Contractual Finite Element Analysis Fea Engineer Jobs in Reston, VA

Job Title: Mechanical Engineer

Job Description

The Mechanical Engineer will design, develop, and produce customized container solutions that serve as hubs and workshops for advanced products such as rocket components and small vehicles. This role focuses on mechanical and structural design, drafting, detailing, and finite element analysis (FEA) to deliver production-ready solutions. You will join a growing engineering team that is preparing for upcoming deliveries and needs someone ready to make an immediate impact on complex, high-visibility projects.

Responsibilities

• Plan, conceptualize, and produce mechanical and structural designs for new and existing containers using 3D CAD software, with a preference for Autodesk Inventor.
• Develop complete drawing packages, including layouts, detailed part drawings, assemblies, and installation documentation that are ready for manufacturing.
• Independently detail and draft mechanical parts and large structural weldments, ensuring all designs are production-ready and capable of being manufactured to specification.
• Design and size mechanical and structural connections such as bolts, pins, and welds, specifying sizes, bolt patterns, and weld configurations based on load requirements, strength considerations, and fatigue analysis.
• Conduct and review structural analysis using hand calculations and finite element analysis (FEA) to verify design integrity and performance.
• Perform static analysis on design parts and systems to ensure they meet structural and safety requirements.
• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams to ensure designs can be produced to manufacturing standards and integrated effectively into broader systems.
• Support the full lifecycle of product design using Autodesk Inventor, from initial planning and conceptualization through to production release.
• Create detailed fabrication and assembly drawings suitable for use in manufacturing environments.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of design practices, documentation standards, and engineering workflows within the team.

Essential Skills

• 3–6 years of hands-on experience drafting and designing production-ready mechanical drawings.
• Proficiency in developing detailed fabrication and assembly drawings for manufacturing environments.
• Experience with full-lifecycle mechanical design using Autodesk Inventor for new and existing products, from planning and conceptualizing through to production.
• Ability to perform static analysis and finite element analysis (FEA) on design parts and systems.
• Strong skills in 3D CAD-based mechanical and structural design, including containers, structures, and mechanical components.
• Competence in designing and sizing mechanical and structural connections such as bolts, pins, and welds based on load, strength, and fatigue analysis.
• Experience creating manufacturing drawings and designs that meet production standards.
• Familiarity with FEA tools and methods, including structural and thermal analysis.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional engineering and manufacturing teams.
• Strong attention to detail in drafting, detailing, and documentation to ensure designs are production-ready.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience using Autodesk Inventor as the primary 3D CAD tool for mechanical and structural design.
• Experience with other CAD and PLM tools such as Creo, Windchill, and SolidWorks.
• Knowledge of finite element analysis (FEA), including structural and thermal analysis techniques.
• Understanding of manufacturing welding procedures and practices.
• Experience working with weld symbols in accordance with AWS D14.1/D1.1 standards.
• Exposure to program management activities and familiarity with PMP certification concepts.
• Ability to work on complex, customized products such as shipping containers designed for high-value items including rocket parts and small vehicles.
• Comfort working in fast-paced environments with upcoming delivery deadlines and high-impact projects.

Work Environment

This position is based 100% onsite in an office environment that emphasizes close collaboration among engineers. You will work as part of a small, focused team of three engineers, contributing to and occasionally leading design efforts once your work is incorporated into active projects. The team designs and builds customizable shipping containers used to transport advanced products such as rocket components and small vehicles for major integrators in the aerospace and defense ecosystem. The environment is highly collaborative and project-driven, with frequent interaction across engineering and manufacturing functions and a strong focus on delivering robust, production-ready designs.

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Mc Lean, VA.

The pay range for this position is $50.00 - $67.00/hr.

Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following: • Medical, dental & vision • Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital • 401(k) Retirement Plan – Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available • Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents) • Short and long-term disability • Health Spending Account (HSA) • Transportation benefits • Employee Assistance Program • Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

This is a fully onsite position in Mc Lean,VA.

This position is anticipated to close on Aug 31, 2026.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications withoutregard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability,sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protectedby law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification oradjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability,please email actalentaccommodation@actalentservices.com for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance:Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in thecity and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicantswith arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector:It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as acondition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this lawshall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI):We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process,including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applicationsand qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, youacknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.