Body Department Welding Engineer

Job Description

The Body Department Welding Engineer is responsible for the safe, reliable, and efficient operation and improvement of automated body shop welding and joining systems. This role provides technical leadership for welding and joining equipment, and equipment integration across the body department.

The engineer supports daily production, new product and equipment launches, troubleshooting, system upgrades, and continuous improvement. This position works closely with body operations, skilled trades, maintenance, quality, safety, manufacturing engineering, suppliers, and contractors to improve safety, quality, delivery, cost, and equipment performance.

This is an onsite manufacturing engineering role requiring regular presence in the body department and on the plant floor. The role requires shift rotation, weekends, shutdown, or extended-hours support during launches, critical equipment work, troubleshooting, and planned maintenance activities. Travel to suppliers or other GM locations may be required based on business needs.

What You’ll Do

• Apply structured problem-solving methods to identify root causes and implement sustainable corrective actions for welding and joining processes.

• Develops and implements predictive and preventive maintenance activities.

• Provide technical support to less experienced engineers, suppliers, contractors, productions teams and plant support personnel as needed.

• Propose and evaluate manufacturing processes and equipment for body shop.

• Responsible for managing change control for Welding, Dispensing, Mechanical Joining and Robotic Systems.

• Lead or support the design, programming, integration, installation, commissioning, validation, and launch of new or modified body equipment and systems.

• Reviews reports from destructive teardowns, in process weld monitoring checks, and maintenance process control sheets for corrective action requirements and compliance to Process Control Plans. Develop and implement countermeasures as appropriate.

• Maintains welding and joining documentation to provide a weekly summary of the current welding and joining performance for the body shop.

• Coordinate installation and validation of welding and joining equipment.

• Maintains documentation control of product and process engineering records (Weld Monitor Reports, Weld Data Sheets, Weld Tool Information Sheets, Dispense Data Sheets, eBOP assembly documentation, Gauge Records, Weld Destruct Reports and Engineering Standards).

• Performs metallurgical cross-section preparation and analysis per General Motors engineering standards.

• Provide data analysis of welding or joining performance to create a historical timeline of events and deliver to plant leadership, if a quality event occurs.

• Work with quality, engineering and production teams for quality, warranty and cost improvement activities, leverage resources to solve problems efficiently.

• Maintain, implement and continuously improve process control methods for the body shop welding, fastening sealing and adhesive applications to include:- Maintain database of all non-conforming joining problems

  • Maintain weld equipment with yearly certifications
  • Maintain and update all weld tool information sheets
  • Maintain Audit certification for Body Shop

• Provide a safe work environment and comply with all policies.

• Support TIP (Throughput Improvement) initiatives as required.

• Coordinates with Quality department when product changes which impact welding and joining process control.

• Execute safe work practices as the highest priority and achieves department objectives for ergonomics, health/safety, and housekeeping.

Your Skills & Abilities (Required Qualifications)

• Bachelor’s degree in Weld Engineering, Metallurgy or equivalent experience
• Training in college level theoretical and applied mechanics, vibrations, fluid dynamics, physics, metallurgy, electricity, thermodynamics, heat transfer and manufacturing techniques
• Training in computer and robotic applications
• Ability to read electrical schematics and mechanical drawings
• Strong communication, organization, project-management, and collaboration skills.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities with autonomy and accountability.
• Commitment to safe work practices and continuous improvement.

What Will Give You a Competitive Edge (Preferred Qualifications)

• Experience in an automotive manufacturing or body shop environment.
• Experience with Fanuc robotics systems.
• Experience with equipment commissioning, factory acceptance testing, site acceptance testing, or production launch.
• Knowledge and experience with:- Resistance Spot Welding (steel and aluminum)
  • Projection Welding
  • Drawn Arc Welding and Brazing
  • Mechanical Joining (self-piercing rivets)
  • Sealer/Adhesive Dispensing processes
  • Laser Welding
  • Laser Brazing
  • Automated Robotic Manufacturing and associated controls systems