Tribology CAE Engineer

Job Description

Role Summary We are seeking a Tribology CAE Engineer to lead advanced virtual analysis and method development for frictional joint interfaces across GM propulsion and electrified systems. This role is intended for candidates with depth in one or more tribology domains, including lubricated, non-lubricated, and partially lubricated frictional joints. The engineer will apply this expertise to influence design decisions, validation strategy, durability, efficiency, NVH, and issue resolution across current and future products.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and execute virtual analysis of tribological interfaces across propulsion and electrified systems, with focus areas that may include:

• Hydrodynamic, elastohydrodynamic, mixed, and boundary lubrication
• Oil flow, oil supply, pressure distribution, aeration/cavitation, temperature, and lubricant transport
• Bearing, bushing, piston skirt/ring/pin, gear, pump, turbocharger, seal, and e-drive component behavior
• Friction, wear, scuffing, seizure, durability, efficiency, thermal performance, and NVH-related mechanisms

• Apply physics-based CAE and reduced-order/system models to evaluate design trade-offs and support architecture, sizing, calibration, and program decisions.
• Independently define modeling approaches, assumptions, boundary conditions, material and lubricant inputs, and analysis fidelity appropriate to program needs.
• Develop and use coupled analysis workflows, including CFD-to-tribology or system-to-component approaches, when they improve prediction quality or engineering decision speed.
• Support hardware release, validation, and issue resolution, including correlation of analytical predictions to rig, engine, vehicle, e-drive, teardown, field, and warranty evidence.
• Translate virtual analysis results into clear engineering recommendations, risk assessments, design actions, and measurable acceptance criteria.
• Serve as a technical interface with design, test, manufacturing, materials, lubrication-system, controls, supplier, and program teams.
• Develop, validate, document, and deploy analysis methods, standard work, templates, checklists, and reusable workflows that improve consistency and first-time quality.
• Contribute to automation, scripting, parametric studies, design of experiments, data reduction, visualization, and other improvements that reduce analysis cycle time.
• Provide technical guidance, peer review, and informal mentoring within the lubrication, tribology, thermofluids, and powertrain CAE communities.
• Communicate complex physics, uncertainty, and engineering judgment clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related engineering discipline.
• 5+ years of relevant experience in CAE, engineering analysis, product development, or validation involving lubrication, tribology, thermofluids, powertrain, or electrified propulsion systems.
• Demonstrated hands-on experience applying CAE to at least one lubricated-contact or fluid-system domain, such as bearings, piston/ring systems, gears, pumps, turbochargers, seals, lubrication circuits, or e-drive components.
• Strong understanding of relevant lubrication and tribology fundamentals, including fluid-film behavior, friction, wear, contact mechanics, oil properties, heat generation, thermal effects, and the relationship between load, speed, clearance, surface condition, and lubricant supply.
• Experience using one or more commercial, internally developed, or open-source CAE tools for lubrication, tribology, CFD, thermofluids, multibody dynamics, or related analysis; equivalent tools and transferable methods are acceptable.
• Demonstrated ability to select appropriate model fidelity, establish defensible assumptions and boundary conditions, assess uncertainty, and interpret results in the context of hardware behavior.
• Experience correlating simulations with test, teardown, field, or warranty data and using the findings to refine models or recommend design actions.
• Demonstrated ability to independently lead complex, ambiguous analysis tasks and deliver clear, technically sound recommendations on schedule.
• Strong written, verbal, and visual communication skills, including the ability to explain technical results and influence cross-functional decisions.
• Experience working effectively in cross-functional, global, and matrixed engineering organizations.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s or Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, Automotive Engineering, Tribology, Lubrication, Applied Mechanics, Fluid Mechanics, Thermofluids, or a related field.
• Hands-on experience with FLARE or an equivalent hydrodynamic/tribology CAE tool for bearing, piston, ring, skirt, or related lubrication analysis.
• Experience with AVL Excite, GT-Power, Star-CCM+, ANSYS Fluent/CFX, Siemens Simcenter tools, Pumplinx, Abaqus, MATLAB, Python, or comparable tools; proficiency in equivalent toolsets is valued.
• Experience with 1-D or 0-D lubrication-system models, oil-pump and oil-gallery analysis, oil-pan slosh, oil distribution, aeration, cavitation, or lubricant transport.
• Experience with CFD-to-tribology coupling, including use of CFD-derived pressure, flow, temperature, or load inputs in component-level lubrication or durability predictions.
• Advanced EHL or contact-mechanics experience involving coated, multilayer, polymer-metal, rough-surface, high-pressure, or high-temperature tribological systems.
• Experience with rolling-element bearings, gears, turbocharger journal/thrust bearings, piston assemblies, valve-train components, pumps, seals, or electrified drive-unit components.
• Experience developing, validating, and deploying new CAE methods or converting analysis procedures into approved standard work for production programs.
• Experience with CAE workflow automation, scripting, high-performance computing, design of experiments, optimization, surrogate modeling, or engineering data visualization.
• Experience supporting late-program issues, launch, warranty investigations, cost or efficiency improvements, or hardware release decisions.
• Familiarity with GM or comparable OEM product-development processes, DFMEA/DRBFM, design reviews, virtual validation, and quality-chain practices.
• Demonstrated technical leadership through method ownership, peer review, mentoring, internal publications, patents, conference presentations, or participation in communities of expertise.

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