Senior Rotordynamics FEA Engineer

Socket.dev; Huntsville (OH); On-site; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) matching

ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan)

Medical/Vision/Dental insurance

Paid leave

Parental leave

Disability insurance

Life insurance

Job summary

CFD Research Corporation is seeking a talented senior rotordynamics finite element engineer to evaluate rotating machinery via modal, harmonic and transient analyses. You will interface with cross-functional teams at Huntsville HQ to provide rapid design recommendations and assessments, with occasional visits to Hollywood, AL.

The role requires hands-on experience with Abaqus, ANSYS or NASTRAN, and a strong background in dynamics and thermal–structural coupling.

Qualifications

• US Citizenship and eligibility to obtain and maintain a secret security clearance.
• Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering.
• 6+ years hands-on turbomachinery experience (turbines, compressors, rotors).
• Proficiency with Abaqus and SolidWorks.
• Experience with Campbell diagram generation, critical speed analysis, and frequency response functions.
• Solid understanding of dynamics concepts: gyroscopic effects, damping/stiffness modeling, non-linearities, stability/whirl phenomena.
• Knowledge of thermal–structural coupling effects and rotor growth/clearance analysis.
• Ability to create clear technical documentation and present results to stakeholders.
• Strong problem solving, communication, and teamwork skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop and validate linear dynamic FEA models to generate Campbell diagrams and identify critical speeds.
• Determine rotational clearance and assess high-cycle fatigue.
• Produce engineering reports and documentation in support of verification and design reviews.

Skills

Turbomachinery

Vibration analysis

Dynamics concepts

Documentation & communication

Teamwork

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering

Master's Degree in Mechanical Engineering (Dynamics/Vibration/Structural Mechanics)

Tools

Abaqus

ANSYS

NASTRAN

SolidWorks

Job description

About CFD Research:

Since its inception in 1987, CFD Research has delivered innovative technology solutions within the Aerospace & Defense, Biomedical & Life Sciences, Intelligence & Sensing, and Energy & Materials industries. CFD Research has earned multiple national awards for successful application and commercialization of innovative component/system technology prototypes, multi-physics simulation software, multi-disciplinary analyses, and expert support services. Based in Huntsville, Alabama where laboratory facilities and headquarters are located, CFD Research also has office and laboratory facilities in Dayton, Ohio, prototyping test and evaluation facilities in Hollywood, Alabama, and office facilities in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. CFD Research is an ISO9001:AS9100D registered company and is appraised at CMMI Level II for Services. CFD Research is a 100% ESOP (employee-owned company) recognized in Inc. Magazine's Inc5000 as a top growing company for four of the last five years. Learn more at www.cfd-research.com

CFD Research Corporation is adding a talented senior rotordynamics finite element engineer to our growing structural analysis team. The candidate will evaluate rotating machinery (compressors, turbines, gearboxes) via modal, harmonic and transient analysis to improve reliability and reduce vibration.

The position is located at CFD Research’s Huntsville Headquarters, where the candidate will work closely with existing structural, fluid and thermal analysis teams to provide rapid design recommendations and assessments. The candidate is expected to interface regularly with Prototype, Test and Evaluation Division engineers located at the company’s Hollywood, AL Engineering Test Center. This will necessitate trips to Hollywood to support in-person meetings 3 times a month.

The potential exists for the aspiring candidate to help grow and eventually lead the burgeoning high fidelity structural analysis team. Proficiency with any one of the following FEA tools is required: Abaqus, ANSYS or NASTRAN. The candidate should be familiar with running on a remote HPC cluster and submitting jobs to a bash scheduler.

Key responsibilities include the development and validation of linear dynamic FEA models to generate Campbell diagrams, identify critical speeds, determine rotational clearance, and assess high cycle fatigue. The candidate shall produce engineering reports and documentation in support of requirement verification and design reviews.

Basic Qualifications:

• US Citizenship and eligibility to obtain and maintain a secret security clearance
• Bachelors Degree in Mechanical Engineering
• 6+ years hands on experience with turbomachinery, gas/steam turbines, compressors, electric motor rotors, or gearboxes
• Proficiency with Abaqus and Solidworks
• Experience with Campbell diagram generation, critical speed analysis, and frequency response functions.
• Solid understanding of dynamics concepts: gyroscopic effects, damping/stiffness modeling, non-linearities, stability/whirl phenomena
• Knowledge of thermal–structural coupling effects and rotor growth/clearance analysis
• Ability to create clear technical documentation and present results to stakeholders
• Strong problem solving, communication, and teamwork skills.

Desired Qualifications:

• An active secret security clearance
• Masters Degree in Mechanical Engineering with emphasis on dynamics, vibration or structural mechanics
• Experience with ANSYS or NASTRAN
• Background with rolling bearings.
• Familiarity with industry standards and reliability practices (FMEA, root-cause methods).
• Familiarity with high-performance computing (HPC) and large-scale models
• Experience with python for post processing of tabular data or the creation of automation macros

Benefits:

CFD Research offers competitive salaries and excellent employee benefits, including an employer matching 401(k) and Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). CFD Research offers our Full-Time, permanent employee-owners a highly competitive insurance package, including medical, vision, and dental insurance. Additionally, we offer company paid leave, compensation time, parental leave, long-term and short-term disability, accidental death and dismemberment, and life insurance. Part-Time and Temporary employee-owners may receive partial or reduced benefits and leave time based on their employment status level. Performance appraisals occur twice a year and annual pay increases are based upon corporate goals, personal development, performance, and outstanding achievements. In addition, group and individual bonuses are awarded for exceptional performance.

CFD Research is an EO employer - Veterans/Disabled and other protected categories