Mechanical Life Test Engineer

Job Description:

The MLT Lab Test Engineer will lead and support the development and execution of component, system-level, and powertrain testing within the Release and Validation organizations. This role is integral to ensuring the reliability, durability, and performance of vehicle systems and components through rigorous testing.

Key responsibilities include overseeing component and vehicle system-level test setups to meet DVP&R (Design Verification Plan & Report) requirements, supporting fixture design and fabrication for a variety of test scenarios (including powertrain component testing), and maintaining active MLT projects. The engineer will collaborate with CAE, Release Engineering, and Test Engineering teams to ensure the effective and timely execution of current and future validation programs.

This role will also involve leading SBU personnel, developing test plans and bogeys, and performing root cause analyses to resolve test-related issues and replicate field failures.

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or equivalent experience in an OEM automotive test and validation laboratory.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in an automotive testing or engineering environment.
• Strong working knowledge of vehicle operations, with an emphasis on suspension systems and components.
• Working knowledge of vehicle powertrain systems. EDM and ICE variations.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Proven ability to work effectively in a collaborative, team-based environment.
• Positive attitude and strong willingness to learn and adapt.
• Working knowledge of basic lab instrumentation such as loadcells, lvdt's, o-scopes, linear measuring devices, strain gauge-based instrumentation.
• Able to interpret time histories from virtual and actual collected road load data.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience supervising or coordinating with UAW-SBU (Salaried Bargaining Unit) personnel.
• Proficiency with hydraulic control systems such as MTS and MOOG for real-time, block cycle, and non-standard test scenarios.
• Strong project management and decision-making skills.
• Experience using engineering software tools such as Teamcenter, AutoCAD, and Lab view
• Ability to read and interpret machine drawings and utilize precision measurement tools. Understanding of GD&T
• Fixture design experience for fatigue and vibration testing at the system and component level.
• Knowledge of servo hydraulic closed-loop test systems; real-time testing is a strong plus.
• Experience with servo loop tuning, instrumentation setup and calibration and writing test sequences.
• Proficiency in time history analysis of virtual and physical vehicle data for test correlation and damage calculations.
• Ability to develop test bogeys, including block cycle development, metallic and rubber fatigue, vector and PSD profiles for vibration and system-level testing.
• Familiarity with data collection and analysis tools such as MARS, Somat, and nCode; capable of processing data using RPC and Excel.
• Strong problem-solving skills, including root cause analysis and test-based recreation of field failures.
• Experience in vibration testing and correlation techniques is a plus.