Advanced Propulsion Thermal and Lubrication Senior Engineer

GM•Warren, MI

5d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Advanced Propulsion Engineering team at General Motors pioneers the innovations that move and connect people to what matters. We aim to achieve an all-electric, zero-emissions world while advancing an equitable and inclusive transition to our carbon neutral future. Our team creates propulsion system technologies that are commercially viable and provide industry-leading performance on our journey to zero emissions. Components in scope for this role include high voltage batteries, drive units, electric motors, power electronics, and combustion engines. Technical areas of focus include cooling and heating performance, lubrication, as well as battery thermal runaway. In this role you will be responsible for developing propulsion technology concepts into engineered solutions with proven cost, mass, and performance improvements. New ideas are evaluated for potential based on physics first-principles, and promising concepts will proceed into Advanced Technology Work (ATW) projects. As you progress through a project you will gain feedback from various internal customers to identify risk areas, lay out a plan to acquire the data needed to gain confidence in the technology, and execute that plan to prove that the new technology is ready to be put on a path to production. We’re seeking an individual with a history of working in cross-functional engineering teams and successfully delivering technically-complex projects. This person will have the ability to distill ambiguous requests into a quantifiable customer impact, and to establish project deliverables and timelines to realize these impacts. A solid understanding of the first-principles of heat transfer, fluid dynamics, and thermodynamics is essential. This person will use their skills to establish the fundamental learnings that drive GM’s propulsion technology forward.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering or relevant field.
5+ years of experience in product engineering or relevant field.
Experience leading complex technical projects with cross-functional teams.
Ability to distill ambiguous customer requests into project deliverables and timelines.
Ability to collaborate with others both inside and outside of our direct team.
Demonstrated ability to clearly communicate complex topics to enable leaders to make informed decisions.
Strong understanding of first-principles in the fields of heat transfer, fluid dynamics, and thermodynamics.
Experience engaging with suppliers.

Nice To Haves

Master’s, PhD degrees in engineering or related field.
10+ years of experience in propulsion or thermal engineering.
3+ years of experience as a design responsible engineer.
Production launch experience.
Project management experience.
Testing or development experience for thermal or propulsion components.
Experience with component design for highly-integrated systems.
Experience working with R&D, advanced engineering, and new products teams.
Proficient in developing coarse physics-based analytical models to inform design decisions (Excel, MATLAB, etc.).
Thermal analysis experience with 1D (GT Power), 3D CFD (STAR-CCM+), or similar tools.
Design experience with Unigraphics NX or other CAD software.
Demonstrated ability of utilizing engineering creativity in applying novel concepts.
Evidence of mentoring and developing others.

Responsibilities

Lead an advanced technology work (ATW) project team through the development of integrated design solutions for new thermal concepts, defining development work priorities and tracking project status.
Detail the project scope and key metrics that will be required to define success.
Outline your project plan for evaluating the concept against these metrics.
Deliver a package of supporting material to confirm status against key metrics, including thermal performance capability, impact to manufacturing, cost, mass, packaging, controls, and integration to the propulsion system and vehicle.
Provide consulting support to the propulsion new product and execution teams as design solutions are implemented in an architecture, then sourced and launched into production.
Ensure requirements and hardware design solutions align with customer expectations by collaborating with engineers from vehicle thermal systems, propulsion systems, and battery pack and cell teams.
Partner with the Virtual Design, Development, & Validation (VDDV) team to utilize 1D analysis and 3D CFD tools to assess performance of various propulsion thermal designs.
Coordinate physical testing and manufacturing trials to assess concept risks and to create data for analytical model correlation.
Engage with GM R&D to provide input to and partner on advanced research projects.
Continuously benchmark automotive and other industries to identify trends and implement innovative technologies for future vehicles - working with technical specialists on teardowns and assessments.
Establish relationships with key suppliers and start-ups to engage on development projects for innovative technologies, typically through Statement of Development Work (SODW) agreements.
Engage with new product and execution teams to comprehend lessons-learned and hardy perennial issues that may be resolved with ATW projects.
Support technical specialists to improve best practices, subsystem and component technical specifications, and bills of design/process/material, taking ownership where appropriate.
Protect intellectual property (IP) by documenting your new ideas for invention board review and subsequent patent submissions.