Structural Analysis Lead

Socket.dev; Huntsville (OH); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) matching

Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)

Medical, vision, and dental insurance

Paid leave and family leave

Disability and life insurance

Job summary

CFD Research in Huntsville, AL seeks a seasoned structural engineer to lead the FEA team. You will oversee static and dynamic analyses, validate models with hand calculations, and mentor engineers while interfacing with customers and program managers.

The role requires 10+ years in FEA, strong Abaqus/LS-DYNA skills, and willingness to travel to the Hollywood Center for in-person reviews.

Qualifications

• 10+ years hands-on experience with FEA.
• 3+ years experience in team leadership, project leadership or technical mentorship.
• Deep understanding of linear static, dynamic, modal, fatigue, and buckling analyses.
• Proficiency in Abaqus and LS-DYNA.
• Demonstrated ability to perform classical hand calculations to validate FEA models.
• Solid grasp of isotropic and basic composite material behavior, yield criteria, and fracture mechanics basics.
• Knowledge of thermal-structural coupling.
• Experience reviewing structural test data to calibrate and validate finite element models.
• US Citizenship and eligibility to obtain and maintain a secret security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Lead a growing structural analysis team focusing on FEA-based assessments.
• Oversee static strength, dynamic impacts, vibrations, fatigue, and crack propagation analyses.
• Interface with program managers and SMEs; brief results to customers.
• Mentor and develop team members; conduct biannual performance reviews.
• Travel to CFD Research's Hollywood, AL Center for in-person meetings (about 3x/month).

Skills

FEA

Team leadership

Hand calculations

Material mechanics

Thermal-structural coupling

Test data review

Security clearance

Rotordynamics

Abaqus

LS-DYNA

Python

APDL

TCL/TK

C++

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering

Master's Degree in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

Abaqus

LS-DYNA

Python

APDL

TCL/TK

C++

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 needs a talented engineer to lead our growing structural analysis team. The candidate will oversee FEA based structural work including static strength, high speed dynamic impacts, vibrations, fatigue, and crack propagation. Experience with turbomachinery and rotordynamics is a plus.

The position is located at CFD Research’s Huntsville Headquarters, where the candidate will lead a growing team of structural engineers providing rapid design recommendations and assessments. The candidate will identify, scope and direct work in conjunction with the program manager and group SMEs. The candidate will be responsible for quality assurance on all work products, and will be expected to brief results to customers. In addition, 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.

In addition to overseeing and directing the technical work of the group, the candidate will help mentor, train and develop members of the team. This will involve regular one-on-one career development discussions as well as biannual performance reviews.

Experience with the preferred tools, Abaqus and LS-Dyna, is required. The candidate should be familiar with running on a remote HPC cluster and submitting jobs to a bash scheduler.

Basic Qualifications:

• - US Citizenship and eligibility to obtain and maintain a secret security clearance
• - Bachelors Degree in Mechanical Engineering
• - 10+ years hands on experience with FEA
• - 3+ years experience in team leadership, project leadership or technical mentorship
• - Deep understanding of linear static, dynamic, modal, fatigue, and buckling analyses.
• - Proficiency in Abaqus and LS-DYNA
• - Demonstrated ability to perform classical hand calculations to validate FEA models, sanity-check boundary conditions, and verify load paths.
• - Solid grasp of isotropic and basic composite material behavior, yield criteria (Von Mises, Tresca), and fracture mechanics basics
• - Knowledge of thermal‑structural coupling
• - Experience reviewing structural test data (strain gauges, load cells, vibration sweep testing) to calibrate and validate finite element models.

Desired Qualifications:

• - An active secret security clearance
• - Masters Degree in Mechanical Engineering
• - Expertise in complex non-linear dynamics, large deformation, plastic collapse, transient thermal-stress coupling, and progressive damage mechanics.
• - Deep familiarization with relevant domain codes/standards (e.g., ASME Boiler & Pressure Vessel Code).
• - Experience with rotordynamics and associated analysis methods
• - Proficiency in Python, APDL, TCL/TK, or C++ to automate mesh generation, post-processing report generation, and parametric optimizations.
• - Experience managing group budgets, software license allocations (Ansys/Abaqus token pools), and High-Performance Computing (HPC) hardware environments.

Location: This role is based in the Huntsville, AL area, and is 100% onsite.

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