Design Release Engineer - Lighting - Chennai and Pune

We are seeking an experienced Design Engineer / Design Lead with strong expertise in Automotive Exterior Lighting Systems to lead the design, development, validation, and release of lighting components for vehicle programs. The role involves managing the development of head lamps, tail lamps, signal lamps, DRLs, fog lamps, and other exterior lighting systems from concept through production launch, ensuring compliance with performance, quality, timing, cost, manufacturing, and regulatory requirements.

The ideal candidate should possess hands-on experience in exterior lighting product development, supplier coordination, engineering change management, product validation, and CAD/PLM tools within an automotive vehicle development environment. Experience in lighting architectures, LED modules, connectors, wiring interfaces, DFMEA, DVP&R, and homologation requirements will be highly preferred.

Responsibilities

Product Design & Development

Lead the design and development of Exterior Lighting Systems including:
Head Lamps
Tail Lamps
Stop Lamps
Turn Indicators
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL)
Fog Lamps
Side Markers and Signal Lighting
Develop robust engineering solutions meeting styling, packaging, functional, quality, cost, and manufacturing requirements.
Support concept development, feasibility studies, design reviews, and technical assessments.
Create and maintain 3D CAD models and engineering drawings using UG NX and CATIA.
Engineering Release & Program Management

Manage component development from concept through production launch.
Support design release activities and engineering change management.
Ensure timely delivery of project milestones aligned with program schedules.
Coordinate with cross-functional teams including Styling, Packaging, Manufacturing, Validation, Purchasing, Quality, and Suppliers.

Supplier Management

Collaborate with suppliers during component development and validation phases.
Review supplier designs and ensure compliance with technical requirements.
Support supplier technical reviews, issue resolution, and design optimization activities.

Validation & Quality

Define and support Design Verification Plans (DVP&R).
Participate in DFMEA, DFM, tolerance analysis, and risk assessments.
Support testing, validation, PPAP activities, and product quality improvements.
Analyze field issues and support root cause analysis and corrective actions.

Regulatory & Compliance

Ensure lighting systems comply with applicable automotive regulations and homologation requirements.
Support documentation and evidence required for certification and regulatory approvals.

Continuous Improvement

Support value engineering, cost optimization, weight reduction, and component standardization initiatives.
Participate in benchmarking and competitive analysis activities.
Contribute to lessons learned and best-practice development.

Qualifications

B.E./B.Tech or M.E./M.Tech in Mechanical Engineering, Automotive Engineering, or related discipline.
6–8 years of experience in Automotive Exterior Lighting Design & Development.

Essential Skills

Strong experience in Exterior Lighting Systems design and development.
Good understanding of Head Lamp, Rear Lamp, DRL, Indicator, Fog Lamp, and Signal Lighting systems.
Knowledge of lighting architectures, LED modules, PCB integration, connectors, wiring interfaces, and mounting strategies.
Experience in DFMEA, DVP&R, GD&T, Engineering Change Management, and Product Development Processes.
Hands-on experience in UG NX and/or CATIA V5.
Understanding of tooling feasibility, plastic part design, and manufacturing processes.
Familiarity with automotive validation and release processes.
Knowledge of global lighting regulations and homologation requirements is desirable.

Desired Skills

Experience working with OEMs, Tier-1 suppliers, or automotive engineering service organizations.
Exposure to product lifecycle management (PLM) systems.
Strong problem-solving and analytical skills.
Effective communication and stakeholder management capabilities.
Experience in global product development environments.

Experience

6- 8 years
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