Patent Engineering Jobs in Michigan (NOW HIRING)

At Cummins, we understand that returning to your career after an extended break can feel both exciting and challenging. We deeply value the diverse perspectives, experiences, and skills you bring-and we are committed to supporting you as you continue powering your potential.
RePower, our return-to-work program, is specifically designed for experienced professionals who have at least five years of prior work experience and have taken a career break of two or more years for any reason. Whether your time away was spent caregiving, pursuing education, or addressing personal priorities, RePower provides a structured pathway to help you successfully transition back into the workforce.
Through this program, participants are supported with meaningful project work aligned to their expertise, along with dedicated mentoring, training, and professional development opportunities. Our goal is to help you rebuild confidence, refresh your skills, and achieve your career aspirations.
This is a six-month, paid opportunity with benefits, designed to provide access to robust internal resources and a supportive environment as you re-engage in your career. During the program, you will contribute to impactful projects that leverage your unique skills, interests, and experience.
At the conclusion of the program, successful participants may be considered for full-time employment opportunities.
We are excited to learn more about you-your journey, your strengths, and what drives you. For Program Overview visit: https://repower.cummins.jobs/
We are looking for a talented RePower Program Systems Engineering Product Specialist tojoin our team specializing in Engineering for our Cummins center located in Troy, MI.
Seeking an experienced Systems Engineer for steering, braking, and drivetrain systems to join our Advanced Engineering team in Troy, Michigan. This role leads the front end of innovation for advanced mechanical, mechatronic, sensing, actuation, and system technologies within the Global Advanced Engineering & Innovation Group. The focus is on identifying customer and market opportunities, converting ideas into viable concepts, defining system-level architectures and requirements, and advancing early-stage projects through the Innovation-to-Concept (I2C) process.
The engineer will collaborate closely with Product Line Management and cross-functional engineering teams to translate customer, market, regulatory, and business needs into clear, measurable, and traceable technical requirements.
Requirements and supporting system documentation will be developed and maintained in Polarion. The role also includes competitive benchmarking, market and patent research, concept development, prototype and test planning, test execution, and engineering program management for assigned I2C projects.
Success in this position requires strong systems thinking, hands-on technical capability, disciplined project execution, and the ability to communicate complex technical and business recommendations to approval committees and senior leadership.
In this role, you will make an impact in the following ways:

• Lead Innovation from Concept to Approval: Drive advanced engineering projects through the Innovation-to-Concept (I2C) process, transforming new ideas into validated business opportunities and securing leadership approval for future product investments.
• Develop Next-Generation Vehicle Solutions: Lead the ideation, evaluation, and development of innovative steering, braking, drivetrain, and mechatronic system concepts that deliver customer value and competitive differentiation.
• Manage Complex Cross-Functional Programs: Coordinate engineering, manufacturing, quality, purchasing, validation, finance, suppliers, and Product Line Management teams to ensure project objectives, timelines, and deliverables are achieved.
• Shape System Architecture and Product Strategy: Define system architectures, functional requirements, interfaces, operating scenarios, and proof-of-concept approaches that establish the foundation for future product development.
• Translate Market Needs into Engineering Requirements: Partner with stakeholders to convert customer needs, market trends, regulatory expectations, and competitive insights into clear, measurable, and traceable product requirements.
• Drive Data-Driven Technical Decisions: Lead concept selection, feasibility studies, risk assessments, trade studies, and engineering analyses to identify the most effective and scalable technical solutions.
• Advance Technology Through Research and Benchmarking: Conduct market, competitive, patent, and technology research to identify emerging opportunities, mitigate risks, and guide innovation strategies and intellectual property development.
• Validate Concepts Through Testing and Analysis: Develop and execute benchmarking, simulation, laboratory, subsystem, and vehicle-level testing strategies, using data-driven insights to validate performance, resolve issues, and support informed engineering decisions.

Responsibilities
To be successful in this role you will need the following:

• Systems Thinking and Technical Depth: Strong understanding of system interactions, interfaces, trade-offs, failure modes, and vehicle-level behavior across steering, braking, drivetrain, actuation, sensing, controls, and mechatronic systems.
• Innovation and Concept Development: Demonstrated ability to investigate ambiguous opportunities, generate solutions, assess feasibility, and mature selected concepts through structured development activities.
• Requirements Management: Experience developing, documenting, reviewing, tracing, and managing technical requirements using Polarion, DOORS, Jama, or a comparable platform.
• Testing and Analytical Capability: Experience developing test plans, executing physical or analytical evaluations, interpreting data, and converting results into defensible engineering recommendations.
• Engineering Program Management: Ability to plan and lead complex cross-functional technical projects, manage risks and deliverables, and maintain alignment to scope, schedule, and gate expectations.
• Communication and Leadership: Strong written, verbal, facilitation, and presentation skills, including the ability to communicate technical information to both engineering and executive audiences.
• Research and Strategic Assessment: Ability to conduct market, competitive, patent, supplier, and technology research and convert findings into actionable product and technology recommendations.

Education, Licenses, Certifications:
College, university, or equivalent Bachelor's degree in Engineering or appropriate STEM field is required.
Post-graduate (Master's) degree relevant to this discipline area may be required for select roles.
This position may require licensing for compliance with export controls or sanctions regulations.
Experience:
Prior Senior or Lead Engineer equivalent work experience in a relevant discipline area is required with a demonstrated track record of technical problem solving and quality decision making. Knowledge of MS Office tools is preferred.
Qualifications
Additional Qualifications & Experience

• Lead Innovation-to-Concept Programs: Drive advanced engineering initiatives from opportunity identification through concept development, gate reviews, and executive approval, ensuring projects meet business, technical, and readiness objectives.
• Develop Next-Generation Vehicle Technologies: Lead the creation and evaluation of innovative steering, braking, drivetrain, sensing, actuation, controls, and software-enabled solutions that address customer needs and create competitive advantage.
• Shape System Architecture and Product Strategy: Define system-level architectures, interfaces, operating scenarios, and proof-of-concept strategies that establish the technical foundation for future products and technologies.
• Translate Customer Needs into Product Requirements: Partner with Product Line Management and stakeholders to convert market requirements, customer expectations, regulatory needs, and competitive insights into measurable, traceable engineering requirements.
• Drive Technical Excellence Through Data and Analysis: Lead feasibility assessments, trade studies, risk evaluations, performance modeling, and engineering calculations to support sound technical decisions and concept selection.
• Advance Innovation Through Research and Benchmarking: Conduct market, competitive, patent, and technology landscape analyses to identify emerging opportunities, assess risks, influence product strategy, and support intellectual property development.
• Validate Concepts Through Testing and Integration: Develop and execute benchmarking, simulation, laboratory, subsystem, and vehicle-level testing strategies, leveraging data-driven insights to validate performance and guide engineering recommendations.
• Influence Executive Decisions and Cross-Functional Teams: Present technical and business recommendations to leadership, lead gate review activities, and collaborate across engineering, manufacturing, quality, finance, suppliers, and product management to bring innovative concepts to life.
• Extensive Product Development Experience: Typically 7+ years of experience in systems engineering, advanced engineering, mechatronics, vehicle systems, sensing, actuation, or related product development environments.
• Commercial Vehicle and Mechatronics Expertise: Experience with heavy- or medium-duty vehicles, steering, braking, drivetrain systems, brake-by-wire, electric power steering, sensing technologies, controls, and vehicle electronics.
• Systems and Functional Safety Knowledge: Familiarity with systems engineering methodologies, ISO 26262 functional safety processes, CAN communications, ECUs, embedded controls, and software development lifecycles.
• Analytical and Validation Capabilities: Experience with simulation tools, hardware-in-the-loop testing, model-based development, test automation, data acquisition, and performance analysis to support concept validation and product decisions.
• Strategic Business and Market Acumen: Ability to conduct competitive benchmarking, market research, patent reviews, technology assessments, business case development, and investment planning to guide innovation strategy.
• Exceptional Communication and Organizational Skills: Strong technical writing, executive presentation, stakeholder management, and multi-project leadership skills, with the ability to drive alignment and decisions in a fast-paced, cross-functional environment.

Onsite Presence: This role requires a consistent onsite schedule-typically 4-5 days per week-to support in-person work, real-time coordination, and effective collaboration with team members who perform their duties onsite. Remote or off-site arrangements during the initial assignment period are not supported, as the work depends on direct engagement and timely interaction.
Compensation and Benefits:
Compensation for this role is $9,200/month (subject to applicable withholdings), plus benefits such as health and wellness while in the returnship program.
Cummins and E-Verify
At Cummins, we are an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer dedicated to diversity in the workplace. Our policy is to provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified persons without regard to race, gender, color, disability, national origin, age, religion, union affiliation, sexual orientation, veteran status, citizenship, gender identity and/or expression, or other status protected by law. Cummins validates right to work using E-Verify. Cummins will provide the Social Security Administration (SSA) and, if necessary, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), with information from each new employee's Form I-9 to confirm work authorization.
About Us
Cummins is an equal opportunity employer. Our policy is to provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified persons without regard to race, sex, color, disability, national origin, age, religion, union affiliation, sexual orientation, veteran status, citizenship, gender identity, or other status protected by law.