Job Purpose

The Staff CAE Engineer serves as a technical authority for computer-based analysis supporting product strategy, design, development, and release. Using state-of-the-art FEA and multiphysics tools, including ANSYS, this role defines and executes system and component-level analysis strategies for automotive driveline products such as transfer cases, gearboxes, electric drive modules, and Variable Cam Timing (VCT) components.

Typical work includes structural and fatigue analysis, modal and structural-acoustic analysis, CFD, mass optimization, design optimization, and combined 1D/3D modeling. The engineer establishes modeling standards, assumptions, acceptance criteria, and correlation practices; influences early product architecture and design decisions; and partners with cross-functional and global teams to deliver robust products that meet or exceed performance targets. The role advances organizational CAE capability through technology roadmaps, methodology development, automation, mentoring, and measurable reductions in technical risk, physical prototypes, development time, cost, and warranty exposure.

Key Responsibilities

• Define and execute CAE strategies using ANSYS and other appropriate tools to support functional performance, structural integrity, fatigue, durability, NVH, thermal, and fluid-flow requirements.

• Serve as the technical authority for modeling approaches, assumptions, boundary conditions, material models, acceptance criteria, verification, validation, mesh convergence, sensitivity, uncertainty, and correlation practices.

• Translate customer, system, and product requirements into CAE targets and verification plans; identify technical risk and determine when analytical evidence is sufficiently mature to support design decisions and product release.

• Lead technical reviews and resolution of complex, cross-disciplinary issues spanning products, programs, suppliers, and global engineering teams; clearly communicate conclusions, limitations, risks, and recommendations to technical and business leadership.

• Develop and maintain CAE technology roadmaps, modeling standards, reusable methods, reduced-order models, automation tools, lessons learned, and capability-development priorities across programs and locations.

• Lead through influence and mentor engineers and subject-matter experts while coordinating internal teams, suppliers, universities, and engineering service providers to improve functional performance, durability, NVH, mass, cost, efficiency, quality, and first-time-right design maturity.

• Establish and report measurable business impact from CAE, including reductions in physical prototypes, validation cycles, development timing, product cost, technical risk, and warranty exposure.

• Promote innovation by identifying emerging simulation technologies and, where appropriate, contributing to invention disclosures, patents, technical papers, and external technical forums.

What we are looking for

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related engineering discipline; Master’s degree in engineering preferred.

• Excellent written, verbal, presentation, and technical-reporting skills, including the ability to communicate with technical and nontechnical audiences.

• 8+ years of CAE/FEA experience supporting functional performance, durability, and NVH in automotive powertrain, driveline, or VCT applications, including VCT components, chain guides, tensioners, transfer cases, gearboxes, or electric drive modules.

• Demonstrated experience in the design and analysis of automotive VCT systems and components such as gears, guides, tensioners, actuator systems, chains, and sprockets.

• Advanced proficiency with ANSYS Mechanical Workbench for static, nonlinear, dynamic, fatigue, and modal FEA.

• Experience with structural-acoustic analysis and correlation of analytical predictions to measured results.

• Experience deploying and scaling analyses using high-performance computing (HPC) technology.

• Self-directed/self-motivated

• Able to handle multiple projects simultaneously

• Experience with hybrid analysis methods that combine 1D system models, 3D simulation, analytical calculations, and empirical data to predict functional performance, durability, and NVH is preferred.

• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional technical teams without formal authority, mentor experienced engineers, and influence product architecture and business decisions

SOFTWARE/HARDWARE EXPERIENCE

• ANSYS Workbench—Mechanical, Acoustics, nCode, Fluent, Motion, LS-DYNA, and related modules.

• Altair HyperWorks

• Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook

• SMT MASTA, ROMAX, MATLAB preferred

Salary Range: