Chassis Design Engineer - Aerospace/Lunar - GM Defense

GM•Warren, MI

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

GM Defense is leveraging General Motors' automotive manufacturing expertise in electrification, autonomous driving, and vehicle dynamics to build the next generation of lunar mobility systems. This role offers a unique opportunity to apply high-volume production efficiency to mission-critical space hardware, specifically focusing on the structural design of lunar exploration vehicles. The Chassis/Structures Engineer will be responsible for the structural architecture, optimization, and mechanical design of lunar transport platforms, adapting advanced automotive chassis and EV architecture concepts for the extreme conditions of space.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering
5+ years of relevant product engineering experience in automotive, commercial vehicle, defense, aerospace, or a closely related industry
Demonstrated experience as a Design Release Engineer, technical lead, or equivalent, with end-to-end responsibility for a major subsystem
Proven ability to lead work through concept, design, validation, launch, and field support on complex engineered products
Experience working in CAD/CAE and PLM environments, including formal change management and part release processes
Strong problem-solving, root cause analysis, and issue resolution skills in a fast-paced, hardware-focused environment
Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to interface effectively with suppliers, customers, and cross-functional teams
Demonstrated ability to lead technical direction, manage subsystem risk, and mentor other engineers
Candidate must be a U.S. Person (U.S. citizen, U.S. permanent resident, asylee or refugee).
Ability to legally operate a motor vehicle on a regular basis and successfully complete a Motor Vehicle Report review.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree in a relevant engineering discipline, Aerospace Engineering in particular
Direct experience with military or government vehicle programs, standards, or acquisition processes
Familiarity with GM engineering processes, systems, and tools, including bills of material, release systems, and global vehicle development processes
Experience in Chassis: vehicle dynamics, durability, off-road mobility, or heavy payloads
Prior work in ultra-low volume, highly configured products and/or rapid prototyping environments

Responsibilities

Design space rovers and mobility systems for the Moon, focusing on mechanical structures, thermal endurance, and harsh terrain adaptation.
Build rugged, high-reliability rovers or human-rated transport systems, such as the Lunar Terrain Vehicle, to operate in extreme lunar environments.
Optimize chassis integrity, wheel-soil interaction, and payload deployment under one-sixth Earth gravity and intense thermal swings.
Own end-to-end development of rover structures, attachment points, and deployment systems using 3D CAD tools.
Account for extreme lunar dust, deep craters, and severe temperature drops during the lunar night.
Interface directly with thermal, power, GNC (Guidance, Navigation, and Control), and software teams.
Define and execute rigorous validation tests for actuators, mobility geartrains, and structural load limits based on industry-developed validation criteria.
Scale automotive suspension, steering, and EV drivetrain concepts to function in one-sixth Earth gravity and vacuum conditions.
Bridge high-volume production quality standards with lightweight, high-performance aerospace materials.
Seal critical mechanical actuators and geartrains against highly abrasive lunar regolith and extreme thermal cycling.
Apply advanced vehicle dynamics simulations and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing methodologies to space hardware development.