What are the responsibilities and job description for the Exterior Designer position at Linkage Design?
About the Role
Linkage Design is seeking a Senior Exterior Designer to support one of our automotive OEM clients in Metro Detroit This role is ideal for an experienced creative professional with a strong background in advanced exterior concept development, production-ready design, and 3D digital modeling workflows.
Candidates should bring 8 years of OEM studio experience, the ability to work cross-functionally, and a refined sense of form, proportion, and brand identity. You will contribute to both forward-looking concept vehicles and production programs.
Responsibilities
- Develop compelling exterior design concepts through sketching, rendering, and 3D modeling
- Translate 2D sketches into production-feasible 3D surfaces
- Collaborate closely with engineering, clay modeling, studio surfacing, and visualization teams
- Support advanced concept development as well as production execution
- Present design directions and proposals to cross-functional and leadership teams
- Maintain brand identity while exploring innovative exterior themes
- Apply strong understanding of studio processes, manufacturing feasibility, and market trends
Required Qualifications
- 8 years of professional experience in exterior automotive design (OEM or Tier-1 studio)
- Bachelor’s degree in Transportation Design, Industrial Design, or related field
- Demonstrated experience taking exterior designs from concept through production release
- High proficiency in Photoshop and at least one major 3D modeling or design tool:
- Alias, Blender, Maya, or similar
- Strong understanding of full-size clay modeling and digital surface development
- Exceptional sketching, rendering, and visual storytelling abilities
- Ability to work collaboratively across engineering, surfacing, manufacturing, and leadership teams
Preferred Skills
- Proficiency in Alias NURBS/poly modeling, Blender, or Maya
- Experience with real-time visualization tools such as Unreal Engine, Twinmotion, or VRED
- Global automotive project exposure
- Strong understanding of materials, manufacturing processes, and tooling constraints
- Experience presenting to senior/executive reviewers
What We’re Looking For
You are a seasoned automotive exterior designer with:
- A sharp creative intuition
- Strong problem-solving skills
- A deep understanding of proportion and form
- The ability to produce production-ready exterior solutions
- Comfort leading design within multidisciplinary teams
Job Types: Full-time, Contract
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid sick time
- Paid time off
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
