Senior Blade Structure Engineer

ENVISION ENERGY USA LTD; Boulder (CO); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Envision Energy is seeking a Senior Blade Structure Engineer to lead advanced composite blade design work, bridging field failure investigations with next-gen design technologies. You will guide root-cause analyses, develop multi-fidelity models, and collaborate across design, production, and operations to deliver field-proven solutions.

You will apply AI-driven tools to accelerate failure analysis, validate models with field data, and drive improvements in laminates, joints, and manufacturing

Qualifications

• MS or PhD in Aerospace, Mechanical, Civil Engineering or closely related discipline.
• 5+ years of professional engineering experience in wind energy, aerospace, or structural composites.
• Deep knowledge of composite design, damage mechanics, and manufacturing methods including sandwich structures and joints.
• Expertise in FEA/FEM modeling (ANSYS/ABAQUS) for shells, solids, and damage modeling.
• Proven ability to lead root-cause analysis for complex failures and drive corrective solutions.
• Ability to collaborate across production, operations, and engineering without direct authority.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of composite design technologies and methodologies from concept through validation and production integration.
• Develop and apply multi-fidelity engineering tools to evaluate and improve blade designs at component and product level.
• Characterize composite material behavior to drive design improvements informed by field data.
• Identify and address root causes of structural challenges across laminate design, joints, and manufacturability.
• Collaborate with aerodynamics, loads, controls, and manufacturing to ensure integrated designs and producibility.
• Lead field investigations and RCA for failure modes and define corrective actions.

Skills

Root cause analysis

Cross-functional collaboration

Hands-on field failure investigation

Python

MATLAB

AI tools in engineering

Communication skills

Education

MS or PhD in Aerospace/Mechanical/Civil Engineering

Tools

ANSYS

ABAQUS

FEA/FEM modeling

Job description

Envision Energy’s Global Blade Innovation Center (GBIC) was established in 2015 to build a worldclass, in-house blade design capability. Engineers from industry-leading OEMs, national laboratories, and top graduate programs have collaborated to create a state-of-the-art design capability from the ground up. Envision’s in-house blade designs and technologies have disrupted global markets and delivered significant reductions in Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) alongside measurable expansion of Envision’s market share.

About the Role

As a Senior Blade Structure Engineer, you will operate across the full span of composite blade engineering: from hands-on field failure investigation through to the development of next-generation design technologies and product-level solutions. You will own the most technically complex challenges the business unit faces, with a mandate not only to diagnose and close field problems, but to translate that physical understanding into better designs, improved materials application, and new engineering capabilities that advance the product. You will serve as a key technical voice on the team’s hardest problems and bring the cross-functional influence to drive solutions across design, production, and operations. To be successful in this role you will be expected to bring the judgment to frame the right problem, the physical intuition built through hands-on field investigation, and the cross-functional influence required to turn technical insight into business action.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of composite design technologies and methodologies that advance blade structural performance, durability, and manufacturability, from concept through validation and production integration.
• Develop and apply multi-fidelity engineering tools and models to evaluate, optimize, and improve blade structural designs at both component and product level.
• Characterize and apply composite material behavior, including damage progression, fatigue response, and failure mechanisms, to drive design improvements informed by physical evidence.
• Identify product-level structural challenges and lead engineering solutions that address root causes, not just symptoms, spanning laminate design, joint architecture, sandwich construction, and manufacturing methods.
• Collaborate with aerodynamics, loads, controls, and manufacturing disciplines to ensure structural designs are integrated, producible, and field proven.

Field Investigation & Root Cause Analysis

• Lead hands-on assessment of damaged and failed composite wind turbine blades in factory and field environments. This is a core, non-delegable part of the role.
• Own root cause analysis for the business unit’s most challenging structural failure modes, with current priority on root joint structural fatigue; sandwich composite damage mechanisms including core cracking and laminate-core interface delamination; and manufacturing defect characterization and prediction.
• Define and implement corrective and preventive solutions that close the loop between field findings and upstream design, including repair methodologies, design changes, material substitutions, and process improvements.
• Work with blade material and testing teams to validate engineering models and design assumptions against physical evidence from field and factory.
• Communicate findings and recommendations with clarity to engineering, production, and operations stakeholders.

AI-Augmented Engineering

• Apply AI and data-driven tools to accelerate structural assessment, defect pattern recognition, and failure analysis of workflows.
• Leverage available AI tools to improve the efficiency and consistency of RCA documentation, reporting, and corrective action tracking.
• Maintain engineering rigor in evaluating AI-assisted outputs. Physical understanding of composite behavior governs not model output alone.

Qualifications

• MS or PhD in Aerospace, Mechanical, Civil Engineering, or a closely related discipline.
• 5+ years of professional engineering experience in wind energy, aerospace, or a closely related structural composites industry.
• Deep knowledge of composite design, damage mechanics, and manufacturing methods, including sandwich composite structures, adhesive joints, and bolted connections.
• Expertise in FEA/FEM modeling and analysis experience (ANSYS, ABAQUS, or similar) in shells and solids covering composites to tooling interfaces and damage modeling.
• Demonstrated track record of leading root cause analysis for complex composite structural failures and driving corrective and preventive solutions through implementation.
• Proven ability to work effectively across organizational boundaries (production, operations, and engineering) without direct authority.

Required Skills

• Hands-on experience leading or strongly supporting blade manufacturing, prototyping, or serial production on a specific project.
• Background in novel concept development: ideation, engineering, prototyping, testing, and production integration.
• Experience developing or applying data-driven / AI tools in a structural engineering context (e.g., defect classification, anomaly detection, fatigue life prediction).
• Proficiency in Python, MATLAB, or similar scripting, data processing, automation of analyses.
• Background in novel composite repair methodology development, including validation testing and production integration.

What We’re Looking For

The ideal candidate moves fluidly between the field and the design office and sees them as the same problem viewed from different angles. You build physical intuition from hands-on failure investigation, and you apply that intuition to develop design technologies and product solutions that make the next blade better than the last. You are intellectually restless about failure: you want to understand why something failed and use that understanding to advance the product, not just document the incident. You have the persistence and cross-functional credibility to drive solutions from first principles all the way through to implementing design and field-validated results. Strong interpersonal, collaboration, and communication skills are essential. Envision’s culture is entrepreneurial and fast-moving; a minds-on/hands-on approach is expected. Desire and ability to work effectively across cultural boundaries and international time zones is critical.

Work Arrangement & Travel

• Work arrangement: Hybrid
• Travel: Up to 15% international travel, including field site visits and collaboration with global GBIC teams.

Equal Opportunity Statement

Envision Energy is committed to diversity and inclusivity in the workplace. We encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds and experiences.