Engineering Group Manager - Body Structure and Closures CAE

Description

Work Arrangement

This role is categorized as hybrid. This means the successful candidate is expected to report to Warren, MI three times per week or other frequency dictated by the business

Relocation

This job is not eligible for relocation benefits. Any relocation costs would be the responsibility of the selected candidate

Company Vehicle: Upon successful completion of a motor vehicle report review, you will be eligible to participate in a company vehicle evaluation program, through which you will be assigned a General Motors vehicle to drive and evaluate. Note: program participants are required to purchase/lease a qualifying GM vehicle every four years unless one of a limited number of exceptions applies.

The Role

We are seeking a highly motivated and technically proficient CAE Manager to lead our Body Structures and Body Closures Computer-Aided Engineering (CAE) team . This role is responsible for driving virtual validation strategies, leading a team of simulation engineers, and collaborating cross-functionally to ensure robust, lightweight, and manufacturable body systems that meet performance, safety, and durability targets. This leadership position will directly manage a team of 10-20 CAE engineers in the Metro Detroit Area and additional indirect engineering resources at TCS in India.

What You'll Do (Responsibilities)

• Lead and develop a team of CAE engineers focused on body structures and closures simulation.
• Provide technical leadership to the work team to develop vehicles to requirements and targets using the latest CAE methods and standard work.
• Ensure consistent CAE approaches is used across all programs. Manage variable work load from planned math syncs, non-synch requests, safety investigations, and optimization requests using assigned resources and available resources.
• Directly lead development of performance of vehicle structure including stiffness, strength and durability and indirectly for crashworthiness, NVH and other performance metrics.
• Define and execute virtual validation plans aligned with program milestones and vehicle architecture requirements.
• Collaborate with design release engineers, materials, manufacturing, and performance integration teams to influence design decisions throughout the vehicle development cycle.
• Ensure timely delivery of simulation results, design recommendations, and risk assessments to support program execution.
• Champion the use of advanced simulation tools, automation, and optimization techniques to improve efficiency and accuracy.
• Drive continuous improvement in modeling methodologies, tool development and process integration.
• Support talent development through coaching, mentoring, and performance management.
• Represent the CAE function in technical reviews, program meetings, and executive updates.

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Math, Physics, Computer Science, IT, Chemistry, or related field.
• 7+ years of experience in Automotive and/or CAE with a demonstrated understanding of body structures and closures.
• Proven leadership experience in providing guidance to technical teams and delivering complex projects.
• Possess a working knowledge and understanding of FEA tools (e.g., LS-DYNA, NASTRAN, HyperWorks, ANSA) and post-processing software.
• Familiarity with automotive body design, materials (steel, aluminum, composites), and manufacturing processes.
• Working understanding of vehicle development processes, milestones and timelines.
• Excellent communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills.

• Master's degree in mechanical engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related field.
• 10+ years in Automotive and/or CAE fields
• Prior experience in vehicle structures or closures.
• Previous experience as a people leader or indirect leader of engineering teams.
• Experience working in Agile workflows.
• Exposure to and understanding of AI/ML applications in CAE, such as predictive modeling or surrogate modeling.
• Background in design for manufacturability (DFM) and integration with production constraints.
• Familiarity with automation scripting (e.g., Python, TCL) to streamline simulation workflows.