Sr. Principal Mechanical Engineer (Structural Analysis SME)

BAE Systems is a defense, aerospace, and security company serving national security customers through advanced electronic and military systems. The Principal Mechanical Engineer will serve as a structural analysis Subject Matter Expert, leading structural oversight, validation, simulation, and technical reviews for complex mechanical systems while mentoring engineers and supporting customer engagements.

Responsibilities:

• Provide lead structural oversight for entire projects, complex modules, or high-stress LRUs/boxes, operating with high autonomy to ensure all hardware meets rigorous structural requirements
• Hold primary responsibility and authority for structural analysis. Utilize advanced simulation techniques to predict failure modes, optimize weight, and ensure structural margins are maintained
• Support key business pursuits by defining structural requirements and environmental constraints that meet customer needs; serve as the primary technical point of contact for structural integrity during customer interfaces
• Develop and validate robust structural solutions to meet demanding customer requirements and military environmental specifications (e.g., MIL-STD-810)
• Act as the Structural Engineering Subject Matter Expert (SME) and reviewer; perform high-level complex stress, modal, and shock analyses and present results effectively to program leadership and customers
• Collaborate across disciplines to ensure that structural constraints are balanced with thermal and electrical requirements, and that technical risks are fully understood and mitigated
• Promote and implement strategic initiatives, including advanced simulation workflows, standardized structural reporting, and rigorous peer review processes for analysis reports
• Lead and mentor a team of engineers, guiding them in the application of structural analysis best practices and developing their skills to advance into future technical leadership roles
• Generate and assess complex FEA models, perform hand calculations for verification, conduct tolerance stack-up analyses, and define test parameters for structural verification efforts

Requirements:

• Clearance Level – Must be able to obtain for position: Secret
• U.S. Citizenship Required: Yes
• U.S. Person Required: Yes
• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering
• 6+ years' experience in mechanical/structural engineering
• Expert fundamentals of structural analysis, stress/strain, and fatigue documentation principles
• Mastery of state-of-the-art structural analysis software tools (e.g., ANSYS Mechanical, Nastran/Patran, Abaqus, MATLAB, etc.)
• Knowledge of material properties for aerospace/defense applications and experience with the production and sustainment of structural mechanical systems
• Must be able to obtain a Secret Clearance
• Typically a Bachelor's Degree and 8 years work experience or equivalent experience
• Motivated self-starter and problem solver with proven experience executing in multi-disciplinary teams
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to maintain a high-level strategic view of structural integrity while managing detailed simulation execution