CAE Durability Engineer

We’re ALTEN Technology USA, an engineering company helping clients bring groundbreaking ideas to life—from advancing space exploration and life-saving medical devices to building autonomous electric vehicles. With 3,000+ experts across North America, we partner with leading companies in aerospace, medical devices, robotics, automotive, commercial vehicles, EVs, rail, and more.

As part of the global ALTEN Group—57,000+ engineers in 30 countries—we deliver across the entire product development cycle, from consulting to full project outsourcing.

When you join ALTEN Technology USA, you’ll collaborate on some of the world’s toughest engineering challenges, supported by mentorship, career growth opportunities, and comprehensive benefits. We take pride in fostering a culture where employees feel valued, supported, and inspired to grow.

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

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, age, genetic information, or pregnancy.

Please beware of job seeker scams and see this important notice on our careers page for more information about our recruiting process.

Compliance Notice: Alten USA is a federal contractor subject to the requirements of the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) and Executive Order 11246. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.

Drug Screening Requirement: As a federal contractor, Alten USA maintains a drug-free workplace. All candidates selected for employment will be required to successfully complete a pre-employment drug screening as a condition of hire.