Jobs in research and development

Various jobs for unique path

Jackie

Tire Performance Research Engineer

...it is currently being used worldwide within Michelin.

I have spent the past six years in the tire performance research and development group specializing first in tire noise and comfort. Over the last year, I have transitioned to focusing on tire handling. I have been called on as a key expert to help improve tire performance for noise, comfort, and handling for many vehicle manufacturers’ new vehicle development programs. I am currently working on developing new simulation capabilities for the handling performance with the goal of using simulated data to design better tires more quickly and reduce manufacturing costs during development.

One of my most interesting projects was to design and implement a new tool for analyzing tire tread patterns to reduce the variation in the acoustic content, and it is currently being used worldwide within Michelin. During the development of this tool, I had the opportunity to analyze historical data, instrument vehicles with microphones to take my own new data, plan tire builds to help validate the simulations, program the prototype tool and design the user interface. This new tool was used in the development of a new tire line and helped to significantly reduce the acoustic level.

Career path

Career Path

Handling and Performance

The main goals of my current position are to understand the physics behind tire handling, develop and run simulations to predict the handling, and to be responsible for the test methods used to evaluate tires for the handling performance. It is exciting to have the opportunity to work with all of the vehicle manufacturers to develop new tires through design, simulation, and testing that exceed their expectations for the manufacturers’ next generation vehicles.

Noise and Comfort Performance

As the noise and comfort performance leader for North America, I used simulation and data analysis to focus on the noise and comfort performance of tires. Tire noise and comfort is a field that not many people are familiar with, so it was a very interesting role to learn about the acoustic response of tires and how complex the multiple mechanisms are that create tire noise.

Our employees The highlights

During my Day I...

Run Simulations

...for predicting the handling performance on new tire designs and I meet with tire designers to give advice on how to improve the different aspects of tire handling.

Collaborate

As a member of the performance team, which has a worldwide network, I regularly communicate and collaborate with my colleagues in other zones, and my roles have given me the opportunity to travel internationally on several occasions for seminars and training as well as travel within the U.S. to different vehicle manufacturers for joint tests and other collaborations.

Career path

The main jobs in the field of research and development at Michelin

Although it is not very visible, a tire is an object of incredible complexity. An object that will have to adapt to changes in global mobility, new forms of mobility, digitalisation of the market, environmental constraints and meet the new needs of our customers. That's why at Michelin, research and innovation covers 350 different areas of expertise and a very large number of professions.

Designer of specific machines

Organizes and sizes the activity of his team. Is responsible for the level of skills and development of people.
Guarantees customers the commitments made in terms of quality, cost and time.
Identifies technical developments and proposes strategic directions.

Tire designer

Designs new objects with offsetting performance compromises.
Is responsible for the design process, from digital simulation to vehicle testing.
Interacts with chemists, physicists, mechanics and marketing representatives.

Architect materials

Realizes the design in his field of activity, as a participant in the core team of a research program.
Coordinates the designs of the other materials trades as a synthesis function.
Guarantees the implementation of the materials strategy (concept).

Digital modeling engineer

Demonstrates expertise in the use of finite element code.
Prescribes and validates the evolution of the code. Sets the code at the request of the product / process designers.
Trains new users.