Sr Material & Textile Engineer - Automotive

Senior Materials & Textiles Engineer – Automotive Interiors

Location: Troy, Michigan (Corporate HQ)
Travel: Up to 20%
Industry: Global Tier 1 Automotive Supplier – Polyurethane Foam & Trim Materials

This is a unique opportunity to join a global Tier 1 leader shaping the next generation of automotive interiors. The Senior Materials & Textiles Engineer will become the company’s go‑to expert for trim materials
, owning a high‑impact function that influences everything from premium leather and vinyl selection to advanced laminated construction and cost‑effective material innovations.

You will be entrusted to build and mature the organization’s entire materials intelligence database
, work directly with OEMs on design approvals, influence new product introductions, and identify breakthrough materials that define comfort, durability, and long‑term customer satisfaction.

This is a role for someone who loves being hands‑on, technically deep, customer‑facing, and strategically influential — a technical leader who wants their work to be visible at the highest levels.

The Senior Materials & Textiles Engineer will lead material selection, benchmarking, validation, and innovation for all trim materials — including leather, fabrics, urethane skins, vinyl, carpet, and laminated constructions. This position works cross‑functionally with Product Engineering, Purchasing, OEMs, Quality, and Manufacturing to ensure materials meet stringent performance, durability, and cost requirements.

• Build and continuously improve a comprehensive materials database covering all interior trim materials (leather, fabrics, vinyls, urethane, carpet, laminates, etc.).

• Conduct competitive benchmarking and evaluate material performance through lab testing and real‑world applications.

• Define interactions between materials during lamination processes and downstream applications.

• Identify and recommend materials based on OEM specifications and customer requirements
  .

• Serve as the technical expert for OEM construction drawing approvals and material validation.

• Establish and maintain material specifications, best practices, and standardization guidelines
  .

• Participate in or observe material testing, validation builds, and pilot production runs.

• Lead or support root cause analysis for in‑field or warranty‑related material failures.

• Partner with Quality and Supplier QA to collect and analyze test data for internal reporting and customer presentations.

• Support cost‑reduction initiatives through alternative material proposals, improved processes, and supplier innovation.

• Evaluate new supplier materials for performance, manufacturability, and compliance.

• Offer technical support during quoting and RFQ evaluations for lamination programs.

• Facilitate cross‑functional technical reviews (Engineering, Purchasing, Quality, Manufacturing, Supplier teams).

• Serve as a subject‑matter expert responsible for driving materials strategy across the organization
  .

• Bachelor’s degree in Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Textile Engineering, Polymer Science, Mechanical Engineering
  , or a closely related STEM discipline.

• Minimum 5 years’ experience in materials engineering, textile engineering, polymer development, or process engineering — preferably in automotive interiors, trim, laminated materials, or soft‑touch surface engineering
  .

• Strong understanding of vinyl, synthetic materials, non‑woven materials, textiles, laminates
  , and construction fundamentals.

• Exceptional analytical, testing, and problem‑solving skills.

• Strong communication — able to clearly explain technical issues to OEMs, suppliers, and internal teams.

• Proven ability to collaborate, influence, and build trust with OEM customers and cross‑functional peers.

• Highly organized, detail‑driven, and able to manage multiple programs simultaneously.

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office; familiarity with lab testing software, documentation systems, or database tools.

• Work directly with global OEMs on next‑generation comfort, durability, and appearance standards.

• Own a strategic materials function with high visibility across engineering, purchasing, and leadership.

• Influence innovation in one of the most competitive and evolving segments of the automotive industry.

• Hybrid space combining hands‑on technical work + strategic customer‑facing oversight
  .

• Opportunity for long‑term advancement into Materials Engineering Leadership, Innovation, or R&D roles
  .