Senior Manager, Product Design and AI-Driven Optimization

Freudenberg NOK - Plymouth, MI

Full-time - Senior

Plymouth, MI

Transportation Equipment Manufacturing

About the position

The Senior Manager, Product Design and AI-Driven Optimization will be responsible for leading the integration of advanced computational tools, such as Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), with artificial intelligence (AI) to optimize product designs across a variety of material systems including elastomers, polymers, thermoplastics, silicones, and polyurethane. The ideal candidate will also contribute to the development of innovative solutions for battery modules and packs and interface with both internal and external stakeholders to drive product development and innovation in key strategic areas.

Responsibilities

• Lead initiatives in product design optimization using computational tools like FEA and CFD, integrating AI to accelerate and enhance design processes.
• Drive material selection and design strategies, leveraging expertise in elastomers, polymers, thermoplastics, silicones, and polyurethane, to create high-performance products.
• Interface with AI tools to enhance computational modeling capabilities for product design, ensuring integration of data-driven techniques for material and structural analysis.
• Oversee and contribute to the development of components related to battery modules and packs, with an emphasis on material performance and thermal management.
• Act as the technical liaison between product design teams and AI experts, ensuring seamless integration of computational tools with AI-driven optimization strategies.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including R&D, engineering, and manufacturing, to translate product concepts into optimized designs ready for production.
• Stay up to date with advancements in computational modeling, AI, and materials science to continuously drive innovation and improvement in product design.
• Lead and mentor multidisciplinary teams to deliver projects on time and within budget, managing resources efficiently and aligning with corporate goals.
• Present findings and progress updates to senior leadership, contributing to strategic discussions around future technologies and innovation.
• Ensure adherence to all relevant quality standards, regulatory requirements, and safety protocols throughout the design and development process.

Requirements

• Masters degree or higher in Engineering (mechanical, materials, or related field)
• 5+ years of experience in combining product design, computational modeling (FEA / CFD), and AI/ML driven optimization (e.g., Bayesian optimization)
• Strong experience with LS-DYNA, ABAQUS, ANSYS, Comsol or other commercial FE / CFD software
• Experience working with multiphysics modeling, multiscale modeling, programming languages (FORTRAN, C, C++, VB, Python, R), FE Pre/post processors (e.g., Hypermesh, ANSA etc.) and user subroutines, machine learning and data-driven approaches
• Proven expertise in integrating AI with computational tools and materials science knowhow to optimize product design workflows

Nice-to-haves

• Knowledge of components and material considerations for battery modules