Material DRE Powertrain Engineer

Role details

Auburn Hills, MI, United States (On-site)

Contract (1 month 16 days)

Published 18 minutes ago

Supplier Quality

product development

Powertrain Materials

cross - functional collaboration

materials engineering

Cost & Product Optimization

failure analysis

The Powertrain Materials Engineer provides materials engineering support for the design, development, validation, launch, and continuous improvement of powertrain components and systems. The role applies knowledge of metallic and non-metallic materials, manufacturing processes, failure analysis, and laboratory testing to resolve technical issues and help deliver reliable, cost-effective products. The engineer works closely with product engineering, manufacturing, quality, purchasing, suppliers, and laboratory teams.

Key Responsibilities

• Recommend and approve materials and processes for powertrain components

• Support material selection, specifications, drawings, design reviews, validation plans, and engineering change activities.

• Support root-cause investigations of material, process, durability, corrosion, wear, contamination, and field-performance concerns.

• Plan, coordinate, and interpret laboratory testing, including metallography, mechanical testing, chemical analysis, microscopy, hardness, surface characterization, and nondestructive evaluation.

• Work with manufacturing plants and suppliers to resolve quality and production issues using structured problem-solving methods.

• Assess supplier materials and processes for compliance with engineering requirements and support technical reviews, audits, and corrective actions.

• Document technical findings in concise reports and present recommendations to engineering and business stakeholders.

• Support cost, mass, quality, warranty, sustainability, and manufacturability improvements without compromising product performance.

• Maintain awareness of relevant industry standards, emerging materials, and powertrain manufacturing technologies.

• Manage multiple assignments, communicate risks, and deliver work in accordance with program timing.

Mandatory Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering, Metallurgical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or a related technical discipline.

• Minimum of three years of relevant materials, manufacturing, product development, quality, or failure-analysis experience.

• Working knowledge of material properties, specifications, manufacturing processes, and laboratory test methods.

• Ability to interpret engineering drawings, specifications, test data, and technical standards.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain technical issues to cross-functional audiences.

• Demonstrated ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced engineering environment.

• Ability to travel occasionally to manufacturing, supplier, and test locations.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with internal-combustion, hybrid, transmission, driveline, or electrified powertrain components.

• Experience using structured problem-solving and root-cause analysis tools.

• Knowledge of heat treatment, casting, forging, machining, welding, brazing, surface treatment, coatings, tribology, corrosion, or polymer processing.

• Experience with automotive product-development systems, supplier quality processes, design validation, and production launch.

• Familiarity with statistical analysis, design of experiments, FMEA, 8D, and related quality tools.

• Knowledge of applicable ASTM, SAE, ISO, or company-specific material and test standards.

• Master’s degree in a relevant engineering discipline.

The pay range that the employer in good faith reasonably expects to pay for this position is $20.34/hour - $31.78/hour. Our benefits include medical, dental, vision and retirement benefits. Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis.

*Tundra Technical Solutions is among North America’s leading providers of Staffing and Consulting Services. Our success and our clients’ success are built on a foundation of service excellence. We are an equal opportunity employer, and we do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, disability, genetic information, or other applicable legally protected characteristic. Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with applicable law, including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act.

Unincorporated LA County workers: we reasonably believe that criminal history may have a direct, adverse and negative relationship with the following job duties, potentially resulting in the withdrawal of a conditional offer of employment: client provided property, including hardware (both of which may include data) entrusted to you from theft, loss or damage; return all portable client computer hardware in your possession (including the data contained therein) upon completion of the assignment, and; maintain the confidentiality of client proprietary, confidential, or non-public information.

In addition, job duties require access to secure and protected client information technology systems and related data security obligations.*