General Motors

Senior Suspension DRE - Performance Damper Design and Release

General Motors$110K — $130K *
Manufacturing & Automotive
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Automotive, or related engineering field.
  • 5+ years experience in vehicle suspension design (Senior) or 3+ years (Design Release).
  • Direct design/release responsibility in suspension/damper engineering.
  • Strong damper design and technology knowledge including NVH and durability.
  • Solid background in suspension design and vehicle dynamics principles.
  • Experience with testing (dyno, K&C, rigs, vehicle evaluations) and analysis tools.
  • Proven ability to manage timing, cost, and quality in cross-functional environments.

Responsibilities

  • Own design, release, and lifecycle of performance dampers and suspension hardware.
  • Define damper specifications to meet vehicle ride and handling targets.
  • Integrate dampers into the suspension system for optimal performance.
  • Partner with vehicle dynamics to support development trips and translate targets into specs.
  • Plan and execute various validation tests for dampers and suspension.
  • Lead technical discussions with suppliers on design, innovation, and quality.
  • Maintain core design documentation and drive timely resolution of engineering issues.

Benefits

  • Supportive hybrid work environment with flexibility.
  • Opportunity to work on high-performance vehicle projects.
  • Involvement in cutting-edge damper and suspension technology development.
Full Job Description
Job Description

The Role

We are looking for a Senior Suspension Design Release Engineer or a Design Release Engineer who will be owning performance damper and suspension hardware for high-performance vehicles. This role combines deep damper technology expertise, strong suspension design skills, and vehicle dynamics knowledge to deliver best-in-class ride, handling, and track performance.

What You'll Do
  • Own design, release, and lifecycle of performance dampers and related suspension hardware for assigned programs.
  • Define damper specifications (force-velocity targets, tuning ranges, durability/NVH requirements) aligned to vehicle ride and handling targets.
  • Integrate dampers into the suspension system, ensuring robust packaging, mounting, travel management, and compatibility with springs, bushings, and anti-roll systems.
  • Partner with vehicle dynamics to translate attribute targets into hardware specs and support ride/handling and track development trips.
  • Plan and execute validation (damper dyno, K&C, rig testing, vehicle-level durability and performance).
  • Lead technical interface with suppliers on damper design, innovation, quality, timing, and cost.
  • Maintain core DRE documents: drawings/3D models, DFMEA, BOM, DVP&R, and issue tracking; drive timely resolution of issues and engineering changes.


Your Skills & Abilities (Required Qualifications)

Senior Design Release Engineer (Level 7)
  • Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Automotive, or related engineering field.
  • 5+ years experience in vehicle suspension design
  • Relevant experience in suspension/damper engineering with direct design/release responsibility.
  • Strong knowledge of damper design and technology (internal architecture, valving concepts, friction, durability, NVH).
  • Solid background in suspension design and vehicle dynamics (kinematics/compliance, spring-damper matching, ride/handling fundamentals).
  • Experience with damper and suspension testing (dyno, K&C, rigs, vehicle evaluations) and related analysis tools.
  • Proven ability to manage timing, cost, and quality in a cross-functional program environment.
  • Clear, concise technical communication and effective collaboration with internal teams and suppliers.


Design Release Engineer (Level 6)
  • Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Automotive, or related engineering field.
  • 3+ years experience in vehicle suspension design
  • Relevant experience in suspension/damper engineering with direct design/release responsibility.
  • Strong knowledge of damper design and technology (internal architecture, valving concepts, friction, durability, NVH).
  • Solid background in suspension design and vehicle dynamics (kinematics/compliance, spring-damper matching, ride/handling fundamentals).
  • Experience with damper and suspension testing (dyno, K&C, rigs, vehicle evaluations) and related analysis tools.
  • Proven ability to manage timing, cost, and quality in a cross-functional program environment.
  • Clear, concise technical communication and effective collaboration with internal teams and suppliers.


What Will Give You a Competitive Edge (Preferred Qualifications)
  • Experience on performance or track-focused vehicle programs.
  • Exposure to electronically controlled or semi-active dampers and chassis control systems.
  • Master's degree in a relevant engineering discipline.


GM does not provide immigration-related sponsorship for this role. Do not apply for this role if you will need GM immigration sponsorship now or in the future. This includes direct company sponsorship, entry of GM as the immigration employer of record on a government form, and any work authorization requiring a written submission or other immigration support from the company (e.g., H1-B, OPT, STEM OPT, CPT, TN, J-1, etc).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}.The selected candidate will be required to travel

About General Motors

General Motors Company engages in the manufacture and sale of cars and trucks in the United States, China, Brazil, Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Italy. It offers sedans, crossovers, sport utility vehicles, pick-up trucks, coupes, sports/convertibles and hybrid vehicles, hatchbacks/wagons, and vans, as well as mini cars in India. The company also provides parts and accessories, such as iPod and MP3 compatibility, mobility accessories, performance parts, AC parts and services, and merchandise. In addition, it offers vehicle safety, security, and information services. The company provides used vehicles. It offers its products through dealers and distributors. General Motors Company was formerly known as NGMCO, Inc. and changed its name to General Motors Company in July 2009. The company was incorporated in 2009 and is based in Detroit, Michigan. It operates manufacturing facilities in India, the United States, and Canada. General Motors Company operates as a subsidiary of the United States Department of The Treasury. General Motors led global vehicle sales for 77 consecutive years from 1931 through 2007, longer than any other automaker, and is currently among the world's largest automakers by vehicle unit sales. General Motors acts in most countries outside the USA via wholly-owned subsidiaries but operates in China through 10 joint ventures. GM's OnStar subsidiary provides vehicle safety, security, and information services. In 2009, General Motors shed several brands, closing Saturn, Pontiac, and Hummer, and emerged from a government-backed Chapter 11 reorganization. In 2010, GM made an initial public offering IPOs to date and returned to profitability later that year.

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Learn more about General Motors
Size
157,000 employees
Market Cap
$46.9 billion
Industry
Net Income
$6.4 billion
Founded
1908
5 Year Trend
-3.2%
Revenue
$122.4 billion
NASDAQ

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