Application Engineer - Automotive

A global leader in lightweight metals technology, engineering and manufacturing, Alcoa (NYSE:AA) innovates multi-material solutions that advance our world.

Alcoa has an exciting opportunity for an Application Engineer - Automotive to work at our Alcoa Automotive Center located in Farmington Hills, MI. This position is with Alcoa's Global Rolled Products (GRP) Business Unit. GRP produces the widest variety of aluminum sheet and plate products in the world. Our aluminum is the foundation for many products serving customers in a wide range of industries, including Aerospace, Building and Construction, and Automotive and Distribution. This position would support Alcoa Automotive and report to the Technical Manager – North American Automotive, with daily direction/interaction with Sales Account Managers and will support customers in the U.S. and possibly abroad. Our goal at Alcoa Automotive is to work with our customers to help them build superior vehicles that consumers will demand. We accomplish this through design, engineering and product solutions that provide maximum flexibility; systems cost savings and a simplified production process.

* Serve as principle technical liaison between Alcoa and select major established OEM and Tier customer(s). * Establish and manage the strategies for helping the customer to achieve (a) the most cost-effective manufacturing approaches for aluminum body & structure panels and (b) process improvements and cost reductions at their stamping and assembly facilities. * Identify customer needs and technical barriers, coordinate support through Alcoa technical center and direct technical support to sales from the plants (metallurgy/field service as needed). The position would be responsible for coordinating circle grid analysis, forming assessment, and material/quality related follow up. * Attend regular customer technical meetings associated with aluminum development initiatives such as design reviews, feasibility assessments, process reviews, and tooling trials. * Identify/create new business opportunities through networking and promotion of Alcoa’s product offerings. Lead/direct specification selling activities to support profitable growth at each assigned customer. * Lead/Support Alcoa’s technical activity through the entire customer product development process including; product design, structural analysis, manufacturing process development, and vehicle launch. * Support material specification development with OEM customers and coordinate material qualification efforts. * Provide input to R&D support programs, and oversee select R&D activities to ensure project timing and deliverables are met. * Thoroughly understand Alcoa product offerings, their physical and mechanical properties, characteristics, sizes and benefits so as to be able to effectively promote these products to our customers. Effectively understand how aluminum product attributes interact with customer requirements. * Become familiar with Alcoa's ABS system and potential advantages as it relates to internal and external connections. * Maintain an awareness of the commercial transactions for the account and be in a position to support those commercial interactions should the opportunity or need present itself.

* Technical understanding of products and processes at both manufacturing plants and customers. * Ability to comprehend the sophisticated technical processes that are critical to understanding customer requirements as well as Alcoa's products and manufacturing systems. * Strong learning ability * Human relations skills and team leadership skills * Highly effective communication skills * Initiative/Tenacity * Organization skills * Creativity * Proficiency in Microsoft Office software * Bachelors degree in engineering * Understanding of part design from metal sheet product * 5 years of industrial manufacturing or engineering experience * Direct automotive OEM or tier supplier work experience * Bachelors degree in mechanical engineering or metallurgy * In-depth knowledge and understanding of the automotive vehicle/product development process including component design, structural analysis, manufacturing process development, and actual component/vehicle manufacturing. * Experience with aluminum or other metal customer support to the automotive industry. * 5 years of technical customer support/service experience representing sheet products from a design/manufacturing perspective OR 5 years of experience in sheet metal component product design or manufacturing process development.