Principal R&D Engineer - Fire Hazards, Investigations, and Failure Analyses

UL Solutions; Northbrook (IL); On-site; USD 160,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus 20%

Health benefits

401K retirement plan

Paid time off

Job summary

UL Solutions in Illinois is seeking a Principal Engineer to lead fire and explosion engineering analyses, failure analyses, and post-incident investigations. You will guide multi-disciplinary teams, shape client projects, and provide professional review of deliverables to ensure safety and compliance.

The role emphasizes independent work and collaboration, mentoring engineers and scientists, and presenting results at conferences.

Qualifications

• MS or PhD preferred; extensive experience in fire and explosion engineering.
• BS degree requires 15+ years of relevant work experience.
• Certified fire and explosion investigator (CFEI) certification.
• Professional engineering licensure in Illinois required.
• Familiarity with CFD and FEA techniques.
• Excellent communication and technical writing skills.

Responsibilities

• Initiate, plan and execute client projects in fire and explosion protection engineering analysis including failure analysis, cause-and-origin analysis, and fact-finding investigations.
• Carry out engineering analyses using numerical simulation, field data, and test data inputs.
• Mentor and guide team members for larger client project initiatives.
• Complete formal technical reports detailing strategy, approach and outcomes.
• Provide professional engineering review and, where appropriate, signature for key client deliverables.
• Work across industries, collaborating with stakeholders and communicating timelines.
• Stay ahead of changing technologies by reading journals, attending conferences, writing and presenting findings.
• Interprets business challenges and recommends best practices to improve products or services.
• Present project results at academic and industry conferences when appropriate.

Skills

Fire protection engineering

Explosion analysis

Project leadership

Technical writing

Mentoring

Education

MS or PhD preferred

BS with 15+ years experience

Tools

CFD analysis

FEA techniques

Laboratory testing

Job description

Job Description

The UL Solutions Research and Development team is seeking an experienced Principal Engineer to lead activities in advanced fire and explosion engineering analyses, failure analyses, and post-incident fact-finding investigations. Many of these initiatives will focus on solving client problems related to fire and explosion hazards in energy industries, including energy storage and renewables. The abilities to initiate, scope and execute complex client projects, to guide and mentor team members and colleagues in completing these projects, and to provide professional review of official deliverable documents are central to this role. A successful candidate will be creative, curious, adaptable to a fast-paced and multi-disciplined environment and willing to work collaboratively with a team of other engineers, scientists and technicians to solve complex problems.

Job Description

The UL Solutions Research and Development team is seeking an experienced Principal Engineer to lead activities in advanced fire and explosion engineering analyses, failure analyses, and post-incident fact-finding investigations. Many of these initiatives will focus on solving client problems related to fire and explosion hazards in energy industries, including energy storage and renewables. The abilities to initiate, scope and execute complex client projects, to guide and mentor team members and colleagues in completing these projects, and to provide professional review of official deliverable documents are central to this role. A successful candidate will be creative, curious, adaptable to a fast-paced and multi-disciplined environment and willing to work collaboratively with a team of other engineers, scientists and technicians to solve complex problems.

Responsibilities

• Initiate, plan and execute client projects primarily in the areas of fire and explosion protection engineering analysis including failure analysis, cause-and-origin analysis, and fact-finding investigations.
• Carry out engineering analyses using combinations of numerical simulation, field data, and test data inputs.
• Mentor and guide team members and colleagues for larger client project initiatives.
• Complete formal technical reports of work completed, including all information and details about strategy, approach and outcome.
• Provide professional engineering review and, where appropriate, signature for key client deliverables.
• Work across industries / segments, collaborate with key stakeholders, and provide timeline communications to both internal and external stakeholders.
• Stay ahead of changing technologies in the field by reading journals and scientific publications, attending academic conferences, writing, and collaborating on original publications, and delivering presentations.
• Interprets internal/external business challenges and recommends best practices to improve products, processes or services.
• Where appropriate, present project results and findings at academic and industry conferences.

Qualifications

• Degree in mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, fire protection engineering, explosion protection engineering or other relevant discipline is required. MS or PhD preferred.
• MS or PhD requires additional 12+ years of relevant work experience. BS requires additional 15+ years of relevant work experience.
• Certified fire and explosion investigator (CFEI) certification and experience in field evaluations of fires and failure events is required.
• Professional engineering licensure in the state of Illinois is required. Licensure in additional states is preferred.
• Preferred professional experience includes:
• Professional engineering consulting experience in fire protection engineering, explosion protection engineering, process safety engineering, or industrial engineering
• Familiarity with laboratory and physical testing environments
• Familiarity with power generation and distribution systems - including generators, power electronics, transformers, and high-voltage breakers
• Familiarity with building and fire codes
• General familiarity with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis and finite-element analysis (FEA) techniques.
• Excellent communication and technical writing skills are required.
• Ability to work independently but also having a team player mindset, giving priority to team goals and maintaining good team relationships, is required.

What You’ll Experience Working For ULS

UL Solutions has been pioneering change since 1894 and we’re still leading the way. From day one, we’ve blazed a trail protecting the planet and everyone on it. Our teams have influenced billions of products, plus services, software offerings and more. We break things, burn things and blow things up. All in the name of safety science.

That’s where you come in — because none of it could happen without you. It takes passion to protect people, problem-solving to safeguard personal data and conviction to make the world a more sustainable place. It takes bold ideas and brilliant minds to build a better world for future generations across the globe.

This is more than a job. It’s a calling. A passion to use our expertise and play our part in creating a more secure, sustainable world today — and tomorrow. As a member of our safety science community, you’ll use your ideas, your energy and your ambition to innovate, challenge and ultimately, help create a safer world.

Everyone here is unique. But we’re also a global community, working together to help create a safer world. Join UL Solutions and you can connect with the brightest minds in the business, all bringing their distinct perspectives and diverse backgrounds together to deliver real change.

Empowering our customers to keep the world safe means thinking ahead. It means investing in training and empowering our people to learn and innovate. At UL Solutions, we help build a better future — one where everyone benefits.

Join UL Solutions to be at the center of safety. To learn more about us and the work we do, visit UL.com

Total Rewards: We understand compensation is an important factor as you consider the next step in your career. The estimated salary range for this position is $160,000 to $200,00 USD and is based on multiple factors, including job-related knowledge/skills, experience, geographical location, as well as other factors. This position is eligible for annual bonus compensation with a target payout of 20% of the base salary. This position also provides health benefits such as medical, dental and vision; wellness benefits such as mental and financial health; and retirement savings (401K) commensurate with the standard rewards offered in each individual location or country. We also provide full-time employees with paid time off including vacation (15 days), holiday and personal days (totaling 12 days) and sick time off (72 hours).

About Us

A global leader in applied safety science, UL Solutions (NYSE: ULS) transforms safety, security and sustainability challenges into opportunities for customers in more than 110 countries. UL Solutions delivers testing, inspection and certification services, together with software products and advisory offerings, that support our customers’ product innovation and business growth. The UL Mark serves as a recognized symbol of trust in our customers’ products and reflects an unwavering commitment to advancing our safety mission. We help our customers innovate, launch new products and services, navigate global markets and complex supply chains, and grow sustainably and responsibly into the future. Our science is your advantage.