Descripción

The Role:

As a valued 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.

You will generate new insights into the relationships among steel composition, processing history, phase transformations, microstructure, mechanical properties, durability, joining behavior, formability, and manufacturability. Your work 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.

What You’ll Do:   

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 as needed for the application.

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 when appropriate.

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 to communicate research outcomes.

Generate intellectual property to protect new inventions and research results.

Assist and mentor other employees in accomplishing project and research goals.

Required Qualifications:     

Pursuit of an Advanced degree (M.S. or Ph.D.) in one of the following areas: Materials Science and Engineering, Metallurgical Engineering, Physics, Mechanical Engineering, or a closely related field.

Must be a current student

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 to work effectively with GM internal and external collaborators.
Able to work fulltime, 40 hours per week during the summer months

Preferred Qualifications:   

Ph.D. strongly preferred.

Experience with one or more of the following:

Advanced high-strength steels, third-generation steels, press-hardening steels, dual-phase steels, martensitic steels, bainitic steels, TRIP steels, TWIP steels, or other emerging steel grades.

Thermo-mechanical processing, controlled rolling, recrystallization control, precipitation strengthening, transformation control, or grain-size engineering.

CALPHAD, thermodynamic and kinetic modeling, Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME), finite-element simulation, or process modeling.

Advanced characterization of crystallographic texture, inclusions, precipitates, retained austenite, martensite, bainite, weld zones, or coating interfaces.

Steel forming, stamping, roll forming, forging, welding, joining, coating, galvanizing, or additive manufacturing.

Corrosion, hydrogen effects, fatigue, fracture, crash performance, lightweighting, or durability of steel components.

Scientific programming, data analysis, machine learning, or materials informatics using Python, MATLAB, C/C++, or similar tools.

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.

GM does not provide immigration-related sponsorship for this role. Do not apply for this role if you will need GM immigration sponsorship now or in the future. This includes direct company sponsorship, entry of GM as the immigration employer of record on a government form, and any work authorization requiring a written submission or other immigration support from the company (e.g., H1-B, OPT, STEM OPT, CPT, TN, J-1, etc).

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).

Work Arrangement:

Hybrid: This role is categorized as hybrid. This means the successful candidate is expected to report to Warren, MI three times per week, at minimum [or other frequency dictated by the business]. 

GM will provide a one-time lump sum taxable stipend payment to eligible students selected for the 2027 Student Program - to help facilitate administration of relocation benefits, please apply using the permanent address you would move from.

Start dates for this internship role are May 24th & June 14th of 2027.

Información sobre diversidad

General Motors se compromete a ser un lugar de trabajo en el cual no solo no haya discriminación indebida, sino que fomente con sinceridad la inclusión y el sentido de pertenencia. Creemos firmemente que la diversidad del personal crea un entorno en el cual nuestros empleados pueden prosperar y desarrollar mejores productos para nuestros clientes. Instamos a los candidatos interesados a que revisen las responsabilidades y aptitudes clave para cada puesto y se postulen para los puestos que coincidan con sus habilidades y capacidades. Es posible que, cuando corresponda, se les pida a los solicitantes que están en el proceso de contratación que completen satisfactoriamente una o más evaluaciones relacionadas con su función y/o una evaluación previa al empleo antes de comenzar a trabajar. Para obtener más información, visite Cómo contratamos.

Declaración de igualdad de oportunidades en el empleo (EE.UU.)

General Motors se enorgullece de ser un empleador que ofrece igualdad de oportunidades. Todos los solicitantes calificados serán tenidos en cuenta para el empleo sin distinción de raza, color, religión, sexo, orientación sexual, identidad de género, nacionalidad, discapacidad o condición de veterano protegido.

Adecuaciones (EE.UU. y Canadá)

General Motors ofrece oportunidades a todos los solicitantes de empleo, incluyendo las personas con discapacidades. Si necesita una adecuación razonable para ayudarle con su búsqueda o solicitud de empleo, envíenos un correo electrónico a [email protected] o llámenos al 800-865-7580. En su correo electrónico, incluya una descripción del puesto específico que está solicitando, así como el título del empleo y el número de solicitud del puesto que está solicitando.