Senior Automotive Designer

Coulson Aviation

3d • Onsite

About The Position

Bring exceptional automotive concepts to life through precision design and real-world fabrication.

Coulson Autosports is seeking an experienced Senior Automotive Designer to support the development of high-end bespoke and limited-production vehicle programs in Huntington Beach, California.

This role focuses on translating design vision into precise digital vehicle models that support engineering development and real-world vehicle construction. Working within a hands-on build environment, the Senior Automotive Designer collaborates closely with senior creative leadership, engineers, and fabrication teams to bring vehicles from concept sketches through digital development and into production.

At Coulson Autosports, design is not theoretical — it is built, refined, and experienced in the real world.

You will contribute to vehicles that are built, shown, driven, and judged at the highest levels of the automotive world.

Position Overview

The Senior Automotive Designer – Bespoke & Custom Programs plays a key role in translating concept sketches into accurate digital vehicle models used to evaluate packaging, fitment, manufacturability, and overall design feasibility.

Working alongside senior creative leadership, this role transforms design sketches into detailed 3D geometry that guides engineering development, surface refinement, and fabrication. The Senior Automotive Designer ensures that design intent is preserved while also confirming that vehicle concepts can be successfully executed in a real-world build environment.

This position requires strong digital modeling expertise combined with a practical understanding of vehicle architecture, packaging, and custom fabrication.

Requirements

• 7+ years of automotive design, digital surfacing, or vehicle modeling experience.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating advanced automotive surface development and digital modeling capability.
• Advanced proficiency with SolidWorks or CATIA for vehicle modeling and packaging development.
• Strong understanding of vehicle architecture, automotive proportions, and surface development.
• Ability to translate sketches into precise digital geometry suitable for engineering and fabrication.
• Familiarity with low-volume vehicle production, prototype development, and custom fabrication processes.
• Strong collaboration skills within multidisciplinary engineering and build environments.
• Strong design judgment and attention to proportion and surface quality.
• Ability to independently develop accurate digital models from concept sketches.
• Practical mindset focused on ensuring designs can be successfully fabricated and assembled.
• Discipline, attention to detail, and commitment to high-quality vehicle development.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with Alias, Blender, or equivalent automotive surfacing tools is highly desirable.

Responsibilities

• Translate concept sketches into detailed 3D digital vehicle models used for design development and engineering evaluation.
• Develop accurate digital geometry for packaging studies, fitment checks, and manufacturability analysis.
• Build high-quality digital surfaces suitable for CNC modeling, tooling development, and fabrication reference.
• Support exterior and interior design development through digital surfacing and modeling.
• Collaborate closely with engineers and fabrication teams to ensure design feasibility and build readiness.
• Prepare digital models and surfaces for rapid prototyping, CNC surfacing, and physical modeling.
• Assist in refining vehicle proportions, stance, and surface development during design progression.
• Maintain design intent throughout digital development, prototyping, and fabrication phases.
• Support design reviews, program development, and technical evaluation of vehicle concepts.

Benefits

• Onsite in Huntington Beach, California.
• Close collaboration with design leadership, engineering teams, and fabrication specialists.
• Contribute to the creation of bespoke vehicles and limited-production programs built to the highest standards of automotive craftsmanship.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed