Materials Engineer - Interiors

About the role

Materials Engineer - Interiors contract position located in Troy, MI, USA. The role reports to the Head of Accessories and owns execution across an active materials engineering program covering development, test planning, material approvals, and supplier engagement, partnering cross‑functionally with CMF, Vehicle Engineering, and the supplier base. The client is an innovative American automotive manufacturer focused on redefining affordable electric mobility, developing purpose‑built electric vehicles with an emphasis on simplicity, modular design, and customer customisation. Contechs is a strategic partner to the automotive industry, providing innovative design and engineering services to global OEMs, from concept to production.

Responsibilities

• Lead and approve the Clients' Material Approvals execution across multiple active material categories, closing backlogs while building repeatable approval frameworks from the ground up.
• Execute a structured materials compatibility DOE program.
• Responsibilities include sample preparation, coordination with prototyping partners, external lab contracting, iterative data interpretation, and development of an internal test protocol.
• Full technical reporting required at each stage.
• Collaborate cross‑functionally to develop and execute a materials development and validation program for new appearance applications.
• Work includes test plan development, supplier and 3rd party lab engagement, and identification of applicable regulatory and compliance requirements.
• Draft material performance specifications across active programs under senior product engineer direction, working from test data, surrogate references, and first‑principles reasoning.
• Facilitate workstreams with directed material suppliers of the Client.
• Aligning applications suppliers and teams to support the product launches.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, materials science, chemistry or equivalent; MS a plus.
• 3+ years in materials engineering or a closely adjacent field.
• Comfortable operating independently.
• Comfortable in start‑up environments.
• Capability to work cross‑functionally with partners, suppliers, and vendors, building strong relationships that produce positive results.
• Must have proof of immediate, ongoing, and valid eligibility to work full time in the United States.

Skills

• Collaborative “one company” teammate with a continuous improvement approach that is equally comfortable with engineering details and test environments.