FEA Engineer

Position Summary

We are seeking an experienced Principal Thermal Simulation Engineer to serve as the organization's subject matter expert in thermal modeling, simulation, and engineering analysis. This senior-level technical leadership position will be responsible for advancing thermal engineering capabilities through enhanced simulation accuracy, robust engineering standards, digital engineering tools, and validated design methodologies.

Key Responsibilities

Technical Leadership

• Serve as the organization's technical authority in heat transfer, thermodynamics, and thermal simulation.
• Lead the ongoing development and enhancement of thermal modeling capabilities, including simulation methodologies, validation approaches, engineering standards, and best practices.
• Provide technical leadership for engineering initiatives that strengthen product development capabilities across multiple teams.
• Mentor engineers in thermal analysis, simulation techniques, and engineering fundamentals.
• Develop and maintain engineering documentation, procedures, standards, and training materials related to thermal simulation and analysis.

Thermal Modeling & Simulation

• Perform advanced steady-state and transient thermal analyses using Finite Element Analysis (FEA) tools.
• Develop thermal models for industrial heating technologies and temperature-critical applications operating in demanding environments.
• Analyze temperature distributions, heat-up performance, thermal gradients, efficiency, surface temperatures, and safety-related thermal considerations.
• Optimize product designs using simulation-driven engineering approaches.
• Evaluate complex application requirements and recommend practical thermal solutions based on sound engineering principles.

Simulation Standards & Validation

• Establish and maintain standards for thermal modeling, simulation setup, material properties, engineering assumptions, meshing strategies, and result interpretation.
• Create standardized workflows and simulation templates that improve consistency, repeatability, and engineering efficiency.
• Validate simulation results through laboratory testing, analytical calculations, and correlation with real-world performance data.
• Improve simulation accuracy while reducing engineering development timelines.
• Support the development of predictive modeling techniques that enable faster and more reliable engineering decisions.

Engineering Process Improvement

• Lead continuous improvement efforts across the engineering organization.
• Develop engineering calculators, design tools, templates, and automated workflows that improve productivity and efficiency.
• Identify opportunities to enhance CAD modeling practices, engineering procedures, simulation workflows, and design standards.
• Leverage automation technologies such as Python, VBA, or similar tools to streamline engineering calculations and repetitive tasks.
• Research, evaluate, and implement new engineering methods, analysis tools, and technologies that improve product development effectiveness.

Customer & Technical Support

• Provide engineering expertise for complex customer applications and thermal design challenges.
• Collaborate with customer engineering teams to understand application requirements and recommend optimized thermal solutions.
• Clearly communicate technical analyses, design trade-offs, and engineering recommendations to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Support key strategic customers and high-priority development projects.
• Travel occasionally to customer locations as required.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Applied Physics, Materials Science, Thermal Sciences, or a related engineering discipline.
• 5-10 years of experience in thermal analysis, heat transfer, thermal product development, or related engineering fields.
• Strong foundation in thermodynamics, heat transfer, fluid mechanics, and thermal systems engineering.
• Extensive experience performing thermal Finite Element Analysis (FEA).
• Proficiency with commercial simulation software such as Ansys or comparable thermal analysis platforms.
• Experience with 3D CAD software such as SolidWorks, SpaceClaim, or similar modeling tools.
• Demonstrated experience developing, validating, and improving thermal simulation models.
• Ability to solve complex engineering challenges using first-principles engineering analysis.
• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation communication skills.
• Proven ability to lead technical projects, mentor engineers, and drive continuous improvement initiatives.
• Self-motivated professional who can work independently while collaborating effectively across multidisciplinary teams.