Development Engineer Visa Sponsorship Jobs in Michigan
Michigan's development engineer job market spans automotive giants like Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis in Metro Detroit, advanced manufacturing firms across Grand Rapids, and tech-driven suppliers throughout the state. International candidates pursuing development engineer roles here benefit from Michigan's deep engineering talent pipeline and consistent employer history of H-1B visa sponsorship across product and process development functions.
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INTRODUCTION
Become our next FutureStarter
Are you ready to make an impact? ZF is looking for talented individuals to join our team. As a FutureStarter, you’ll have the opportunity to shape the future of mobility. Join us and be part of something extraordinary!
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Ride Development Engineer
Country/Region: US
Location:
Northville, MI, US
Req ID 89997 | Northville, United States ZF North America, Inc.
About the team: The team is looking for a new member to join them in Northville, in a hybrid role. This person could be hired as an Engineer II or Senior Engineer, based on skillset and experience.
What you can look forward to as a Ride Development Engineer:
- Responsible for coordinating ride work activities with customer, submitting ride work requests through Engineering Resource Manager, and coordinating all needed tools and components needed for tuning.
- Develop strong working relationships with customers conveying both professionalism and strong product knowledge.
- Determines required adjustments to hydraulic valve codes to achieve ride and handling targets established by the customer.
- Directs the efforts of support technicians when conducting ride work at customer locations and supports less-experienced ride engineers as needed.
- Assists the support technician in making the component changes required to achieve desired results.
- Maintains accurate change logs and evaluation notes during every step of the tuning process using the correct terminology. Organize information systematically and separately for each program.
- Completes pre- and post-tuning activities including issuing R01 (Engineering Report) after each ride tuning session, obtaining Customer sign off and effectively communicating customer expectations and tuning outcomes to project team.
- Releases hydraulic settings for production including creating valve BOMs and preparing the necessary documents for final valve codes, forces, and tolerances.
- Responsible for hydraulic function test results as part of the customer DV/PV testing including analyzing results, reviewing test specimens, and preparing test reports based on those results.
YOUR PROFILE AS A RIDE DEVELOPMENT ENGINEER
- B.S. in Mechanical Engineering or Mechatronics Engineering.
- 4+ years of experience with strong functional/product knowledge, and ability to train others (internship/co-op included).
- Possesses good working knowledge of vehicle dynamics fundamentals for application to damper development.
- Ability to evaluate vehicle ride characteristics and associate them with product specific component changes.
- Understands function of latest ZF adaptive valve technology and is adept at execution of all types of ZF adaptive valve settings.
- Exhibits superior knowledge and execution of damper / ride development processes, both ZF internal processes and customer processes.
- Demonstrates proven skills in damper characterization and testing including damper industrialization and serial production support.
- Good organizational skills and self-motivated.
WHY YOU SHOULD CHOOSE ZF:
- A supportive collaborative team environment
- Annual Incentive Plan
- Paid Vacation
- Personal Time
- 401k Plan
- Health Care Benefits
- Paid Holidays
- A strong diversity culture
- Supportive Employee Groups and community outreach activities
Be part of our ZF team as Ride Development Engineer and apply now!
CONTACT
Hannah Cline
+7 34 855 2922
DIVERSITY COMMITMENT:
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are more than just words for us. They are at the core of the ZF Way that propels our team members towards their utmost success. We strive to build and nurture a culture where inclusiveness is a natural reflex. We actively seek ways to remove barriers so that every member of ZF can rise to their full potential. We aim to embed this in our legacy through how we operate and build our products as we shape next generation mobility, safety, sustainability and social justice.
With four generations across 118 nationalities in 41 countries, ZF combines a unique variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and ideas. Together, we solve problems, drive innovation and shape next generation mobility.
Our company is committed to the principles of Equal Employment Opportunity and to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with physical and/or mental disabilities. If you are interested in applying for employment with us and are in need of accommodation or special assistance to navigate our website or to complete your application, please contact us. Requests for reasonable accommodation will be considered on a case-by-case basis. ZF is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer and is committed to ensuring equal employment opportunities for all job applicants and employees. Employment decisions are based upon job-related reasons regardless of an applicant's race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, disability, marital status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other status protected by law. Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer M/F/Disability/Veteran
JOB SEGMENT: R&D Engineer, R&D, Mechanical Engineer, Hydraulics, Engineer, Engineering, Research
Development Engineer Job Roles in Michigan
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Search Development Engineer Jobs in MichiganDevelopment Engineer Jobs in Michigan: Frequently Asked Questions
Which companies sponsor visas for development engineers in Michigan?
Michigan's largest visa sponsors for development engineers include Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Stellantis, Aptiv, BorgWarner, and Magna International. Beyond automotive OEMs, tier-one suppliers and engineering consultancies in the Metro Detroit area regularly file H-1B petitions for development engineer roles covering product design, testing, and process improvement functions. Manufacturing-focused firms in Grand Rapids and Lansing also sponsor with some regularity.
Which visa types are most common for development engineer roles in Michigan?
The H-1B is by far the most common visa for development engineers in Michigan, given that the role typically requires at least a bachelor's degree in mechanical, electrical, or systems engineering. Employers with established immigration programs also sponsor TN visas for Canadian and Mexican nationals where the role qualifies. Some candidates with advanced credentials pursue O-1A classification, though this requires demonstrated extraordinary ability in the field.
Which cities in Michigan have the most development engineer sponsorship jobs?
Metro Detroit, including Dearborn, Auburn Hills, and Warren, concentrates the most development engineer sponsorship activity due to the density of automotive OEMs and tier-one suppliers headquartered there. Grand Rapids has a growing advanced manufacturing and life sciences sector that supports additional sponsorship opportunities. Ann Arbor adds university-adjacent engineering employers and mobility technology startups, particularly in autonomous systems and EV development.
How to find development engineer visa sponsorship jobs in Michigan?
Migrate Mate is built specifically for international job seekers and filters development engineer roles in Michigan by confirmed visa sponsorship history, saving you from applying to positions where sponsorship isn't offered. You can search by job title, location, and visa type to surface relevant Michigan employers. Given how concentrated the market is around Metro Detroit, filtering by city helps narrow results to the automotive and manufacturing hubs where most sponsorship activity occurs.
Are there any Michigan-specific factors development engineers should know about for visa sponsorship?
Michigan's development engineer roles are heavily weighted toward automotive and mobility applications, so immigration filings often list specialty occupation classifications tied to mechanical or electrical engineering. The state's strong university pipeline through the University of Michigan and Michigan State means many sponsored candidates enter through OPT before transitioning to H-1B. Prevailing wage determinations in Southeast Michigan reflect the high concentration of senior-level engineering positions, which can influence how employers structure role requirements for sponsorship purposes.
What is the prevailing wage for sponsored development engineer jobs in Michigan?
U.S. employers sponsoring a visa must pay at least the prevailing wage, which is what workers in the same role, area, and experience level typically earn. The Department of Labor sets this rate to make sure companies aren't hiring foreign workers simply because they'd accept lower pay than a U.S. worker. It varies by job title, location, and experience. You can look up current prevailing wage rates for any occupation and location using the OFLC Wage Search page.