Mechanical Engineer - Advanced Concepts

Your role As a Mechanical Engineer on our Advanced Concepts team, you will be responsible for creating concepts and prototypes for new products in our Auburn Hills Innovation Center. You will combine hands-on technical expertise with materials and process knowledge to create prototypes for new products and features. This role offers a unique opportunity to work with all our dispensing technologies, automation systems, and customer applications while collaborating with engineering, project management, and technical teams. This position reports to the Innovation Hub Manager. Job Responsibilities Create clean-sheet mechanical concepts from ideas generated by the Innovation Hub teamCreate physical prototypes for some of these concepts, utilizing a combination of internal and external fabrication resourcesWhen required, provide engineering direction to external fabrication resourcesCreate and maintain technical and financial documentation for concept projectsAssemble, test and troubleshoot concept prototypes during initial buildWith direction of our Product and Process experts, assist with the design of experiments to evaluate prototypesAuthor technical test reports for prototypes, including recommendations for improvements.When relevant, assist with transition of a project from the concept phase to the product teamWhen relevant, assist the Marketing team with creation of promotional materials for a projectWork with internal Product and Process experts to stay current on emerging dispensing technologies, materials, automation trends, and industry-best practices. Required Skills Core Mechanical Engineering Strong understanding of mechanics of materials, machine design, and motion dynamicsBaseline understanding of Design for Manufacturing fundamentalsFamiliarity with thermal effects, vibration, corrosion, and fatigueFamiliarity with actuators, sensors, motors, and other mechanical components CAD & Technical Design Proficiency in at least one major 3D CAD software (e.g., SolidWorks, Creo, NX, Inventor, …) Prototyping & Hands-On Build Support Experience fabricating or assembling prototypes using:Machined parts, Sheet metal, 3D printed componentsComfortable working in a lab or shop environmentAbility to rapidly iterate designs based on test results or failures Collaboration & Engineering Support Ability to analyze systems and make decisions on engineering directionAble to design their own experiments to prove or debunk conceptsWillingness to support testing, debugging, and root-cause analysisAble to assist handoff to product development Preferred Skills Advanced Prototyping & Rapid Development Experience with rapid iteration cycles and “build-test-learn” developmentFamiliarity with DFMA principles for automated assemblyAbility to suggest design simplifications to improve build speed and robustness Controls & Mechatronics Awareness Basic understanding of: Sensors, I/O concept, Servo motion fundamentalsAbility to collaborate effectively with controls, electrical, and software engineers Materials & Manufacturing Knowledge Practical knowledge of common engineering materials (steel, aluminum, plastics)Familiarity with common manufacturing processes such as Machining, Welding, Injection Molding, Additive (3D printing)Practical experience in one or several preferred Testing, Debugging & Failure Analysis Able to design and install simple test fixturesComfortable analyzing failures and proposing corrective actionsUnderstanding of risk, margin, and trade-offs in R&D environmentsAble to quantify and effectively communicate test performance from raw data Mindset & Soft Skills Curiosity and willingness to explore unconventional solutionsComfort with uncertainty and changing requirementsBias toward action and learning through experimentation Education & Experience Bachelor’s or Associates degree in engineering, manufacturing technology, automation, robotics, industrial technology, or a related technical field.Equivalent combination of education and relevant experience will be considered. Bonus/Differentiators Exposure to:Vision-guided assembly conceptsHigh-speed automation or precision assemblySafety standards related to automated equipmentExperience supporting technology demonstrators or early-stage prototypesBackground in internships or co-ops within automation, machinery, or manufacturing environments In return, we offer An enviroment where our employees... Act with AccountabilityAct with RespectAct with CuriosityAct ExperimentalityAct Collaboratively Travel Occasional domestic and/or international travel to support customer trials, installations, commissioning activities, demonstrations, training events, and technical development opportunities. Estimated overnight travel requirement is 5% or less. Uniting curious minds Behind every innovative solution, there are people working together to transform the future. With careers sparked by initiative and lifelong learning, we unite curious minds, and you could be one of them.