Description Job Description General Motors is seeking a technically strong and highly motivated Senior Design Release Engineer (DRE) to lead the development and launch of external microphone hardware and associated components for next-generation Super Cruise functionality. This role will own the definition, development, validation, and production release of vehicle-mounted microphone systems that support advanced vehicle awareness, roadway and environmental sensing, and future driver-assistance capabilities.
The successful candidate will bring strong ownership, sound engineering judgment, and the ability to lead complex hardware development across cross-functional organizations and global suppliers. The DRE will work at the intersection of acoustics, electrical and mechanical hardware, vehicle integration, signal interfaces, environmental durability, and system-level performance. This role requires an engineer who can work independently, resolve technical issues with urgency, and translate system objectives into robust, production-ready component designs.
Key Responsibilities - Serve as the DRE owner for external microphone hardware and associated components, including microphone elements, acoustic ports and membranes, housings, brackets, seals, electrical interfaces, connectors, and vehicle attachment features.
- Own component and subsystem requirements, acting as the primary point of contact for requirements clarification, technical trade-offs, traceability, and change management.
- Translate next-generation Super Cruise and vehicle sensing objectives into measurable microphone performance requirements, including acoustic sensitivity, frequency response, signal-to-noise performance, directivity, environmental robustness, and system interface requirements.
- Lead design, development, analysis, validation, and release activities from concept through production launch.
- Develop and release technical specifications, Statements of Requirements (SORs), component requirements, interface specifications, and subsystem documentation as required.
- Drive microphone placement, packaging, acoustic path, sealing, thermal, electromagnetic compatibility, wiring, and serviceability decisions in collaboration with vehicle and system engineering teams.
- Coordinate Design for Manufacturing (DFM), Design for Assembly (DFA), Design for Service (DFS), and Design for Reliability activities with suppliers and manufacturing plants.
- Lead and participate in formal design reviews, peer reviews, quality reviews, acoustic performance reviews, and technical issue-resolution activities.
- Work closely with supplier resident engineers, Acoustics, Systems Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Software, Controls, Validation, NVH, Manufacturing Engineering, Purchasing, Safety, Quality, and Program teams.
- Support development and validation testing, including acoustic characterization, wind and road-noise evaluation, environmental durability, water and dust ingress, temperature and humidity, vibration, shock, EMC, reliability, and vehicle-level performance testing.
- Support Design Verification (DV), Production Validation (PV), root-cause analysis, corrective-action development, and countermeasure implementation.
- Drive integration of microphone hardware with vehicle electrical architecture, wiring, signal-processing software, data interfaces, and Super Cruise system functions.
- Support prototype, vehicle, pilot, and production builds, including hardware bring-up, issue triage, test execution, and launch readiness activities.
- Own supplier technical deliverables, timing, quality, and issue closure for assigned microphone components and subsystems.
- Drive continuous improvement in cost, acoustic performance, quality, manufacturability, reliability, and production robustness.
- Ensure compliance with GM engineering standards, quality systems, functional safety expectations, cybersecurity and software interface requirements as applicable, and all relevant regulatory requirements.
Required Qualifications - Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Physics, Acoustics, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
- Minimum of 5 years of engineering or technical experience.
- Minimum of 2 years of Design Release Engineer or equivalent component ownership experience.
- Strong understanding of engineering fundamentals, including mechanical and electrical principles, acoustics, materials, environmental durability, and vehicle integration.
- Experience taking hardware from requirements definition through design, validation, release, and production launch.
- Demonstrated ability to work effectively in cross-functional, global product-development teams.
- Strong technical communication, problem-solving, decision-making, and supplier-management skills.
Desired Skills and Experience - Experience developing, integrating, or releasing automotive microphone systems, acoustic sensors, audio hardware, or other environmental sensing components.
- Understanding of microphone technologies, acoustic system design, signal-to-noise performance, frequency response, wind and road-noise effects, acoustic packaging, and signal interfaces.
- Experience with external vehicle sensing, advanced driver assistance systems, automated driving, Super Cruise, or related vehicle-awareness functions.
- Experience with environmental, EMC, vibration, shock, ingress-protection, reliability, and vehicle-level validation of electronic hardware.
- Working knowledge of Teamcenter, IBM DOORS, or equivalent requirements and product-development tools.
- Experience with DFMEA, PFMEA, fault-tree analysis, and structured problem-solving methods; formal training is preferred.
- Experience defining and managing electrical interfaces, connectors, wiring architectures, communication interfaces, and hardware/software boundaries.
- Experience with supplier development, technical reviews, sourcing activities, commercial discussions, or global supplier management.
- Knowledge of GM product-development systems, quality processes, and launch methodologies.
- Exposure to DFSS, Design for Reliability, Lean, Six Sigma, or other continuous-improvement methodologies.
- Experience developing or releasing safety-critical, mission-critical, or high-reliability automotive systems or components.
- Prior experience outside the automotive industry in acoustics, consumer electronics, aerospace, industrial sensing, communications, or related fields is a plus.
Key Behaviors - Demonstrates strong ownership and accountability for component performance, timing, quality, and launch readiness.
- Applies structured problem solving, engineering fundamentals, and data-driven decision making.
- Connects component-level decisions to vehicle-level Super Cruise functionality and customer experience.
- Communicates clearly and effectively with technical and non-technical stakeholders, suppliers, and leadership.
- Builds alignment across disciplines while constructively challenging assumptions and driving timely decisions.
- Demonstrates commitment to GM safety, quality, integrity, inclusion, and continuous improvement behaviors.
- Works effectively in an environment that requires initiative, adaptability, and the ability to manage multiple technical priorities.
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