Senior Exterior Components & Lighting Designer

Responsibilities

Exterior Components & Lighting Design Development

• Create and develop high-quality exterior component and lighting design proposals for advanced and production vehicle programs.
• Develop front and rear lighting concepts, including DRL signatures, position lamps, rear lamp graphics, and illuminated exterior elements.
• Create distinctive day and night vehicle identities that strengthen brand character and design language.
• Design exterior components including lighting assemblies, technology bands, grilles, trims, decorative elements, and integrated exterior details.
• Explore component architecture, graphics, proportion, depth, layering, transparency, materiality, and perceived quality.
• Develop multiple creative directions and support design decision-making.
• Translate early 2D concepts into convincing and technically resolved 3D solutions.
• Refine component designs through successive design reviews and development gateways.
• Ensure consistency between component design, overall vehicle design intent, and brand identity.
• Prepare and present design proposals to senior management and project stakeholders.

Lighting Innovation & Technology Integration

• Stay informed about current and emerging automotive lighting technologies.
• Explore opportunities using advanced LED systems, micro-LED, matrix lighting, pixel lighting, projection systems, illuminated surfaces, transparent materials, and dynamic light graphics.
• Investigate digitally controlled and integrated lighting solutions.
• Understand the interplay between optical architecture, packaging, thermal management, electronics, materials, and exterior surfaces.
• Collaborate closely with lighting engineering teams and suppliers.
• Develop lighting concepts that balance strong visual identity with technical feasibility and production readiness.
• Understand homologation, safety, and regulatory requirements impacting lighting design.
• Evaluate concepts against manufacturing, packaging, cost, and integration requirements.
• Support resolution of technical challenges while maintaining design intent.
• Contribute to discussions involving sensors, cameras, ADAS hardware, and other technologies integrated into exterior components and lighting systems.
• Identify creative opportunities enabled by new technologies and future vehicle architectures.

Digital Design Development & Production Integration

• Collaborate closely with CAS, Alias, Blender, visualization, and physical modelling teams.
• Guide and evaluate 3D development of exterior components and lighting systems.
• Provide design direction regarding surfaces, graphics, interfaces, radii, depth, and component relationships.
• Support translation of design intent into technically accurate 3D data.
• Review digital development regularly and identify design-quality concerns early.
• Partner with Studio Engineering and project teams to address packaging, manufacturing, and feasibility constraints.
• Assess digital and physical prototypes for proportion, surface quality, graphics, optical appearance, and perceived quality.
• Support design maturation through prototype, validation, and production phases.
• Ensure design intent remains strong throughout engineering development and supplier implementation.
• Support design releases and final design-quality reviews.

Cross-Functional & International Collaboration

• Participate actively in project and design reviews with international stakeholders.
• Prepare structured design material for internal, executive, and project reviews.
• Clearly communicate design intent across design, engineering, program management, and supplier organizations.
• Collaborate with Lighting Engineering, Studio Engineering, Vehicle Architecture, Product Management, Manufacturing, and Digital Modelling teams.
• Align creative ambition with technical requirements and program objectives.
• Work directly with suppliers when required.
• Support efficient decision-making between design and engineering functions.
• Communicate effectively across cultures, disciplines, and organizational levels.
• Travel internationally when required for workshops, reviews, prototype evaluations, and program milestones.

Required Skills

• Minimum 5 years of professional experience in automotive exterior design.
• Proven experience in automotive exterior components and/or automotive lighting design.
• Background in automotive OEMs, advanced design studios, or recognized automotive design consultancies.
• Experience working on production and/or advanced vehicle programs.
• Ability to develop designs from early ideation through production-oriented execution.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating high-level exterior component and lighting design capability.
• Solid understanding of automotive lighting design and vehicle identity creation.
• Experience collaborating with engineers, lighting specialists, digital modellers, and suppliers.
• Experience working within multidisciplinary automotive development organizations.
• Ability to quickly become productive and contribute to active programs.

Preferred Skills

• Experience developing production automotive lighting systems.
• Experience working with automotive lighting suppliers.
• Experience supporting China-Europe vehicle development programs.
• Experience within global or multi-brand automotive organizations.
• Experience in international automotive design environments.
• Experience with premium, technology-focused, or highly differentiated vehicle brands.
• Experience developing advanced illuminated exterior elements beyond traditional headlamp and rear lamp solutions.

Design & Technical Competencies

• Excellent automotive exterior design judgment with strong attention to proportion, graphics, detailing, surfacing, and perceived quality.
• Strong sensitivity to lighting signatures and day/night vehicle identity.
• Deep understanding of automotive design development from concept to production feasibility.
• Ability to create sophisticated component concepts within complex packaging constraints.
• Experience directing CAS, Alias, Blender, and other digital modelling activities.
• Knowledge of automotive components, interfaces, materials, and manufacturing methods.
• Ability to convert 2D creative intent into high-quality 3D execution.
• Understanding of lighting architecture and optical packaging requirements.
• Awareness of emerging lighting technologies and future mobility trends.
• Understanding of integration requirements involving sensors, cameras, ADAS hardware, and other technology systems.
• Ability to balance creativity with engineering, homologation, cost, and production constraints.
• Capability to create or direct high-quality visual materials for design reviews and executive decision-making.

Personal Skills

• Ability to work independently at Senior Designer level.
• Strong leadership and mentoring capability when working with digital modellers and technical teams.
• Excellent English communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Ability to clearly explain and defend design decisions.
• Structured, proactive, reliable, and solution-oriented work approach.
• Highly collaborative mindset with experience in cross-functional teams.
• Comfortable working within international and multicultural environments.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to design excellence.
• Ability to manage multiple activities simultaneously within demanding program timelines.

IT / Software Requirements

Hands-on experience with the following tools is an advantage:

• Adobe Photoshop / Illustrator.
• Autodesk Alias.
• Blender.
• VRED / KeyShot.
• Vizcom and other relevant AI-assisted design and visualisation tools.

Reporting Structure

The consultant will report directly to the Head of Exterior Design and collaborate with:

• Chief Designers.
• Exterior Designers and Component Designers.
• Lighting Design and Lighting Engineering Teams.
• Studio Engineering and Vehicle Architecture Teams.
• CAS, Alias, Blender, Visualization and Physical Modelling Teams.
• Product and Program Management.
• Component and Lighting Suppliers.
• International Engineering and Design Teams.
• Senior Design Leadership and Project Stakeholders.