Advanced Vehicle Development Lighting - Design and Release Engineer

Job Description This role is categorized as hybrid. The selected candidate will be expected to work on-site at the Warren Tech Center at least three days per week, or as otherwise determined by the hiring leader. • This role is not eligible for relocation assistance. At General Motors, our product teams are redefining mobility. Through a human-centered design process, we create vehicles and experiences that are designed not just to be seen, but to be felt. We’re turning today’s impossible into tomorrow’s standard —from breakthrough hardware and battery systems to intuitive design, intelligent software, and next-generation safety and entertainment features.   Every day, our products move millions of people as we aim to make driving safer, smarter, and more connected, shaping the future of transportation on a global scale.. About the role The Lighting Advanced Vehicle Development Design Release Engineer (AVD DRE) is an individual contributor responsible for defining, integrating, and advancing exterior lighting content from early vehicle programs through design alignment, content approval, sourcing, and handoff to production engineering. This role is the primary engineering interface among Studio and Design, vehicle program teams, Technical Specialists, Purchasing, Finance, suppliers, and production lighting DREs. The AVD DRE applies lighting engineering, design-for-cost, supplier, and program execution expertise to guide cross-functional decisions and protect design intent, cost, quality, and timing. Key responsibilities: • Define early lighting scope, trim content, carryover and new content, technology strategy, supplier options, competitiveness, and engineering criteria. • Partner with Studio, Design, Brand Leads, and lighting designers throughout sketch, clay, theme, and surface development. Assess feasibility, appearance, optics, photometry, packaging, electronics, power, thermal performance, manufacturability, cost, and regulatory considerations. • Develop engineering alternatives that preserve design intent while meeting program targets. • Build ground-up lighting cost and content models. Lead content walks, design-to-cost proposals, cost approval forums, and tradeoff discussions involving design, suppliers, investment, piece cost, performance, and timing. • Support Statement of Requirements (SOR) development, requests for quotation (RFQs), supplier quote reviews, negotiations, sourcing decisions, and final quote comparisons. • Evaluate supplier technology, capability, performance, tooling, cost, and timing; support post-sourcing activities and handoff to production DREs. • Serve as an early liaison to Technical Specialists and execution teams, considering lighting design, optics, electronics, power and EV-range impacts, packaging, manufacturing, total enterprise cost, and global regulations. • Improve lighting program execution through cost-estimating tools, purchasing analytics, benchmarking, calculators, templates, databases, and lessons learned. Share knowledge across programs, regions, AVD, DRE, Finance, Purchasing, and engineering teams. Typical deliverables: • Early program lighting inputs and content recommendations • Competitive benchmarks, cost targets, and technology or supplier strategies • Studio concept assessments and engineering feedback • Ground-up cost and content models and content approval presentations • SOR inputs, RFQ and supplier quote analyses, and sourcing recommendations • Technical, cost, content, and timing tradeoff recommendations • Supplier technology and performance references • Handoff documentation and post-sourcing support • Process improvements, calculators, templates, and lessons learned Required qualifications: • Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, electrical, optica