Lab Manager, Enabling Technologies

Responsibilities

Maintain safe workplace through active management of safety for all activities and personnel in the facility, and ensure a positive “safety first” culture is established and maintained at the facility.

Manage workflow for labs (metallurgy, joining, formability, laser, and hot/cold stamping development cell) including resourcing, test scheduling, testing methodologies, developing solutions and testing proof of concepts for automotive customers.

Directly manage or provide guidance to area leaders for project definition, project management, and gate review of enabling technology projects supporting automotive customers and Novelis automotive Lab initiatives, and provide technical leadership to the team to navigate complex situations requiring the team to adapt or develop new solutions through analytical, interpretative, creative and innovative thinking.

Work with automotive R&D and Value Stream technical leadership to develop and maintain 5 year strategic direction of the Novi facility, and use the diverse technical talent and budget to enhance lab competency, equipment, and employees to deliver on the strategic direction of Novelis and automotive customers.

Develop annual budget (Operating cost and capital costs) to maintain and address needs of the facility supporting strategic direction of the Lab.

Ensure proper data and laboratory records are maintained and all intellectual property protection methods are employed.

Represent Novelis to key automotive customers and their personnel to show enabling technologies that will influence the implementation and specification of Novelis’ products into future vehicles.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's in Engineering (Materials, Mechanical, Aerospace) or equivalent experience required. Masters or PhD preferred.
• More than 10 years experience in a technical engineering environment involving metal structures, preferably hands-on, manufacturing, lab or production design in the transportation industry.
• Demonstrated understanding of material requirements, forming and joining requirements, structural performance requirements, and corrosion resistance requirements for Novelis products as applied by automotive customers, and the testing required to support and develop such applications.
• Working knowledge of auto body and/or closure design, testing standards, joining, formability.
• Experience working with aluminum and steel materials.
• Industrial lab management (equipment and personnel) experience preferred.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills with ability to work well with diverse workgroups and cultures.
• High degree of proficiency in computer software applications with a systematic approach.
• Ability to address large groups for presentations and training as needed.