Entry-Level Physical Metallurgist: Steel Innovator

General Motors; Warren (MI); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

General Motors Research and Development seeks a Physical Metallurgist in the Mechanics, Materials and Process Research Lab in Warren, Michigan. You will innovate in steel metallurgy for next-generation vehicle applications, propose new research directions, and lead collaborative studies spanning alloy design, processing, and performance validation.

You will relate composition, processing, microstructure and properties, guide experimental work, and translate insights into practical vehicle

Qualifications

• Advanced degree in Materials Science and Engineering, Metallurgical Engineering, Physics, Mechanical Engineering, or closely related field.
• Graduating between Aug 2026 and Jun 2027.
• Able to work full-time, 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 AHSS, UHSS, HSLA, stainless steels, press-hardening steels, or related ferrous alloys.
• Experience with thermo-mechanical processing and heat treatment (rolling, forging, annealing, quenching, tempering, aging, press hardening).
• Experience with metallographic preparation and characterization (OM, SEM, EDS, EBSD, XRD, hardness testing, dilatometry).
• Experience designing and interpreting mechanical/durability testing (tensile, fatigue, fracture, impact, corrosion).
• Ability to connect alloy chemistry, processing, microstructure, and performance using rigorous methods.
• Experience in multidisciplinary research teams.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with GM collaborators.

Responsibilities

• Plan and execute collaborative research in physical metallurgy and ferrous materials, generating new knowledge.
• Develop composition-process-structure-property relationships for advanced steels.
• Investigate phase transformations, recrystallization, precipitation, grain refinement, hardenability, residual stress, damage mechanisms.
• Design and evaluate thermo-mechanical processing and heat-treatment strategies (rolling, forging, annealing, quenching, tempering, aging, press hardening).
• Characterize steel microstructures and defects using optical, electron, diffraction, chemical, thermal, and mechanical methods.
• Evaluate properties such as tensile, fatigue, fracture, impact, formability, wear, corrosion as needed for applications.
• Partner with manufacturing and engineering teams to address forming, joining, coating, corrosion, dimensional stability, readiness challenges.
• Connect experimental observations with thermodynamic, kinetic, computational, and data-driven models when appropriate.
• Drive internal and external collaborations with GM teams, universities, suppliers, labs.
• Maintain awareness of state of the art in physical metallurgy and related disciplines.
• Prepare high-quality technical reports, presentations, publications, and invention disclosures.
• Generate intellectual property to protect new inventions and results.
• Assist and mentor other employees in accomplishing project goals.

Skills

Physical metallurgy

Iron-carbon metallurgy

Phase transformations

Kinetics

Structure-property

Multidisciplinary teamwork

Technical communication

Materials characterization

Education

MS/PhD in Materials Science and Engineering or related

Job description

General Motors Research and Development seeks a Physical Metallurgist in the Mechanics, Materials and Process Research Lab in Warren, Michigan. You will innovate in steel metallurgy for next-generation vehicle applications, propose new research directions, and lead collaborative studies spanning alloy design, processing, and performance validation.

You will relate composition, processing, microstructure and properties, guide experimental work, and translate insights into practical vehicle