Computational Modeling & Simulation Specialist

About the role

You will use COMSOL Multiphysics to analyze coupled thermal, structural, and fluid behavior, plan simulation studies, correlate results with experiments, and communicate actionable findings to a cross-functional hardware team.

You might be a great fit if you:

• Enjoy turning complex physical systems into clear models, assumptions, and engineering decisions.
• Care about validation. You treat mesh convergence, sensitivity analysis, and comparison with experimental data as essential parts of simulation work.
• Can move between first-principles calculations and detailed numerical models without losing sight of the design question.
• Work well with experimental, mechanical, electrical, and controls engineers in a fast-moving hardware environment.
• Communicate uncertainty and limitations as clearly as results.

Responsibilities

• Build steady-state and transient multiphysics models in COMSOL Multiphysics for thermal, structural, and fluid systems.
• Translate engineering requirements into appropriate geometry, material properties, boundary conditions, solver settings, and figures of merit.
• Perform mesh-convergence studies, parametric sweeps, sensitivity analyses, and design optimization.
• Develop reduced-order and analytical models to check numerical results and guide early design decisions.
• Plan validation experiments, compare simulation predictions with measured data, and refine models based on discrepancies.
• Automate simulation setup, post-processing, and data visualization using Python, MATLAB, or the COMSOL API.
• Document model assumptions, verification steps, limitations, and results in a form that supports design reviews and future reuse.
• Collaborate across engineering disciplines to prioritize simulation work and turn results into practical hardware changes.

Requirements

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Physics, Applied Mathematics, or a related field.
• 2+ years of hands-on multiphysics modeling and simulation experience, including relevant graduate research or industry work.
• Practical proficiency with COMSOL Multiphysics.
• Strong foundation in finite element methods, heat transfer, structural mechanics, and computational fluid dynamics.
• Experience with mesh refinement, numerical convergence, model verification, and experimental validation.
• Working proficiency in Python or MATLAB for analysis, automation, and visualization.
• Ability to explain modeling choices, uncertainty, and results to engineers from other disciplines.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with coupled thermo-mechanical or thermo-fluid models.
• Experience automating COMSOL studies or running parameterized optimization workflows.
• Familiarity with CAD cleanup, geometry preparation, and importing models from Fusion 360, SolidWorks, or similar tools.
• Experience modeling manufacturing equipment, high-temperature systems, or advanced materials.
• Familiarity with uncertainty quantification, surrogate models, or high-performance computing workflows.
• Prior experience in a hardware startup, research lab, or advanced manufacturing environment.

Benefits

• Direct collaboration with the founding team on a new metal additive manufacturing platform.
• Ownership of the modeling workflow and significant influence on engineering decisions.
• A lean, low-bureaucracy environment where simulation and experimental work inform each other quickly.
• Flexible working arrangements and a culture that respects your time and autonomy.
• The opportunity to contribute to NSF-backed research and a growing technical portfolio.