Interior Vehicle Systems Engineer (VSE)

Job Description

The Interior Vehicle Systems Engineer (VSE) serves as the SMT functional leader and Chief Engineer for a vehicle program. This role owns Interior design intent and technical execution, ensuring subsystem decisions align with vehicle-level performance, quality, timing, and cost targets while managing complex subsystem, system, and vehicle integration at the SMT level. The VSE leads a diverse, global team of engineers, with input from Studio, Manufacturing, Compartment Integration, Program Planning, Validation, Specifications, Suppliers, and Purchasing, to execute high-quality designs, overcome unique challenges, and enable program goals while providing managerial leadership to keep the program on time, within budget, and delivered with quality.

The VSE is the single voice of the designated program. Success in this role requires strong technical leadership, program management and planning, and the ability to influence across a complex organization to deliver results. They will be an effective communicator and team leader who can perceive and analyze risk, work to mitigate risk early, think ahead and plan several steps into the future, prioritize and manage multiple challenges concurrently, break down roadblocks, and challenge the status quo when appropriate.

What You’ll Do (Responsibilities):

System Integration & Program Leadership

• Own Interior coordination across systems, subsystems, and vehicle interfaces; balance interior content & technical imperatives aligned to program targets and milestones. Drive engineering execution efficiency, strategically planning SMT engagement on the most critical program risks.

Technical Leadership

• Lead structured problem solving, root-cause analysis, and trade-off decisions; define must-be-true conditions, set constraints, and make timely decisions to protect Interior imperatives.
• Identify and resolve Interior issues at both component and vehicle levels; balance customer experience, craftsmanship, manufacturability, cost, safety, and enterprise constraints through clear technical communication.
• Remain highly program-focused on implementation, acting as the primary contact for the program team and SMT leaders.

Executive & Cross-Functional Communication

• Deliver concise, executive-ready updates (written, verbal, and visual); prioritize and tailor information for leaders, Design Release Engineers, Engineering Group Managers, Studio, and functional partners.

Influence, Negotiation & Alignment

• Align stakeholders with competing objectives across Studio, Engineering, Performance, Manufacturing, and Program Teams; remove enterprise-level roadblocks and secure cross-functional agreement on Interior content and design.

Program Management & Planning

• Develop and manage Interior 30/60/90-day and long-range plans; appropriately push back on scope; delegate effectively; identify and mitigate Interior system risks early.
• Lead Interior Engineering’s delivery against imperative targets along the develop development process glidepath; synthesize detailed Interior inputs into aggregate status.
• Drive Interior program deliverables, benchmarking, cost management, human factors, interface requirements, craftsmanship, and financial/quality imperatives; co-lead supplier selection, tooling kick-off, and production tooling readiness.
• Lead vehicle-level integration execution across functional leaders, ensuring alignment with prior advanced strategies.
• Troubleshoot integration conflicts and system-level execution gaps, escalating key launch issues and coordinating critical launch-issue mobilization efforts.
• Anticipate risk, lead Interior engineering changes, and coordinate validation activities; support release engineers, issue resolution teams, and plant teams through development, build events, and vehicle launch.
• Develop a support network for critical launch issues with cross-functional teams to drive rapid resolution. Ensure cross-functional alignment for launch excellence, escalating high-impact issues to key leadership forums.
• Champion engineering with simplicity through simplification, standardization, and shared execution strategies; develop and communicate a pipeline of Interior SMT efficiency ideas.

Your Skills & Abilities (Required Qualifications):

• Bachelor’s degree (BSE or BS) in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Computer Science, Mathematics, Chemistry, Metallurgical Engineering, Aeronautical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Physics, or Materials Engineering.
• 5+ years of engineering experience.
• Experience in interior engineering.
• Ability to travel during vehicle launches.

What Can Give You a Competitive Edge (Preferred Qualifications):

• Knowledge of GM processes and strategies.
• Experience leading interior system releases across multiple interior commodities and programs.
• Demonstrated understanding of interior architecture, subsystem integration, and vehicle-level integration.
• Experience making and communicating vehicle-level trade-off decisions within cross-functional program teams.
• Experience with Studio Integration and Color, Materials, and Finish (CMF), including the ability to translate creative direction and craftsmanship expectations into executable technical decisions.
• Proven ability to balance content, design intent, engineering execution, manufacturing needs, customer experience, timing, cost, quality, validation, and vehicle performance.
• Deep understanding of the interdependencies within the vehicle development process.
• Proven ability to identify, assess, and mitigate risk; elevate issues appropriately; and mobilize the right resources at the right time.
• Experience supporting programs from strategy and execution through builds, issue resolution, and launch.

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