Sr. Principal Mechanical Engineer (Structural Analysis SME)

Key Responsibilities

• Provide lead structural oversight for entire projects, complex modules, or high-stress LRUs/boxes, operating with high autonomy to ensure all hardware meets rigorous structural requirements.
• Hold primary responsibility and authority for structural analysis. Utilize advanced simulation techniques to predict failure modes, optimize weight, and ensure structural margins are maintained.
• Serve as the primary technical point of contact for structural integrity during customer interfaces.
• Develop and validate robust structural solutions to meet demanding customer requirements and military environmental specifications (e.g., MIL-STD-810).
• Act as the Structural Engineering Subject Matter Expert (SME) and reviewer; perform high-level complex stress, modal, and shock analyses and present results effectively to program leadership and customers.
• Collaborate across disciplines to ensure that structural constraints are balanced with thermal and electrical requirements, and that technical risks are fully understood and mitigated.
• Promote and implement strategic initiatives, including advanced simulation workflows, standardized structural reporting, and rigorous peer review processes for analysis reports.
• Lead and mentor a team of engineers, guiding them in the application of structural analysis best practices and developing their skills to advance into future technical leadership roles.
• Generate and assess complex FEA models, perform hand calculations for verification, conduct tolerance stack-up analyses, and define test parameters for structural verification efforts.

Education And Experience Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering.
• 6+ years’ experience in mechanical/structural engineering.
• Expert fundamentals of structural analysis, stress/strain, and fatigue documentation principles.
• Mastery of state-of-the-art structural analysis software tools (e.g., ANSYS Mechanical, Nastran/Patran, Abaqus, MATLAB, etc.).
• Knowledge of material properties for aerospace/defense applications and experience with the production and sustainment of structural mechanical systems.

Soft Skills Preferred

• Motivated self-starter and problem solver with proven experience executing in multi-disciplinary teams.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to maintain a high-level strategic view of structural integrity while managing detailed simulation execution.

Pay Information

Full-Time Salary Range: $132962 - $226035

Please note: This range is based on our market pay structures. However, individual salaries are determined by a variety of factors including, but not limited to: business considerations, local market conditions, and internal equity, as well as candidate qualifications, such as skills, education, and experience.

Employee Benefits

• Health, dental, and vision insurance.
• Health savings accounts.
• A 401(k) savings plan.
• Disability coverage.
• Life and accident insurance.
• Employee Assistance Program.
• Legal plan.
• Other perks including discounts on things like home, auto, and pet insurance.
• Recognition program to receive monetary or non-monetary recognition awards.
• Other incentives may be available based on position level and/or job specifics.

About BAE Systems Electronic Systems

BAE Systems, Inc. is the U.S. subsidiary of BAE Systems plc, an international defense, aerospace and security company which delivers a full range of products and services for air, land and naval forces, as well as advanced electronics, security, information technology solutions and customer support services. Improving the future and protecting lives is an ambitious mission, but it’s what we do at BAE Systems. Working here means using your passion and ingenuity where it counts – defending national security with breakthrough technology, superior products, and intelligence solutions. As you develop the latest technology and defend national security, you will continually hone your skills on a team—making a big impact on a global scale.