Closures Engineering Lead

Responsibilities

• Own the technical roadmap and product delivery for Glydways door and closure systems, including structures, mechanisms, rails, latches, seals, actuators, sensors, interfaces, electrical & electronic systems, and related software
• Translate vehicle-level requirements into closure-system requirements, architectures, design decisions, verification plans, and acceptance criteria
• Lead the design and integration of complex mechanisms, including kinematics, actuator selection, latch and hinge integration, packaging, tolerance definition, and interface management
• Drive cross-functional alignment across mechanical, electrical, software, systems, product, safety, validation, manufacturing, quality, industrial design, and operations teams
• Coordinate technical work with external engineering, manufacturing partners and suppliers, across Japan, the United States, and Europe
• Lead prototype builds, vehicle integration, durability testing, root-cause investigations, design iterations, and production-readiness activities within a demanding development and build schedule
• Anticipate manufacturing, assembly, service, quality, reliability, and cost challenges through design-for-manufacturability and design-for-assembly practices
• Establish effective processes for requirements, issue tracking, design reviews, change management, documentation, and decision-making

Requirements

• Significant experience developing automotive closures or complex mechanical and electromechanical systems through multiple product-development stages; sliding-door experience is highly valuable
• Strong understanding of mechanism design, kinematics, actuators, latches, hinges, seals, tolerance management, design verification, and reliability
• Experience collaborating with suppliers, manufacturing partners, and cross-functional teams in automotive, mobility, robotics, aerospace, or a similar complex-product environment
• Strong communication, organization, judgment, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to work independently in an ambiguous and rapidly changing international and multicultural environment
• Experience taking a closure system or complex mechanism from concept through sourcing, validation, production, and launch
• Working knowledge of design for manufacturability, design for assembly, GD&T, tolerance analysis, FMEA, and quality-planning methods
• Experience with CATIA, 3DX, or comparable CAD and PLM tools, at least DMU-level proficiency; experience using CAE tools for product development is a plus
• Professional fluency in English; Japanese language skills are a plus
• Willingness and ability to travel internationally, including extended collaboration or assignments in Japan and the United States, as business needs require