Principal CAS Designer

What to Expect

• Support the Design Team to “create breath-taking products that tell the visual story of their function”.
• To manage the creation and release of production-feasible, aesthetically optimised surfaces that maintain design intent and are to a high quality of surface execution. Surfaces meet engineering hardpoints, are to specified McLaren standards and attributes and released in time to support component production schedules.
• To assist the creative process by interpreting 2D sketches into 3D data for design iteration and approval.

What You'll Do

Surface Creation 

• Ad-Hoc surface creation as required. Surface creation is not a primary function.
• Surfaces to be generated according to McLaren digital surfacing guidelines, standards and release procedures.  
• Escalate to Digital Surface CAS Manager if Surface reference folders contains ambiguous, out of date or incomplete data.

Other tasks

• Produce and distribute surface KPIs daily to Digital Surface CAS Manager
• Create and maintain detailed surface release schedule and dashboard
• Communicate surface release schedule to Digital Surface Design Manager
• Prepare project status overview, for weekly Digital Surface Design Commodity Meeting
• Prepare resource status overview, for weekly Digital Surface Design Commodity Meeting
• Attend weekly Digital Surface Design Commodity Meeting
• Set agenda, manage attendance of team and Chair surface quality reviews
• Attend project meetings on behalf of the surfacing team as requested
• Attend concept engineering reviews on behalf of the surfacing team as requested.
• Attend the design reviews on behalf of the surfacing team and minute actions for team
• Spin visualisation data in special meetings, such as VIP visits
• Escalate if resource on programme insufficient or task has stalled
• Input to the High-Level Plan discussions at G0
• Advice on planning resources for the programme at G0
• Offer input during the creation and update of surfacing standards and methods
• Understand the VR process and relationship between function group activity
• Propose process documentation for review by Digital Surface CAS Manager
• Run informal surfacing workshops and knowledge sharing sessions to enhance team competencies
• Delegate secondary tasks to team members, such as to prepare review files
• Author MSL for aspects of surfacing procedures where possible.

What You'll Bring

• Educated to degree level or equivalent design / engineering related discipline.
• Autodesk Alias Surface or ICEM Surf proficiency with OEM studio experience
• 2D presentation/Animation ability in addition to Class A surfacing expertise.
• A working knowledge of component manufacturing tooling requirements.
• Relevant Automotive Design experience of 10+ years.
• Product development process awareness 10+ years.
• Excellent program timing skills.
• Proven experience of multiple exterior and interior programs.
• High engineering knowledge
• Deliver programs from concept to A class.
• Alias, Alias SubD, ICEM Surf
• Able to resolve any conflicts of inputs if escalated by Senior CAS Designer.
• Set up and chair regular Agile system of task allocation
• Set up and maintain surface release tracker to reflect Agile status
• Gather detailed surface status from Senior CAS Designer [Zone Owner]
• Support the allocation of the CAS surfacing tasks
• Reconcile Inputs where possible without the need to escalate
• Escalate irreconcilable inputs to Digital Surface Design Manager
• Provide any reference CAS information (e.g. points) to assist clay development
• Initiate and run screen reviews for contentious, complex or ongoing surface issues
• Coordinate approval of final surface for aesthetics and maintenance of design intent
• Complete surface validation checks prior to release to Studio Engineer and approve release to ensure right first-time targets are met.
• Track SharePoint document releases to declare that the final surface is ready for release

What We'll Do for You

• Challenge Mind-set: “Keep a calm head, see the situation as a challenge not a threat.”
• Act with Integrity: “Put the team first & represent those who have gone before and all those who will follow.”
• High Performance Environment: “Find incremental ways to continually improve.”
• No Egos: “Sweep the sheds and give each other the benefit of the doubt.”

Who Are We?

No restraints. No limitations. We don’t simply push boundaries. We completely rethink them. McLaren Automotive exists to create breath-taking performance road cars.

It takes a community to do what we do. A diverse group of people with many areas of expertise, united by their passion to deliver visionary products and set new benchmarks. 

McLaren Automotive commits to equal opportunity for all. Diversity, Equality and Inclusion is at the heart of our impact, it drives our innovation and enables us to truly create something special. Join us on our journey.