechanical, electrical, and software engineers),
  suppliers
  , and manufacturing plants to deliver high-quality lighting solutions from concept to mass production
  .
• This position is ideal for engineers who enjoy
  both technical design and hands-on validation
  , with opportunities to grow into project leadership and supplier management
  .

Key Responsibilities

1. Design & Development

• Support the design of exterior lighting components (3D/2D modeling using NX, CATIA, or Solid Works
  ).
• Assist in optimizing designs for performance, manufacturability, and cost efficiency.
• Collaborate with optical and electrical teams to integrate lighting systems (LED, halogen, adaptive lighting) into vehicle architectures.
• Contribute to system requirement definitions (e.g., optical performance, thermal management, regulatory compliance).
• Work with suppliers to develop and iterate prototypes based on testing feedback.

2. Testing & Validation

• Plan and execute Design Verification Plans (DVP&R) to validate lighting components against specifications.
• Conduct functional and durability tests (e.g., environmental, thermal, vibration, and regulatory compliance tests).
• Analyze test results and troubleshoot failures (e.g., using 8D reports, CPRT, or Quality Alert tools
  ).
• Ensure compliance with automotive lighting regulations (e.g., FMVSS, ECE, IIHS requirements).
• Support vehicle-level validation (e.g., on-road testing, assembly plant evaluations).

3. Release & Industrialization

• Assist in managing engineering changes (Change Notices - CNs) and temporary/permanent deviations.
• Coordinate with suppliers to implement DFMEAs and PFMEAs for risk mitigation.
• Support pilot phases in manufacturing plants to ensure smooth production ramp-up.
• Contribute to cost reduction initiatives (TCR/VO) without compromising quality or performance.

4. Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with purchasing, quality, and manufacturing teams to resolve technical issues.
• Participate in supplier meetings to align on design, validation, and production timelines.
• Support warranty investigations and continuous improvement activities.
• Document technical decisions and share best practices with the engineering team.

Basic Qualifications

• Education:
• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Automotive Engineering, or a related field
  .
• Experience:
• 0–5 years of experience in automotive engineering (OEM or Tier
  1),…