2027 Summer Intern - Research and Development - Physical Metallurgist (Steels)

Location: Warren, Michigan, United States of America

Job Description

The Role

As a valued Physical Metallurgist in the Mechanics, Materials and Process Research Lab at General Motors Research and Development, you will innovate in steel metallurgy for next-generation vehicle and manufacturing applications. You will propose new research directions, establish technical research plans, and lead collaborative studies spanning alloy design, thermo-mechanical processing, heat treatment, microstructure development, characterization, and performance validation.

You will generate new insights into the relationships among steel composition, processing history, phase transformations, microstructure, mechanical properties, durability, joining behavior, formability, and manufacturability. Your work will guide experimental efforts, accelerate materials down-selection, and help translate metallurgical research into practical solutions for vehicle structures, closures, chassis systems, safety components, and manufacturing processes. You will document and communicate results through high-quality technical reports, external publications, presentations, and records of invention.

What You’ll Do

Plan and execute collaborative research in physical metallurgy and ferrous materials, generating new knowledge and enabling innovative steel solutions.

Develop and apply composition–process–structure–property relationships for advanced steels and steel-based material systems.

Investigate phase transformations, recrystallization, precipitation, recovery, grain refinement, hardenability, residual stress, and damage mechanisms.

Design and evaluate thermo-mechanical processing and heat-treatment strategies, including rolling, forging, annealing, quenching, tempering, aging, and press hardening.

Characterize steel microstructures and defects using appropriate optical, electron, diffraction, chemical, thermal, and mechanical methods.

Evaluate tensile, fatigue, fracture, impact, formability, wear, corrosion, and other performance characteristics as needed for the application.

Partner closely with manufacturing and engineering teams to address forming, joining, coating, corrosion, dimensional stability, and production-readiness challenges.

Connect experimental observations with thermodynamic, kinetic, computational, and data-driven models when appropriate.

Drive internal and external collaborations with GM engineering teams, universities, suppliers, national laboratories, and research partners.

Maintain awareness of the state of the art in physical metallurgy, advanced high-strength steels, steel processing, characterization, and related disciplines.

Prepare timely, high-quality technical reports, presentations, publications, and invention disclosures to communicate research outcomes.

Generate intellectual property to protect new inventions and research results.

Assist and mentor other employees in accomplishing project and research goals.

Required Qualifications

Pursuit of an Advanced degree (M.S. or Ph.D.) in one of the following areas: Materials Science and Engineering, Metallurgical Engineering, Physics, Mechanical Engineering, or a closely related field.

Must be a current student

Strong foundation in physical metallurgy, iron–carbon metallurgy, phase diagrams, phase transformations, kinetics, crystallography, and structure–property relationships.

Experience with steels such as advanced high-strength steels, ultra-high-strength steels, high-strength low-alloy steels, stainless steels, electrical steels, press-hardening steels, or related ferrous alloys.

Experience with thermo-mechanical processing and heat treatment, including rolling, forging, annealing, quenching, tempering, aging, or press hardening.

Experience with metallographic preparation and characterization using techniques such as optical microscopy, SEM, EDS, EBSD, X-ray diffraction, hardness testing, dilatometry, or related methods.

Experience designing, conducting, and interpreting mechanical or durability testing, including tensile, fatigue, fracture, impact, formability, or corrosion testing.

Ability to connect alloy chemistry, processing conditions, microstructure, and performance using rigorous scientific methods.

Experience working in multidisciplinary research teams.

Strong written and verbal communication skills to work effectively with GM internal and external collaborators.

Able to work fulltime, 40 hours per week during the summer months

Preferred Qualifications

Ph.D. strongly preferred.

Experience with one or more of the following

Advanced high-strength steels, third-generation steels, press-hardening steels, dual-phase steels, martensitic steels, bainitic steels, TRIP steels, TWIP steels, or other emerging steel grades.

Thermo-mechanical processing, controlled rolling, recrystallization control, precipitation strengthening, transformation control, or grain-size engineering.

CALPHAD, thermodynamic and kinetic modeling, Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME), finite-element simulation, or process modeling.

Advanced characterization of crystallographic texture, inclusions, precipitates, retained austenite, martensite, bainite, weld zones, or coating interfaces.

Steel forming, stamping, roll forming, forging, welding, joining, coating, galvanizing, or additive manufacturing.

Corrosion, hydrogen effects, fatigue, fracture, crash performance, lightweighting, or durability of steel components.

Scientific programming, data analysis, machine learning, or materials informatics using Python, MATLAB, C/C++, or similar tools.

Experience coupling metallurgical predictions with experimental validation and engineering qualification.

Demonstrated publication record and/or intellectual property generation.

Experience transitioning metallurgical insights into applied engineering, manufacturing, or production solutions.

Knowledge of design-for-manufacturing, steel sustainability, recycled content, critic