Entry-Level - Physical Metallurgist - Steels

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

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:

• 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 to work effectively with GM internal and external collaborators.

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.


• Experience with 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 cr