Sr Engineer Materials - Steel Systems; Wauwatosa, WI

Position: Sr Engineer Materials - Steel Systems (Wauwatosa, WI, US)
Auto req

Title:

Sr Engineer Materials - Steel Systems

Job Function:
Engineering

Location:

PDC

Workplace Category:

Onsite

Company:
Harley-Davidson Motor Company

Full or Part-Time:
Full Time

Shift: SHIFT1

At Harley-Davidson, we are building more than machines. It's our passion and commitment to continue the evolution of this storied brand, and heighten the desirability of the Harley-Davidson experience. To keep building our legend and leading our industry through innovation, evolution, and emotion we need the best and brightest talent. We stand for the timeless pursuit of adventure. Freedom for the soul.

Are you ready to join us?

The Harley-Davidson Motor Company Product Development Center (PDC) located in Wauwatosa, WI is home to the mantra - You dream it. We build it. Join our team as a Sr Engineer Materials - Steel Systems.

Job Summary

The Senior Materials Engineer is responsible for supporting the Product Development Process by providing deep technical expertise in ferrous materials, with a primary focus on steels used in motorcycle components and systems. This role partners with product development, manufacturing, and suppliers to ensure robust material selection, processing, and performance. The engineer leads material-related problem solving, including failure analysis and root cause investigations, with an emphasis on durability, fatigue performance, and heat treatment control of steel components.

Job Responsibilities

Core Responsibilities

* The role requires strong applied knowledge of steel alloys, including how composition, microstructure, and processing influence mechanical properties and long-term durability. The engineer guides material selection and design decisions for critical components such as structural parts, powertrain elements, and fasteners.

* A key expectation is expertise in ferrous manufacturing processes, including forgings, castings, and sheet metal, with an emphasis on how processing influences grain structure, residual stress, and defect formation. The engineer works closely with suppliers and manufacturing teams to ensure process capability, optimize performance, and reduce variability.

* The position includes leadership of failure analysis and root cause investigations related to steel components. This involves metallurgical evaluation of fracture surfaces, microstructure, and material conditions, with clear documentation and actionable recommendations to improve design or process robustness.

* The engineer applies deep knowledge of heat treatment processes such as carburizing, nitriding, induction hardening, and through-hardening, with an understanding of how these processes impact hardness, toughness, fatigue strength, and distortion. The role also includes supporting specifications and validation of heat treatment processes at suppliers.

* In collaboration with design and validation teams, the engineer supports understanding of mechanical behavior, particularly fatigue and fracture performance under cyclic loading, and how material condition and manufacturing variability influence field performance.

* The role requires strong cross-functional engagement, providing technical leadership to engineering teams, supporting supplier development, and ensuring alignment between design intent, material capability, and manufacturing processes.

Laboratory & Analytical Capability

* The candidate should be proficient in metallurgical and analytical techniques used to evaluate ferrous materials, including hardness testing, optical emission spectroscopy, microscopy, and fractography. The ability to translate laboratory data into meaningful engineering conclusions is essential. Candidate must be willing to perform preventive maintenance on lab equipment, plan for ordering necessary lab equipment, and keep track of budget expenses.

Leadership & Communication

* This role serves as a technical leader in ferrous materials, providing guidance across engineering teams and mentoring others as needed. The candidate must communicate technical topics clearly and effectively to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Education Requirements

Bachelor's Degree Required

Education Specifications

Position requires a bachelor's degree in Materials Engineering, Metallurgy, or related field is required

Experience Requirements

* A minimum of five years of experience in materials engineering is required, with demonstrated experience in steel materials, heat treatment processes, and durability or failure analysis in product development or manufacturing environments.

Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States.

Harley-Davidson is an equal opportunity employer that continues to build a culture of inclusion, belonging and equity through our commitment to attracting and retaining diverse talent from all backgrounds, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, gender identity, age, disability, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law. We believe in fairness and…