Materials Engineer
About Blue Bird Corporation
Blue Bird (NASDAQ: BLBD) is recognized as a technology leader and innovator of school buses since its founding in 1927. Our dedicated team members design, engineer and manufacture school buses with a singular focus on safety, reliability, and durability. School buses carry the most precious cargo in the world – 25 million children twice a day – making them the most trusted mode of student transportation. The company is the proven leader in low- and zero-emission school buses with more than 25,000 propane, natural gas, and electric powered buses sold. Blue Bird is transforming the student transportation industry through cleaner energy solutions.
Job Summary
The Materials Engineer will research, test, and qualify materials to optimize the safety, structural integrity, and longevity of Blue Bird's school bus and commercial vehicle. This role drives innovation in light-weighting, corrosion resistance, and sustainability for both traditional and electric vehicle (EV) chassis and bodies.
Essential Duties And Responsibilities
Material Selection & Innovation: Evaluate and select metals, alloys, plastics, composites, polymers, and coatings for body structures, chassis components, and thermal management systems.
Testing & Characterization: Conduct mechanical, metallurgical, and chemical testing (e.g., tensile, hardness, microscopic analysis, corrosion) to validate supplier materials.
Failure Analysis: Lead comprehensive root cause analysis (RCA) on component failures from the field or production line, delivering technical reports and corrective actions.
Supplier Quality Validation: Partner with Procurement and Quality teams to audit supplier manufacturing processes, establishing technical material specifications and incoming inspection standards.
Continuous Improvement: Identify and drive material-substitution opportunities to reduce vehicle weight, lower manufacturing costs, and improve fuel/battery efficiency without sacrificing structural integrity.
Regulatory & Safety Compliance: Ensure all engineering materials comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS), environmental regulations (e.g., REACH/RoHS), and internal corporate sustainability goals.
Cross-Functional Consultation: Act as the technical subject matter expert (SME) for Design Engineering and Manufacturing Operations, advising on material behavior during stamping, welding, and painting.
Knowledge, Skills And Abilities For Success
Technical Domain Expertise: Deep understanding of metallurgy, polymer chemistry, structural composites, and material coatings (e.g. e-coat, primer, paint, and powder coating).
Analytical Laboratory Skills: Proficiency with lab equipment such as optical microscopes, spectrometers, hardness testers, and scanning electron microscopes (SEM).
Making Manufacturing Process Literacy: Solid understanding of how material properties change during automotive manufacturing processes like hot/cold stamping, robotic welding, and adhesive bonding.
Standards & Specifications Mastery: Familiarity with ASTM, SAE, ISO, and FMVSS engineering material standards and testing protocols.
Problem-Solving & Data Analysis: Strong data-driven troubleshooting skills with the ability to translate complex lab data into actionable engineering recommendations.
Education And Experience Required
Education: Bachelor of Science degree in Materials Science Engineering, Metallurgical Engineering, or Chemical Engineering from an accredited institution.
Experience: Minimum of 3 to 5 years of experience in materials engineering, product development, or failure analysis within an automotive, heavy truck, or aerospace manufacturing environment.
Preferred Experience
Direct experience working with high-strength steels (AHSS), aluminum alloys, and/or composite materials aimed at automotive vehicle weight reduction.
Familiarity with battery-pack materials, thermal interface materials (TIMs), or high-voltage insulation systems used in Electric Vehicles (EVs).
Advanced engineering degree, such as a Master of Science or Ph.D. in Materials Science.
Hands-on experience utilizing Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) systems (e.g., Dassault Systèmes 3DEXPERIENCE) to manage material databases and technical specifications.
Includes
Continued Professional Development
Benefits including medical, dental and vision insurance, 14 paid holidays, vacation time and 401k matching
Work Conditions
Office environment and production environment
Fast-paced production area with moving objects and sheet metal
Occasional periods of standing or sitting for extended periods of time
You must wear appropriate PPE when and where required
Frequent weeks working 40+ hours
Frequent communication with people throughout the day