Design Release Engineer

Design Release Engineer

The Design Release Engineer will lead the end-to-end design release process for component labels, ensuring robust part traceability tied to vehicle identification numbers and supporting manufacturing plants with scanning implementation, equipment readiness, and data acquisition systems. This role combines design ownership, supplier coordination, validation and verification oversight, and program timing management to ensure that label and traceability requirements are fully integrated into automotive product development.

• Lead the design, sourcing, release, validation, and verification of component labels for designated automotive parts and systems.
• Identify target parts requiring labels and drive the complete design and release process, ensuring all label requirements are clearly defined and documented.
• Support the design, release, and implementation of component labels, ensuring compatibility with manufacturing and traceability needs.
• Facilitate traceability information for parts tied to the vehicle identification number (VIN) of vehicles assembled at manufacturing plants.
• Lead discussions with suppliers to define label updates, clarify technical requirements, and request price and investment quotations for label changes.
• Drive supplier label changes through the change control management and change approval processes, ensuring timely and accurate implementation.
• Communicate label descriptions, specifications, and requirements to manufacturing teams to support scanning implementation on the plant floor.
• Support scanning equipment maintenance by reviewing the current status of scanners across all North American plants and documenting findings.
• Determine where existing scanners can be reused and identify locations where new scanners are required to meet traceability objectives.
• Identify, specify, and implement new scanning equipment needed to support traceability information for designated components.
• Source new scanners, request and evaluate quotes for new equipment, and lead the acquisition process through to installation.
• Serve as the single point of contact for plant-based personnel regarding new equipment installations and data acquisition system setup.
• Ensure preparations for installation of new scanning and data acquisition equipment are proceeding on schedule and aligned with program milestones.
• Work with plant-based personnel to develop and execute validation and verification plans for installed equipment performance.
• Manage and update manufacturing-specific documentation that calls out special characteristics for parts, including requirements for scanning and storing traceability information.
• Maintain weekly correspondence with the Manufacturing Engineer counterpart to track Change Request (CR) progress and support approvals when needed.
• Create and manage a detailed workplan to control overall program timing and ensure all key milestones for label and traceability implementation are met.
• Lead price and investment quotations for all component, module, and engineering changes related to labels and associated traceability equipment.
• Develop and deliver open issues management reporting covering design changes, risks, opportunities, and open issues for assigned components.
• Develop and manage the master program Bill of Materials (BOM) within client tools, ensuring accuracy and alignment with design releases and changes.

• Minimum of 5 years of experience as a Design Release Engineer (DRE) for automotive parts or systems.
• Full program product development experience, covering concept through launch.
• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related technical field.
• Proficiency in design release processes and tools used in automotive engineering environments.
• Experience with Teamcenter and WERS for data management, configuration control, and design release activities.
• Strong understanding of label design, engineering requirements, and integration with manufacturing processes.
• Experience with data management and traceability methodologies for automotive components.
• Knowledge of scanning equipment and data acquisition equipment…