Principal FEA Engineer

ZipRecruiter; West Oxfordshire; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in Optical Technology in Oxfordshire is seeking a Principal FEA Engineer to tackle complex engineering challenges. This role requires expertise in Finite Element Analysis and mathematical modelling, working on innovative projects in optics. Candidates will lead design efforts and engage with clients, contributing to the development of cutting-edge products and processes.

Qualifications

• Solid industrial experience in engineering design or consultancy.
• Expert level in an industry standard FEA programme.
• Good communication in reports and customer presentations.

Responsibilities

• Support design and development activities using mathematical modelling.
• Manage FEA modelling tools and report results during internal meetings.
• Participate in design ideation, development, and customer-facing presentations.

Skills

Finite Element Analysis

Mathematical modelling

Communication skills

Education

Degree in Mechanical Engineering

Degree in Physics

Degree in Materials Science

Tools

Ansys

Matlab

Excel

Abaqus

Job description

Job Description

Some problems don’t have ready-made solutions. That’s where you come in.

An Optical Technology company in Oxfordshire is looking for an experienced FEA Engineer to join their growing team. This is a rare opportunity to take a lead role in solving complex engineering challenges—applying FEA and advanced mathematical modelling to cutting-edge work in optics and ophthalmic systems.

About the company

This organisation brings deep expertise in both optics and ophthalmics to tackle the most technically ambitious product development challenges in their field. They support clients across the full development lifecycle, from early research to production, working with start-ups, technical consultancies, and global tech brands. Project areas include lens systems, ophthalmic devices, AR/VR hardware, machine vision, and advanced consumer technologies.

They’re small, focused, and well-regarded—trusted by some of the biggest names in tech for their deep specialist knowledge. Alongside client work, they also invest significantly in internal R&D, driving innovation in next-gen technology.

And above all, they are an exceptional place to work.

The role

The company are growing and looking for an experienced Engineer or scientist with a string background in Finite Element Analysis and Mathematical Modelling.

The ideal candidate will have experience in a design environment using their modelling skills and knowledge of materials and structures to participate in the development of products and process.

A critical element of the companies products is based on thin elastomer films so the candidate would have experience of modelling elastomers both from a material and structural point of view. An experience of optics would be an advantage but is not required. The FEA principal engineer is an integral part of the design processes and participates in customer presentation and supplier meetings. The design challenges at the company are at the cutting edge of technical capability and the successful candidate will find their knowledge and inventiveness tested to the full.

Key Responsibilities:

• General support of all design and development activities using mathematical modelling including:
• Mathematical analysis and modelling of elastomeric materials
• Analysis and modelling of material data from experiment
• Application modelling of fluid lens systems using mathematical tools such as Matlab and Excel
• Modelling of fluid lens elements and assemblies using FEA tools (the company currently uses Ansys and Cosmos)
• Modelling of manufacturing processes such as membrane stretch in support of process development
• Participation in design including ideation, brainstorming, design proposals etc…
• Edition of reports and presentation of results and conclusions in internal design meetings
• Presentation of results and conclusion to customers and at board level
• Ownership of FEA modelling tools including model backup, liaison with suppliers and tool version management
• Management of outsourced development and outsourced modelling using tools or facilities not available at the company

To be considered for the role of Principal FEA Engineer you need the following:

Essential

• A Degree in applicable domain such as Mechanical Engineering, Physics or Materials Science.
• Solid industrial background in an engineering design environment or in an engineering consultancy.
• Expert level usage of at least one industry standard FEA programme such as Abaqus, Ansys, Comsol or Nastran.
• Good level of experience using general mathematical modelling tools such as Matlab and Excel.
• Good communication skills in reports and presentations and in customer facing situations .

Desirable

• Experience in mathematical modelling of elastomeric or polymer materials
• Good level of experience using general mathematical modelling tools such as Matlab and Excel
• Some experience in optics would be advantageous but is not required