Mechanical Engineer III - CAE (Novi)

What Makes Motiv Special?

Through a radically different approach to building electric trucks that combines our own patented IP with strategic partnerships, we have developed a line of all-electric medium-duty trucks and buses used in a range of applications.  Our next-generation electric truck, the Argo, is coming out in 2024.

The ideal candidate will want to be part of the team leading the commercial electric truck industry.  Our trucks and buses have logged millions of customer-driven miles and tens of millions of pounds delivered in the US and Canada while reducing millions of pounds of CO2 emissions. You will be joining us at a critical inflection point in our growth, when, in addition to launching our Argo truck, we are significantly expanding our products, capacity and market volume.

Motiv’s core values are deep passion, curiosity, collaboration, customer focus and “owning it.” If those are values you share, we would love to talk with you about joining our team and taking your career to the next level in one of the hottest technology sectors. To succeed in this job, you must be able to perform the duties listed below – and others as required.

Job Summary:

Motiv is looking for a smart, enthusiastic Mechanical Engineer to join us in transforming an industry. In this position, your primary responsibility will be to analyze and optimize the performance of chassis and interconnecting structural brackets as part of developing Motiv’s very first chassis. You will collaborate within a multidisciplinary team to improve our existing designs while developing our nextgen technology.

A successful candidate understands the challenges associated with developing cost-effective solutions that are developed with quality and a focus on durability. We are looking for a self-motivated, creative thinker that is looking to make a significant impact in the electric truck market, helping to define the direction of design and style for this industry. This position reports to the Mechanical Engineering Manager and is located in Novi, MI.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• None.

Duties/Responsibilities:

• Develop highly predictive finite element models in collaboration with a team of design Engineers to satisfy program and industry requirements
• Provide CAE support via FE models that have been built to the finest details and achieve optimal performance
• Perform structural (static and modal) analysis to evaluate mechanical systems, components and assemblies for our trucks and recommend design solutions that balance the needs of engineering, manufacturing, suppliers and program management
• Use existing analytical tools in addition to identifying potential new tools that will enable fast and accurate solutions/methodologies with a focus on performance and cost
• Develop and apply advanced analysis techniques to drive innovation into Motiv products
• Supporting design progression and evolution within the ME Team based on your analysis
• Analyze simulation result data and compare to benchmark data to ensure mechanical integrity, durability, reliability and other key parameters are met
• Generate design and analysis reports documenting modeling assumptions, boundary conditions, results, conclusions and recommendations
• Develop and support subsystem level and full vehicle correlations inline with standard protocols and best practices
• Conduct optimization studies by utilizing optimization tools, including DOE/DFSS techniques on components, assemblies, chassis to meet performance requirements with the constraints of mass and cost
• Develop highly predictive models of materials and processes to enable good correlations with physical tests
• Provide input in the creation of component specification, component DFMEA, and other technical design documents where analysis plays a pivotal role
• Participate in developing next generation ideas and state of art technology in the heavy-duty electric vehicle industry
• Participate in design reviews with the engineering team and cross functionally
• Develop your skills and help improve Motiv’s engineering expertise
• Strong advocacy for rigorous engineering discipline throughout the organization
• Mentor junior engineers

Required Skills/Abilities:

• Deep knowledge of Finite Element Analysis, Applied Solid Mechanics, Material Science and Computational Numerical Methods within a product development environment in a transportation industry
• Excellent knowledge of optimization tools and techniques to predict system performance, stress/strain values, vibration characteristics and other behaviors
• Knowledge of regulatory requirements and industry standards for automotive safety and performance
• Demonstrated ability to w