Technical Specialist - Propulsion Hydraulics

General Motors LLC; United States; Hybrid; USD 130,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation benefits

Total Rewards resources

Job summary

General Motors Company is seeking an experienced engineer to lead the virtual development of propulsion hydraulic systems, guiding hardware teams to smarter design decisions and reducing physical testing through advanced modeling and virtual calibration.

The role partners with virtual engineering, test, hardware, controls, and calibration groups to set direction for future virtual capabilities, mentor colleagues, and drive cross‑functional technical excellence across programs.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or related engineering discipline.
• 10+ years of engineering experience in propulsion systems, fluid systems, hydraulics, modeling and simulation, design, testing, controls, calibration, or related field.
• Strong understanding of propulsion fluid-system physics and experience applying that knowledge to engine, transmission, or vehicle development.
• Experience developing, using, reviewing, and correlating system-level models for fluid, hydraulic, or propulsion applications.

Responsibilities

• Lead the virtual development of propulsion-hydraulics systems and guide design decisions.
• Set direction for future virtual capabilities and methods, with reduced physical testing.
• Develop and improve models capturing system behavior and failure causes for design reviews and validation.
• Collaborate with hardware engineering on architectures, sizing, tradeoffs, and design changes.
• Coordinate with test teams to correlate models and plan focused testing.
• Provide models and methods to support virtual calibration and earlier engineering decisions.
• Mentor team members and customers on propulsion-hydraulics fundamentals and applications.

Skills

Propulsion hydraulics modeling

Cross-functional collaboration

Python scripting

Data analysis

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field

Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field

Tools

GT-SUITE

AMESim

MATLAB/Simulink

Simscape

Siemens NX

SABER

Job description

Job Description The Role

We are looking for an experienced engineer to lead the virtual development of propulsion hydraulic systems. This person will help hardware teams make better design decisions for engine coolant, oil and lubrication, ventilation and PCV, fuel systems, cam phasers, and transmission hydraulics. The role will use engineering models, test data, and sound engineering judgment to understand how these systems work, why they fail, and what should change. The work will support hardware design, reduce unnecessary physical testing, and provide models and methods for virtual calibration. The specialist will work closely with virtual engineering, test, hardware, controls, and calibration teams. This is a technical leadership role. The successful candidate will set direction for future virtual capabilities, lead difficult technical work, and influence decisions across the organization without needing direct authority over the teams involved.

What You’ll Do

• Use models, test results, and engineering judgment to guide propulsion-hydraulics product design, including engine coolant, oil and lubrication, ventilation and PCV, fuel systems, cam-phaser hydraulics, and transmission hydraulics.
• Set the direction for future virtual capabilities, including better models, stronger engineering methods, reduced testing, virtual calibration, automation, and reuse across programs.
• Develop and improve models that capture system behavior, component behavior, and the physical causes of failure; use those models to support requirements, design reviews, and validation.
• Work with hardware engineering teams on architectures, component sizing, design tradeoffs, operating limits, failure modes, and design changes.
• Work with test teams to correlate models, plan focused testing, and determine where physical testing can be reduced without increasing product risk.
• Work with controls and calibration teams to provide models and methods that support virtual calibration and earlier engineering decisions.
• Bring virtual engineering, test, hardware, controls, and calibration teams together around difficult problems; communicate recommendations clearly, lead projects that improve our engineering methods and tools.
• Teach and mentor team members and customers on propulsion-hydraulics fundamentals, models, methods, and how to apply the results to product decisions.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or a related engineering discipline, or equivalent experience.
• Approximately 10 or more years of engineering experience in propulsion systems, fluid systems, hydraulics, modeling and simulation, design, testing, controls, calibration, or a related field.
• Strong understanding of propulsion fluid-system physics and experience applying that knowledge to engine, transmission, or vehicle development.
• Experience developing, using, reviewing, and correlating system-level models for fluid, hydraulic, or propulsion applications.
• Experience with one or more 1D or system-simulation tools such as GT-SUITE, AMESim, MATLAB/Simulink, Simscape, or equivalent.
• Experience leading difficult, cross-functional technical work from problem definition through implementation.
• Ability to explain complex technical issues clearly, make practical recommendations, and influence decisions without direct authority.
• Experience connecting simulation results with test data and product decisions, including understanding model limitations and uncertainty.
• Experience improving engineering methods, procedures, or tools and helping others use them consistently.
• Demonstrated behaviors aligned with Innovate Now, One Team, and Speak Fearlessly.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Fluid Mechanics, or a related field.
• Experience across multiple propulsion-hydraulics areas, including two or more of engine coolant, oil and lubrication, ventilation/PCV, fuel systems, cam phasers, and transmission hydraulics.
• Experience with engine or transmission controls development, calibration, verification, or validation.
• Experience executing a production vehicle or propulsion-system program.
• Experience with CFD, reduced-order modeling, co-simulation, controls interfaces, or hardware-in-the-loop / software-in-the-loop methods.
• Experience with Python, MATLAB scripting, automation, data analysis, or similar engineering productivity tools.
• Working knowledge of Siemens NX or other CAD tools and the ability to interpret component and system geometry.
• Experience with SABER or other multidomain modeling tools.
• DFSS Black Belt certification or equivalent structured problem-solving experience.

What Success Looks Like

• Hardware teams use the analysis and recommendations to make better propulsion-hydraulics design decisions earlier in development.
• Models explain observed behavior and failure mechanisms well enough to guide design, testing, controls, and calibration decisions.
• Test teams can focus physical testing where it adds the most value, while well-correlated models support the rest.
• The team makes measurable progress toward virtual calibration and earlier virtual validation.
• Virtual, test, hardware, controls, and calibration teams trust one another’s data, methods, and recommendations.
• Useful models, procedures, and lessons learned are reused across programs instead of being recreated for each project.
• Other engineers grow their skills through the specialist’s coaching, technical guidance, and example.

This role is categorized as hybrid

This means the selected candidate is expected to report to a specific location at least 3 times a week {or other frequency dictated by their manager}.

The selected candidate will be required to travel <25% for this role.

Relocation benefits are available for candidates who qualify under company policy.

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