Lead Simulation Engineer

Position: Simulation Lead

Location: Warren, MI

Duration: 1 year contract with potential extensions

Compensation: $60/hr to $75/hr

Exact compensation may vary based on several factors, including skills, experience, and education.

Benefit packages for this role will start on the 31st day of employment and include medical, dental, and vision insurance, as well as HSA, FSA, and DCFSA account options, and 401k retirement account access with employer matching. Employees in this role are also entitled to paid sick leave and/or other paid time off as provided by applicable law.

Must Haves:

• 3+ years of experience physics-based Simulation Ansys, iPhysics, Emulate3D, WinMOD, EKS, or equivalent
• Experience in manufacturing / industrial background - Ideally stamping or press simulation
• Digital twin experience

Job Description: Insight Global is seeking a Project Engineer to support the physics-based emulation and simulation initiative. In our pursuit of Zero Crashes, Zero Emissions, and Zero Congestion, this role is central to reinventing how we design, validate, and commission stamping press equipment, replacing costly physical trials with high-fidelity virtual environments.

Reporting to the Project Manager, you will serve as the primary technical contributor for the physics-based digital twin and virtual commissioning platform for GM’s North American press shop stamping operations, spanning front-of-line blanking through end-of-line transfer, and will act as a subject matter expert on simulation and emulation activities across the project.

What You’ll Do:

• Project Coordination & Technical Support

• Support the Project Manager in tracking scope, schedule, and open-item registers; maintain up-to-date PDCA logs for assigned simulation deliverables

• Coordinate with suppliers (e.g., Ansys, Schuler/DigiSim), plant teams (@Marion), die engineering, and controls engineering to integrate simulation results into program execution

• Participate in and provide technical input for design reviews and virtual commissioning sign-off sessions

• Communicate technical findings, simulation results, and open issues to the Project Manager and cross-functional stakeholders

• Travel to supplier sites and stamping plants to support integration and commissioning activities

Physics-Based Simulation & Digital Twin Development

• Develop and maintain high-fidelity 3D simulation models of stamping press lines, including press mechanics, die interfaces, automation tooling, and material handling systems

• Build and manage digital twin environments representing full press line behavior; kinematics, motion/interference curves, servo drives, and cam sequencing

• Conduct steady-state and dynamic simulations, “what-if” scenario analyses, and bottleneck/throughput studies to optimize press line performance

• Validate simulation models against real plant performance data (SPM, ICR, downtime records) and continuously improve model fidelity

• Develop and maintain the press model library (PLMaker, PLAdmin, PLS) and manage press model updates within simulation software platforms

Virtual Commissioning & Controls Integration

• Establish and maintain virtual commissioning environments for PLC, HMI, and robot program validation prior to physical implementation

• Perform software-in-loop (SIL) and hardware-in-loop (HIL) testing for automation and controls systems

• Integrate simulation environments with control platforms (Rockwell, Siemens TIA Portal, Beckhoff TwinCAT) and industrial communication protocols

• Support controls engineers and automation suppliers in validating press-to-die interface logic, part transfer systems, and safety interlock behavior

Die Engineering & Process Optimization

• Apply deep understanding of die-to-press and die-to-tooling interactions to build accurate simulation boundary conditions

• Collaborate with die designers and die execution engineers at NAETC to validate process plans prior to physical die build

• Analyze simulation outputs to identify collisions, interference conditions, throughput bottlenecks, and process improvement opportunities

• Conduct 90-day post-SORP performance reviews to validate simulation predictions against production launch outcomes

• Identify and communicate product and manufacturing requirement (MR) criteria that affect simulated throughput

Platform Administration & Knowledge Management

• Act as subject matter expert for simulation tools including PLS, Process Simulate, DigiSim, NX, EDWS, and Teamcenter

• Develop and maintain simulation training materials and standardized work procedures for the simulation engineering team

• Manage license server infrastructure and software deployment for the simulation platform (including GM VM environments)

• Evaluate and recommend commercially available simulation tools and technologies to continuously advance platform capabilities