FEA Mechanical Modeler

POSITION

FEA Mechanical Modeler

LOCATION

Cupertino CA hybrid 3x a week

REQUIRED SKILLS

Must Haves: (Top 3-5)

Expert-level Abaqus FEA modeling skills including advanced meshing material definitions boundary conditions and solution convergence techniques.

Strong NX CAD experience for geometry import cleanup defeaturing and preparation of analysis-ready models.

Ability to translate real-world mechanical problems into reliable simulation models including interpreting results and clearly communicating insights to engineering teams.

Nice to Haves: (Top 3-5)

• Prior Apple

Additional Notes

• Contractor will never interface with customers
• Core work:
  • Build
  • Simulate
  • Generate results
  • Improve / iterate
• Cadence experience is strongly preferred

Required Background

• Career level: Expert
  • Minimum 5 years of direct experience in a relevant Battery field
• MS or PhD is a hard requirement
• Ansys Icepak is a hard requirement
• Python is a hard requirement
• Experience with Cadence is strongly preferred
• During interviews:
  • Open the tool live on screen
  • Have candidates work directly in Icepak
  • They must know the tool front to back
• Avoid employment gaps
  • Tenure is very important to the manager career history must be robust and make sense
• Domain experience:
  • Any lithium ion battery with a BMS
  • Automotive aerospace or consumer electronics are ideal backgrounds
    • Heavy industry or Data Center background is not really transferrable

Mechanical FEA Modeler (Abaqus)

Responsibilities

• Field agnostic role (i.e much of the above applies to this role as well)
• Same iterative workflow:
  • Design build test analyze iterate
• Start with CAD
• Move into software to build a mesh and boundary conditions
• Run simulations and iterate on results

Required Tools & Skills

• Abaqus heavy usage (hard requirement)
• HyperMesh hard requirement
• NX highly preferred
• Python scripting highly preferred

Day-to-day:

Perform geometry cleanup and preparation in NX CAD ensuring models are suitable for high-quality finite element meshing.

Build mesh and maintain detailed Abaqus CAE models applying best-in-class meshing strategies element selection and model partitioning.

Define material models boundary conditions and load cases based on test data and real-world mechanical requirements.

Run monitor and troubleshoot FEA simulations resolving convergence issues and optimizing model performance and run time.

Post-process results interpret simulation outputs and clearly communicate findings to engineers and cross functional stakeholders through reports and reviews.

Job Summary: We are seeking a skilled and detail-oriented Abaqus FEA (Finite Element Analysis) Modeler to join our engineering team. The ideal candidate will be responsible for all pre-processing steps including geometry clean-up material definitions and meshing techniques as well as occasionally running and interpreting FEA simulations using Abaqus software to support various engineering projects. This role requires in-depth knowledge of finite element modeling expert skills regarding FEA model and meshing skills. The role also requires experience in NX CAD software for geometry preparation and cleanup skills analysis techniques and the ability to translate real-world mechanical problems into effective simulation models. Working level skills in other preprocessors including ANSA and Hypermesh is a strong plus.

Key Responsibilities:

Develop detailed finite element models using Abaqus CAE software to be used for simulating mechanical structural and thermal performance.

Pre-process and post-process complex simulations ensuring accurate model setup meshing and analysis.

Apply expert techniques and best practices for building high quality mesh models and apply necessary element grouping and keywords using manual methods and scripting

Develop material models using material testing data.

Troubleshoot and resolve modeling issues refining models to improve convergence and computational efficiency.

Maintain up-to-date knowledge of simulation best practices and advancements in FEA technology.

Qualifications:

Bachelors or Masters degree in Mechanical Engineering Aerospace Engineering or a related field.

MUST HAVE Minimum of 3 years of experience in finite element modeling using Abaqus CAE.

Expert level in finite element modeling particularly Abaqus CAE with a strong grasp of model preparation and meshing material models boundary conditions and load applications.

Experience in NX CAD software for importing and exporting model geometries.

Experience in ANSA and Hypermesh a strong plus.

Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with keen attention to detail.

Excellent communication skills for reporting and collaborating with team members.

Preferred Skills:

Background in mechanical design or structural analysis.

Familiarity with other FEA pre-processing and modeling tools (e.g. ANSA Hypermesh).

Experience with scripting in Python or other programming languages to automate tasks in Abaqus is a plus.

Experience with composite materials modeling or advanced material properties.

Experience in battery technology is a big plus.

This team will build models that capture behavior and simulations. These models will become a part of their NPI workflow.