Interior Project Lead

Location:Oxford (3 days on-site per week) with regular travel to Bicester and Woking

Rate: £42.50 p/h via Umbrella

Duration: Inital 6 months

We are seeking an experienced Interior Project Lead to bridge the gap between creative vehicle styling and robust engineering delivery. In this role, you will lead the development of advanced vehicle interior systems - including instrument panels, consoles, door trims, and cabin technology integration to deliver a premium, user-focused space for our next-generation vehicles.

This position requires a strong blend of technical design expertise and project management leadership. You will be responsible for taking interior concepts from a clean sheet, managing the engineering delivery timeline, and leading cross-functional engineering and design teams globally.

The successful candidate will oversee desktop packaging and architecture studies as well as the physical benchmarking of premium vehicle interiors, tracking technical attributes, material finishes, craftsmanship, and perceived quality. Working from an initial engineering brief, you will use your technical judgment and problem-solving skills to drive the development of the cabin interior. A key part of the role involves collaborating closely with Studio Design, Ergonomics, UI/UX, and Advanced Engineering teams to resolve early conflicts between aesthetic vision, occupant packaging, and technical feasibility.

• Lead the engineering delivery and project management for interior systems from initial concept through to formal program gateway approvals.

• Kick off system and component concepts, establishing robust engineering requirements, Statement of Work (SoW) documents, and technical specifications for interior components.

• Manage the master engineering schedule for the interior, tracking deliverables, milestones, tooling timelines, and maturity targets.

• Conduct technical benchmarking and teardown analysis of competitor vehicle interiors, focusing on material innovation, perceived quality, gap and flush execution, and cost-effective assembly mechanisms.

• Balance premium interior aesthetics with core technical attributes, such as NVH, safety and airbag deployment, structural stiffness, and weight targets.

• Establish and manage Visual BOMs and weight trackers, utilizing CAD to define carry-over versus new system strategies.

• Drive Design for Manufacture (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA), working closely with suppliers and manufacturing teams to ensure cost-effective injection moulding, tooling, and wrapping processes.

• Identify and recommend sustainable materials, smart textiles, and integration techniques for cabin electronics to improve the overall user experience.

• Review and sign off CAD geometry, ensuring continuity of layouts, master sections, clearance envelopes, and PLM data management.

• Identify cost-reduction, mass-optimisation, and continuous design improvements without compromising the premium user experience.

• Act as the communication bridge between product definition, studio design, and global engineering functions with clear, structured reporting on study status and gateway maturity.

• A BEng or HNC/HND in a relevant field, such as Mechanical Engineering, Automotive Engineering, Product Design, or equivalent qualification.

• 10+ years of relevant experience, ideally within premium automotive manufacturers (OEMs), EV businesses, or advanced vehicle concept environments.

• A proven track record showing a strong blend of technical design and project leadership within automotive interior systems (such as instrument panels, consoles, door trims, and pillar trims).

• Deep technical understanding of interior craftsmanship, plastics engineering, injection moulding tooling, leather or fabric wrapping, and premium finishing technologies.

• A strong project management toolkit, with experience managing engineering delivery timelines, supplier technical reviews, and gateway maturity.

• Ability to manage complex, multi-component interior systems simultaneously, balancing engineering integrity with demanding project timelines.

• Excellent communication and negotiation skills, with the ability to act as a technical link between creative designers and manufacturing engineers.

• Proficient with CAD platforms (Catia V5/V6 preferred) for concept creation and layout reviews, alongside Microsoft 365 and Atlassian products (Jira and Confluence).

• Willingness and ability to travel internationally to support global development programmes.

• The ability to maintain the highest standards of confidentiality across all aspects of your work.

Randstad Technologies is acting as an Employment Business in relation to this vacancy.