Materials Engineer

Job Description

About the Team: ZF is seeking a Materials Engineer – Electronics to work within their Corporate R&D Materials Technology team located at the new Northville, Michigan R&D Materials Lab. The Materials Lab is staffed with a cross functional team and equipment to analyze all material types. The Materials Engineer – Electronics will work on both local and global material development projects, warranty claims, and occasional production quality topics. Hands-on projects will include product development and laboratory testing/failure analysis. Product exposure is primarily the ZF portfolio of electronics. Less frequent product exposure would include braking, steering, transmissions, axles, suspension, and chassis components.

What you can look forward to as a Materials Engineer - Electronics:

• Use of various Materials Lab analytical equipment and testing techniques to support routine and complex customer requests.
• Operate equipment and instruments including but not limited to: sectioning, grinding, polishing, optical microscopes, scanning electron microscope (SEM), non-destructive testing (x-ray CT), and chemical analysis (EDS, FT-IR, XRF, etc).
• Precise sectioning and sample preparation, specializing in difficult samples such as solder joints, printed circuit boards and small components.
• Visual examination of PCBA for evaluation of tin whiskers, dendritic growth, cracking, corrosion, contamination, damage, and/or related criteria.
• Advise appropriate investigative processes for the evaluation of failures, interpretation of results, reporting findings and to implement corrective actions.
• Provide support for other materials testing activities as needed including surface protection, corrosion, tribology, and contamination.
• Generate detailed lab testing reports and attend customer meetings as required.
• Work with other Engineers and Technicians within the local and global Materials Technology department.

Your profile as a Materials Engineer - Electronics:

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Materials Science Engineering, or Metallurgical Engineering.
• Hands-on laboratory testing experience.
• Knowledge of quality systems, familiarity with lab information management systems (LIMS) and related software tools desired.
• Familiarity with electronic materials testing standards (IPC) and more general testing standards (ASTM, ISO) desired.
• Strong technical writing and presentation skills required.
• Laboratory testing skills including sample preparation, optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, image analysis, x-ray, chemical analysis, and related supporting testing/methods required.
• Practical experience with electronics sample preparation techniques, especially with regard to PCBA required.
• Practical experience with electronics manufacturing processes and materials desired.
• Knowledge of hand tools and automotive products desired.
• Knowledge of metal and/or polymer properties, coatings,  and processing desirable but not required.