Lead Engineer - Lighting

Lead Engineer
- Lighting Coventry £55,000 - £65,000 DOE

The DRVN Automotive Group are seeking a Lighting Lead Engineer to join a small, fast-moving engineering team responsible for the development of high-performance and specialist vehicle programmes. The role will provide technical and delivery leadership for complete vehicle lighting systems throughout the product development lifecycle. Acting as the primary engineering interface for headlamps, tail lamps and associated exterior lighting, the role leads requirements capture, concept selection, optical and electronic integration, supplier delivery, validation, homologation, launch and series-production support.

The role works across Design, Body, Electrical/Electronic, Software, Vehicle Engineering, Procurement, Manufacturing, Quality and the supply base to deliver compliant, distinctive, robust and cost-effective lighting systems to programme timing, performance, quality and investment targets.

Lead Engineer
- Lighting Salary: £55,000 - £65,000 DOE

Location:

Coventry

The DRVN Automotive Group is a sector-leading automotive group, specialising in the design, manufacture, and distribution of luxury automotive brands. Recognised globally for our commitment to innovation, quality, and engineering, we are proudly centred around delivering a world-class customer experience. Our recent launch of Evoluto, along with the reimagination of some of Ford Motor Company’s most historically significant icons – including the RS200 and MK1 Escort – places DRVN at the forefront of modern automotive excellence.

These projects provide our engineers with an exceptional platform to showcase their skills across various disciplines and be part of some of the most exciting modernisation programmes the industry has ever seen.

• Engineering Delivery Own engineering delivery of front and rear lighting systems from concept through design, verification, release, launch and series production, including headlamps, tail lamps, daytime running lamps, direction indicators, stop lamps, position lamps, reversing lamps, rear fog lamps, side markers, reflectors and, where applicable, front fog, cornering and adaptive lighting functions.
• Translate vehicle, styling, customer, legal and attribute requirements into controlled system, component and interface specifications covering optical performance, appearance, packaging, electrical load, diagnostics, thermal management, sealing, serviceability, mass, cost and timing.
• Lead package and feasibility reviews, resolving interfaces with Class-A surfaces, body structure, bumpers, closures, trim, wiring, controllers, sensors, software and vehicle networks while protecting build variation, aiming and adjustment requirements.
• Establish and maintain the lighting delivery plan, engineering bill of materials, requirement status, design maturity, issue log, risk register and gateway evidence; elevate threats with clear recovery actions.
• Chair technical reviews and lead structured problem-solving, failure investigation, design change and corrective action through to verified closure.
• Programme, Supplier & Commercial Delivery Support sourcing strategy, supplier selection and technical bid evaluation; define RFQ technical content, statements of work, deliverables, acceptance criteria and change-control expectations for lighting systems.
• Validate, Homologation & Quality Create, agree and deliver DVP&R coverage for component and vehicle-level verification, including photometric and colour performance, EMC, electrical robustness, thermal performance, vibration and shock, environmental cycling, ingress protection, corrosion, chemical resistance, UV exposure, condensation and fogging, mechanical strength and life-cycle durability. Ensure headlamp beam patterns, aiming, levelling, cleaning and adaptive functions, together with all signalling functions, meet defined performance and legal requirements across production tolerances and vehicle variants.
  
  Own the engineering evidence required for applicable market approvals and complete-vehicle lighting installation compliance, working with homologation specialists…