Thermal Lead Development Engineer - GM Defense
GM•Milford, MI
•Hybrid
About The Position
GM Defense is looking for a Thermal Lead Development Engineer (LDE) that is interested in creating the future of GM Defense-related vehicles. The GM Defense Performance Team is a dynamic, fast paced environment where every day provides a new problem to solve that is having an impact on our current & future defense ground vehicles. This includes participating in the AVD process, establishing vehicle level and subsystem requirements. Then following that project through protype builds, integrating the vehicle and then launching a new vehicle program.
Requirements
- BS/MS in Engineering
- 5+ years of experience in thermal system design release, development, or validation (any combination)
- Strong knowledge of applicable thermal requirements, standards, and vehicle-level specifications
- Demonstrated ability to simplify complex technical concepts and communicate effectively across all levels — from peers to senior leadership
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively; comfortable navigating ambiguity to enable timely decisions
- Working knowledge of DFMEA, PFMEA, and CFD analysis
- Strong knowledge of program timing and vehicle development process deliverables
- Candidate must be a U.S. Person (U.S. citizen, U.S. permanent resident, asylee or refugee).
Nice To Haves
- MS in Mechanical Engineering
- 8+ years of experience in thermal systems
- Demonstrated engineering leadership experience (e.g., team lead or subject matter expert)
- Experience supporting both battery electric and conventional powertrain architectures
- Familiarity with virtual vehicle analysis tools or HVAC calibration processes
- Demonstrated ability to interpret customer satisfaction data and translate to development priorities
- Six Sigma certification or equivalent structured problem-solving experience
- Defense engineering experience
Responsibilities
- Provide technical direction and assurance to performance engineers and design release engineers
- Own and develop vehicle-level thermal system requirements in collaboration with vehicle performance owners and technical stakeholders
- Manage the development and validation plan, including prioritization of physical properties (benches/vehicles), climatic wind tunnel time, and trip coordination
- Partner with virtual analysis teams to prioritize computational work and special requests
- Lead thermal program integration meetings; engage in program forums across vehicle performance, development, and validation workstreams
- Review engineering design documents; advocate for design best practices and participate in component technical reviews
- Lead thermal system peer reviews at key program milestones; ensure team readiness and delivery excellence
- Coordinate read-across and cross-program integration issues
- Lead issue resolution for customer-facing concerns related to comfort, quality, and warranty; balance ongoing system and feature continuous improvement work alongside active program milestone delivery
- Mentor team members and support their professional development
Benefits
- This job may be eligible for relocation benefits.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
