Location: San Jose, CA
Employment Type: Full-Time
About the Role:
We are seeking a CAE Mechanical Engineer to lead and execute high-fidelity structural simulations for lithium-ion battery systems across the cell, module, and pack levels. This role is integral to bridging design concepts into manufacturable, reliable hardware by modeling how complex electro-mechanical systems behave under real-world conditions. You will work closely with mechanical design, test, and manufacturing teams to inform design architecture through simulation-driven insights and best practices.
Key CAE Responsibilities:
Simulation & Analysis
• Perform mechanical FEA under diverse loading conditions including crush, vibration, drop, thermal expansion, swelling, crash and underbody impact.
• Build and refine detailed simulation models using CAD and empirical inputs, with rigorous attention to mesh quality, materials, contacts, and boundary conditions.
• Conduct simulations using Abaqus, ANSYS, LS-DYNA, or similar tools; analyze results to assess deformation, failure risk, and design sensitivity.
• Correlate simulation outputs with physical test data (e.g., strain gauges, displacements, fracture behavior) to validate and improve model fidelity.
• Rapidly iterate on design alternatives and provide clear, actionable simulation feedback to design teams.
Lead CAE Domains
Own analysis workflows for:
• First Mode and Modal Analysis
• Shock and Vibration Evaluation
• Underbody Impact Scenarios
• Side Pole Impact
CAE Development & Infrastructure
• Contribute to the selection and integration of solver tools, pre/post-processors, and overall CAE infrastructure.
• Define, document, and continuously improve best practices and workflows to ensure robust, repeatable analysis pipelines.
• Develop and validate material models for CAE use-ideally by designing and executing custom test programs to generate material cards.
Fatigue & Advanced Simulations (Bonus)
• Support the development of fatigue analysis methodologies, particularly for polymers or adhesive joints.
• Lay the foundation for in-house battery crash and impact simulation capabilities:
• Model mechanical behavior of cells during impact.
• Collaborate with OEMs on vehicle-level integration and crash safety strategy.
Cross-Functional Collaboration & Product Design
Component Design
• Partner with Product Development on mechanical hardware, especially:
• Underbody protective elements
• Structural enclosures
• Pack framing and load-bearing components
Compression System Innovation
• Contribute to the design and optimization of next-generation battery compression systems, including advanced "quilted" or pre-formed plate concepts.
Qualifications & Experience
• B.S. or M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Applied Mechanics, or related discipline.
• 5+ years of experience in mechanical FEA, ideally within battery systems or similar dense electro-mechanical assemblies.
• Proven proficiency in FEA tools such as Abaqus, ANSYS, or LS-DYNA; deep understanding of crash, vibration, and non-linear analyses preferred.
• Strong skills in model setup (meshing, contact definition, material property assignment, boundary condition management).
• Demonstrated ability to correlate simulation to test data and validate model accuracy.
• Excellent communicator-capable of presenting simulation results, limitations, and trade-offs to multidisciplinary teams.
• Comfortable working in fast-paced, iterative environments with evolving product requirements.
