Entry-Level, Physical Metallurgist

About the Role

As a Physical Metallurgist in the Mechanics, Materials and Process Research Lab at General Motors Research and Development, you will innovate in steel metallurgy for next-generation vehicle and manufacturing applications. You will propose new research directions, establish technical research plans, and lead collaborative studies spanning alloy design, thermo-mechanical processing, heat treatment, microstructure development, characterization, and performance validation. Your work will generate new insights into the relationships among steel composition, processing history, phase transformations, microstructure, mechanical properties, durability, joining behavior, formability, and manufacturability. This role will guide experimental efforts, accelerate materials down-selection, and help translate metallurgical research into practical solutions for vehicle structures, closures, chassis systems, safety components, and manufacturing processes. You will document and communicate results through high-quality technical reports, external publications, presentations, and records of invention.

Key Responsibilities

• Plan and execute collaborative research in physical metallurgy and ferrous materials, generating new knowledge and enabling innovative steel solutions.
• Develop and apply composition–process–structure–property relationships for advanced steels and steel-based material systems.
• Investigate phase transformations, recrystallization, precipitation, recovery, grain refinement, hardenability, residual stress, and damage mechanisms.
• Design and evaluate thermo-mechanical processing and heat-treatment strategies, including rolling, forging, annealing, quenching, tempering, aging, and press hardening.
• Characterize steel microstructures and defects using appropriate optical, electron, diffraction, chemical, thermal, and mechanical methods.
• Evaluate tensile, fatigue, fracture, impact, formability, wear, corrosion, and other performance characteristics.
• Partner closely with manufacturing and engineering teams to address forming, joining, coating, corrosion, dimensional stability, and production-readiness challenges.
• Connect experimental observations with thermodynamic, kinetic, computational, and data-driven models.
• Drive internal and external collaborations with GM engineering teams, universities, suppliers, national laboratories, and research partners.
• Maintain awareness of the state of the art in physical metallurgy, advanced high-strength steels, steel processing, characterization, and related disciplines.
• Prepare timely, high-quality technical reports, presentations, publications, and invention disclosures.
• Generate intellectual property.
• Assist and mentor other employees.

Requirements & Tech Stack

• Advanced degree (M.S. or Ph.D.) in Materials Science and Engineering, Metallurgical Engineering, Physics, Mechanical Engineering, or a closely related field.
• Must be graduating between August 2026 - June 2027.
• Able to work fulltime, 40 hours per week.
• Strong foundation in physical metallurgy, iron–carbon metallurgy, phase diagrams, phase transformations, kinetics, crystallography, and structure–property relationships.
• Experience with steels such as advanced high-strength steels, ultra-high-strength steels, high-strength low-alloy steels, stainless steels, electrical steels, press-hardening steels, or related ferrous alloys.
• Experience with thermo-mechanical processing and heat treatment, including rolling, forging, annealing, quenching, tempering, aging, or press hardening.
• Experience with metallographic preparation and characterization using techniques such as optical microscopy, SEM, EDS, EBSD, X-ray diffraction, hardness testing, dilatometry, or related methods.
• Experience designing, conducting, and interpreting mechanical or durability testing, including tensile, fatigue, fracture, impact, formability, or corrosion testing.
• Ability to connect alloy chemistry, processing conditions, microstructure, and performance using rigorous scientific methods.
• Experience working in multidisciplinary research teams.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Ph.D. strongly preferred.
• Experience with one or more of the following:
• Advanced steel grades: advanced high-strength steels, third-generation steels, press-hardening steels, dual-phase steels, martensitic steels, bainitic steels, TRIP steels, TWIP steels.
• Thermo-mechanical processing: controlled rolling, recrystallization control, precipitation strengthening, transformation control, grain-size engineering.
• Modeling: CALPHAD, thermodynamic and kinetic modeling, Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME), finite-element simulation, process modeling.
• Advanced characterization: crystallographic texture, inclusions, precipitates, retained austenite, martensite, bainite, weld zones, coating interfaces.
• Steel processing: forming, stamping, roll forming, forging, welding, joining, coating, galvanizing, additive manufacturing.
• Material behavior: corrosion, hydrogen effects, fatigue, fracture, crash performance, lightweighting, durability.
• Scientific programming/data analysis: Python, MATLAB, C/C++, machine learning, materials informatics.
• Experience coupling metallurgical predictions with experimental validation and engineering qualification.
• Demonstrated publication record and/or intellectual property generation.
• Experience transitioning metallurgical insights into applied engineering, manufacturing, or production solutions.
• Knowledge of design-for-manufacturing, steel sustainability, recycled content, critical-materials considerations, or life-cycle performance.

Work Arrangement

• Hybrid: Expected to report to Warren, MI three times per week, at minimum.

Immigration and Export Control

• GM does not provide immigration-related sponsorship for this role.
• The position is subject to export control restrictions and requires the successful candidate to be a U.S. Person (U.S. citizen, U.S. permanent resident, asylee or refugee).