Exterior Lighting Optical Engineer

Job Description

This role is categorized as hybrid, meaning the selected candidate will be expected to work on‑site at the Warren Tech Center at least three days per week (or other frequency determined by their manager).

• This role is eligible for relocation benefits

At General Motors, we are redefining mobility through human-centered design and advanced engineering. Our teams create vehicles and experiences that go beyond transportation-delivering safety, intelligence, and connectivity at scale.

Join the Exterior Lighting Engineering Team, where innovation meets design. This team serves as GM's core technical experts in lighting, driving the development of next-generation lighting systems for both EV and ICE platforms.

About the Role

As an Exterior Lighting Optical Engineer, you will play a key role in shaping the future of vehicle lighting by defining and developing advanced optical systems. You'll partner cross-functionally with Design, Engineering, and suppliers to deliver innovative, high-performance lighting solutions.

This position offers the opportunity to deepen your technical expertise, influence in-house design capabilities, and contribute to cutting-edge technologies such as Adaptive Driving Beam (ADB) systems.

Key Responsibilities

• Collaborate with Design, suppliers, and internal engineering teams to integrate optical solutions into exterior lighting systems

• Perform optical simulations and analyses to optimize lighting performance and appearance

• Define and develop optical requirements for exterior lighting components

• Lead development of Adaptive Driving Beam (ADB) and other advanced lighting features, including virtual validation and vehicle-level testing

• Ensure compliance with global regulatory requirements and GM internal standards

• Provide technical guidance to DREs, designers, and suppliers on optical design and feasibility

• Support vehicle integration, packaging, and early concept development activities

• Identify opportunities for innovation based on market trends and emerging technologies

• Participate in vehicle development night drives and validation activities

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Physics, Optics, or related field

• Minimum 5 years of optical engineering experience, preferably in automotive lighting

• Strong understanding of light propagation, optical design principles, and lighting performance requirements

• Experience developing electro-mechanical products in a cross-functional environment

• Ability to create and interpret technical requirements across hardware and software systems

• Strong problem-solving skills with a physics-based approach

• Effective communication and collaboration skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree (Master's or higher) in a relevant field

• 10+ years of experience in exterior automotive lighting optical design

• Experience with Tier 1 automotive suppliers or OEM lighting programs

• Knowledge of lighting manufacturing processes and tooling considerations

• Experience with global lighting regulations and compliance standards

• DFSS Black Belt or Master Black Belt certification

Why Join GM?

You'll be part of a team that is bringing more lighting design capability in-house, giving you the opportunity to directly influence product innovation and technical direction. At GM, your work will help shape the future of mobility at a global scale.

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This role is categorized as hybrid. This means the selected candidate is expected to report to a specific location at least 3 times a week {or other frequency dictated by their manager}.

This job may be eligible for relocation benefits.

About GM

Our vision is a world with Zero Crashes, Zero Emissions and Zero Congestion and we embrace the responsibility to lead the change that will make our world better, safer and more equitable for all.

Why Join Us

We believe we all must make a choice every day - individually and collectively - to drive meaningful change through our words, our deeds and our culture. Every day, we want every employee to feel they belong to one General Motors team.

Benefits Overview

From day one, we're looking out for your well-being-at work and at home-so you can focus on realizing your ambitions. Learn how GM supports a rewarding career that rewards you personally by visiting Total Rewards resources.

Non-Discrimination and Equal Employment Opportunities (U.S.)

General Motors is committed to being a workplace that is not only free of unlawful discrimination, but one that genuinely fosters inclusion and belonging. We strongly believe that providing an inclusive workplace creates an environment in which our employees can thrive and develop better products for our customers.

All employment decisions are made on a non-discriminatory basis without regard to sex, race, color, national origin, citizenship status, religion, age, disability, pregnancy or maternity status, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a veteran or protected veteran, or any other similarly protected status in accordance with federal, state and local laws.

We encourage interested candidates to review the key responsibilities and qualifications for each role and apply for any positions that match their skills and capabilities. Applicants in the recruitment process may be required, where applicable, to successfully complete a role-related assessment(s) and/or a pre-employment screening prior to beginning employment. To learn more, visit How we Hire.

Accommodations

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