Lead Engineer - Stress Analyst

We are seeking an experienced FEA & Electronics Cooling Simulation Engineer responsible for performing advanced structural, dynamic, explicit, and thermal simulations to support product design, optimization, validation, and troubleshooting. The candidate should have strong fundamentals in finite element analysis and hands-on experience with linear and nonlinear structural analysis, vibration and dynamic analysis, drop/impact simulations, and electronics cooling/thermal analysis. The role will work closely with Design, Product, Testing, Manufacturing, and Systems Engineering teams to ensure designs meet structural, durability, thermal, and performance requirements.

Job Responsibility:

• Perform linear static analysis to evaluate stress, strain, deformation, stiffness, and load paths.
• Conduct nonlinear analysis, including material nonlinearity/plasticity, geometric nonlinearity/large deformation, contact and friction, and bolt/fastener and joint behavior.
• Evaluate sheet-metal, cast, welded, bolted, and structural assemblies.
• Perform design iterations and recommend structural improvements based on simulation results.
• Support design optimization, weight reduction, material changes, and cost-reduction/VAVE projects.

Dynamic & Vibration Analysis:

• Perform structural dynamic analyses including modal analysis, natural frequency and mode-shape evaluation, harmonic response analysis, random vibration/PSD analysis, shock/transient response analysis, and frequency-response assessments.
• Evaluate resonance risks and recommend design modifications.
• Support simulation-to-test correlation using vibration and modal test results.

Explicit, Drop & Impact Analysis:

• Perform explicit nonlinear simulations for highly transient events.
• Develop simulation methodologies for drop tests, impact events, shock loading, component-to-component impact, large deformation, and severe contact conditions.
• Evaluate plastic deformation, acceleration, stress/strain, energy balance, contact forces, and structural integrity during impact events.
• Correlate simulation results with physical drop/impact testing where data is available.

Electronics Cooling & Thermal Analysis:

• Perform electronics cooling and thermal simulations for electronic components, enclosures, and systems.
• Evaluate component/junction temperatures, PCB thermal performance, heat sinks, fans and forced convection, natural convection, conduction paths, airflow distribution, pressure drop, hot spots, and thermal bottlenecks.
• Assess thermal-management concepts and recommend improvements to cooling architecture.
• Map thermal or pressure loads from CFD analysis into structural FEA models where required.
• Perform thermal-structural analysis to evaluate deformation and stresses generated by temperature distributions.

Pre/Post-Processing & Modeling:

• Develop high-quality finite element models using 1D, 2D/shell, and 3D/solid elements as appropriate.
• Define realistic boundary conditions, contacts, joints, connectors, fasteners, materials, and loading conditions.
• Perform mesh-quality and mesh-convergence assessments.
• Perform CFD-to-FEA load transfer, such as pressure mapping, temperature mapping, and spatially varying load mapping.
• Review model assumptions and ensure that simulation methodologies appropriately represent actual product behavior.

Engineering Analysis & Validation:

• Interpret analysis results and translate them into actionable design recommendations, rather than simply reporting stresses or temperatures.
• Identify potential structural and thermal weaknesses early in the product-development cycle.
• Define analysis assumptions, acceptance criteria, margins, and limitations.
• Support design reviews, DFMEA, validation planning, and root-cause investigations.
• Develop engineering reports and presentations clearly documenting objective, methodology, assumptions, boundary conditions, results, conclusions, and recommendations.
• Collaborate with test engineers to improve CAE-to-test correlation and update simulation methodologies based on test results.

Preferred CAE Tools:

• Hands-on experience with several of the following is preferred:
• ANSYS Mechanical
• ANSYS LS-DYNA / LS-DYNA
• ANSYS Fluent / Icepak
• Altair HyperMesh
• Altair HyperView
• OptiStruct / Radioss
• SpaceClaim or equivalent CAD-preparation tools
• Experience working with CAD platforms such as Creo, NX, or SolidWorks would be beneficial.

Requirements:

• Strong fundamentals in solid mechanics, strength of materials, finite element methods, structural dynamics, heat transfer, contact mechanics, and material plasticity.
• Understanding of metallic and polymer material behavior.
• Good understanding of static versus dynamic loading and implicit versus explicit solution methodologies.
• Ability to assess FEA model quality and recognize unrealistic boundary conditions, contacts, mesh behavior, or solver results.
• Ability to troubleshoot convergence problems in nonlinear simulations.
• Knowledge of fatigue and durability assessment is desirable.
• Experience with scripting/automation using Python, APDL, TCL, or similar tools is an advantage.
• Bachelor's or master's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Automotive Engineering, Applied Mechanics, or a related engineering discipline.
• Relevant hands-on experience in structural/thermal CAE and product-development environments.
• Experience supporting simulation-driven design decisions and physical validation is highly desirable.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving ability.
• Sound engineering judgment.
• Ability to independently develop appropriate FEA methodologies.
• Ability to distinguish modeling issues from actual design problems.
• Strong communication and technical presentation skills.
• Effective collaboration with Design, Testing, Systems, Manufacturing, and Product Engineering teams.
• Ability to manage multiple simulation activities and priorities.