Body Design Engineer Jobs Near Me

Overview : 

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or Aerospace Engineering required. Minimum 6+ years of CAE experience with strong expertise in durability, fatigue, and structural analysis of automotive systems.
• Experience with Abaqus, ANSA, HyperWorks, META, and nCode is required. 
• This role is responsible for developing and executing finite element simulations to evaluate vehicle durability and structural performance.
• The engineer will partner with design and validation teams to identify risks, recommend countermeasures, and support the development of robust vehicle systems.  

Key Responsibilities : 
FE Model Development & Quality 

• Construct high-quality finite element meshes and models for body, chassis, and vehicle subsystems 
• Develop complex vehicle-level CAE models supporting durability and structural performance evaluations 
• Ensure model quality, accuracy, and correlation with engineering requirements 
• Utilize ANSA, HyperWorks, and other pre-processing tools for model construction and preparation 

Durability & Structural Analysis 

• Perform nonlinear finite element analyses using Abaqus to evaluate component and system durability 
• Conduct strength and fatigue assessments on structural vehicle systems 
• Analyze simulation results and identify potential performance concerns 
• Provide engineering recommendations to improve component durability and robustness 

Fatigue Life Assessment 

• Perform fatigue life evaluations using nCode post-processing tools 
• Interpret fatigue and durability results to predict product life performance 
• Identify critical fatigue locations and potential failure risks 
• Support engineering decision-making with data-driven durability assessments 

Engineering Validation & Testing Support 

• Support test validation activities to improve simulation accuracy and correlation 
• Participate in investigations related to physical testing and durability requirements 
• Compare test and CAE results to improve model quality and predictive capabilities 
• Collaborate with validation teams to ensure alignment between simulation and testing objectives 

Research & Method Development 

• Lead research efforts focused on enhancing CAE durability methodologies 
• Develop and implement improvements to existing simulation processes and workflows 
• Investigate new tools, techniques, and best practices for durability analysis 
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives across CAE processes and standards 

Problem Resolution & Countermeasure Development 

• Investigate durability concerns identified through simulation activities 
• Develop effective countermeasure plans to address structural performance issues 
• Partner closely with design engineering teams to implement design improvements 
• Support issue resolution throughout the product development cycle 

Technical Communication & Cross-Functional Collaboration 

• Prepare and deliver clear technical reports, presentations, and engineering recommendations 
• Communicate simulation findings to engineering leadership and project teams 
• Work closely with design, testing, and validation organizations 
• Provide technical leadership and support for durability-related engineering activities 

Profile :  

• Strong analytical engineer with deep interest in vehicle durability and structural performance 
• Passionate about solving complex engineering challenges using CAE methodologies 
• Comfortable working on highly technical vehicle development programs 
• Strong ownership mindset with the ability to independently drive analysis activities 
• Excellent problem-solving and root cause investigation capabilities 
• Effective communicator capable of presenting complex technical findings to diverse audiences 
• Collaborative team player who works well across engineering functions 
• Continuous improvement mindset with interest in advancing CAE methods and processes  

Must Have :  

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or Aerospace Engineering 
• 6+ years of CAE analysis experience within automotive or related industries 
• Minimum 4 years of experience with ANSA, META, HyperWorks, Abaqus, or similar CAE software 
• Strong finite element modeling and meshing experience 
• Experience conducting nonlinear finite element analysis using Abaqus 
• Experience performing fatigue and durability assessments 
• Working knowledge of nCode fatigue post-processing tools 
• Strong understanding of vehicle structures, body systems, and chassis components 
• Experience creating and presenting technical reports and engineering recommendations 
• Ability to work cross-functionally with design, testing, and validation teams  

Good to Have : 

• Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related field 
• Automotive OEM or Tier 1 supplier experience 
• Vehicle durability development experience 
• Test correlation and CAE validation experience 
• Advanced fatigue and fracture mechanics knowledge 
• Experience developing or improving CAE methodologies and best practices 
• Exposure to full vehicle durability simulation activities 
• Leadership experience supporting technical projects or research initiatives