Senior CAD Design Engineer — Automotive Exteriors

What a typical day looks like

You start your morning reviewing customer inputs and yesterday’s design notes. By mid‑morning, you’re modeling and refining components in CATIA/NX, preparing complete detail and layout drawings for prototypes as well as updates to in‑production parts. After lunch, you host a design review, align stakeholders on trade‑offs, and capture decisions in documentation. You close the day by releasing data through the gated Product Delivery Process (PDP), updating timelines and costs, and ensuring every action is traceable in program records.

• Create, modify, and release internal and external CAD data and drawings to drive new product launches for Magna Exteriors.
• Support current production with customer-driven VA/VE work and partner locally with Manufacturing during CI events.
• Participate in (and often lead) design reviews, surveillance activities, and program management tasks while maintaining impeccable documentation.

• Location: North America or Global
• Program load: Medium (2–4 programs at once)
• Program type/complexity: Standard programs
• Process: Product Delivery Process (PDP) gated launch
• Responsibility: Leads programs

• Location: North America or Global
• Program load: Large (1–3 programs at once)
• Program type/complexity: High complexity
• Process: Product Delivery Process (PDP) gated launch
• Responsibility: Mentors and trains others

• Translate concepts into robust 3D models and drawings; collaborate with peers and leaders to mature ideas into manufacturable designs; keep work highly organized.
• Think spatially in 3D and integrate internal data, CAE/simulation, math/analysis, and lessons learned to inform development.
• Run/lead design reviews and project checkpoints, coordinating activities end-to-end; serve as the bridge between internal teams and customers; incorporate customer change requests thoughtfully.
• Document thoroughly—drawings, renderings, reports—meeting both company and customer standards; schedule and conduct design reviews with the right stakeholders.
• Own drawing systems, 3D modeling, layouts, and design definition; perform cost studies and tolerance stack-ups; create layouts and assembly drawings.
• Work directly with customer design groups and Magna Program Management to advocate for Magna’s best-in-class design parameters—especially when proposals affect manufacturability or cost.
• Drive continuous improvement, from process enhancements to product cost analysis; research and recommend upgrades.
• Innovate toward patentable solutions; understand internal and USPTO submission procedures, approval criteria, and how to track internal/external patent status for relevance.
• Partner with Magna Exteriors Product and Manufacturing Engineering on future concepts and advanced systems; champion Design for Manufacturing (DfM) for faster, safer, and more cost‑effective assembly.
• Execute tasks tied to Change Requests (CR) and Change Notices (CN) within the Magna Change X tool.
• Capture best practices and lessons learned; disseminate insights across programs.
• Support prototype, pre‑production, and production builds as needed.
• Pitch in on related tasks to achieve project and departmental goals; protect intellectual property.
• Build strong, positive relationships with internal and external customers.
• Assist program management on product/process development, including prototype tooling and builds.

• ME-003:
  Intellectual Property / Patent Searches
• ME-030:
  Critical Design Review (CDR)
• ME-035: CAE (Moldflow, FEA, Warpage Analysis, Other)
• ME-039:
  Customer Design Freeze
• ME-040:
  Data Release

You will work in close partnership with the Program Manager within Magna’s corporate PDP and the online requirements system, TraX.

• Communication & English proficiency: Write clearly, present confidently one‑on‑one, and represent the company professionally; listen well and collaborate effectively.
• Ethics & initiative: High integrity and values; a self‑starter who acts decisively amid ambiguity.
• Safety & customer focus: Follow safety protocols, steward materials responsibly, and cultivate…