Optimization Scientist: AI-Driven Scheduling & Digital Twin

Howmet Aerospace; Whitehall Township (MI); On-site; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Howmet Aerospace is seeking an Operations Research Scientist at our Howmet Research Center in Whitehall, MI. This role centers on designing optimization engines, digital-twin models, and integrating predictive ML components to enable autonomous decision making across global facilities.

The candidate will leverage ILP/MILP, constraint programming, and solver tools to advance production planning, scheduling, and resource utilization while collaborating with manufacturing teams and ML engineers.

Qualifications

• Graduate degree with specialization in operations research.
• Expertise in ILP/MILP modeling, constraint programming, and solver technologies (Gurobi, CPLEX, OR Tools, Pyomo, PuLP).
• Working knowledge of machine learning, feature engineering, and model evaluation.
• Experience in digital twin development and simulation modeling.
• U.S. work authorization; export-controlled data restrictions apply.

Responsibilities

• Develop advanced optimization models for production planning, sequencing, and resource allocation.
• Build and refine production-scheduling engines with constraints, objectives, and heuristics.
• Develop and maintain digital-twin models for manufacturing systems.
• Analyze large manufacturing datasets using Python and SQL to identify bottlenecks.
• Integrate optimization with ML components such as cycle-time and demand forecasts.
• Prototype new mathematical formulations to improve throughput and reduce WIP.
• Conduct statistical and multi-factor analyses to evaluate system performance.
• Communicate results clearly to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Collaborate with manufacturing teams to validate outputs and support plant trials.
• Promote an optimization-driven culture across the organization.

Skills

ILP/MILP modeling

Constraint programming

Solver tools

Digital twin development

Python

SQL

ML integration

Education

MS or PhD in OR

Tools

Gurobi

CPLEX

OR Tools

Pyomo

PuLP

Job description

Howmet Aerospace is seeking an Operations Research Scientist at our Howmet Research Center in Whitehall, MI. This role centers on designing optimization engines, digital-twin models, and integrating predictive ML components to enable autonomous decision making across global facilities.

The candidate will leverage ILP/MILP, constraint programming, and solver tools to advance production planning, scheduling, and resource utilization while collaborating with manufacturing teams and ML engineers.