Principal Product Engineer

Descripción

Puesto en Samtec, Inc

Founded in 1976, Samtec is a privately held, $1 Billion global manufacturer of a broad line of electronic interconnect solutions, including High-Speed Board-to-Board, High-Speed Cables, Mid-Board and Panel Optics, Precision RF, Flexible Stacking, and Micro/Rugged components and cables. Samtec Technology Centers are dedicated to developing and advancing technologies, strategies and products to optimize both the performance and cost of a system from the bare die to an interface 100 meters away, and all interconnect points in between. With 40+ international locations and products sold in more than 125 different countries, Samtec’s global presence enables its unmatched customer service.

Summary/Objective:The Principal Product Engineer – FEA leads advanced structural and thermal analyses for complex mechanical systems. This role emphasizes deep expertise in finite elements analysis (FEA), particularly non-linear behavior, shock, vibration, creep, thermal loading, and stress relaxation phenomena. The engineer will serve as a subject matter expert and guide design teams within New Product or Sustaining Product Engineering ensuring compliance with demanding environmental and performance requirements.

Essential Functions/ Responsibilities:

• Lead and perform complex finite element analysis (FEA) studies using industry standard tools (e.g., ANSYS Mechanical, LS-DYNA) for static, dynamic, shock, vibration, and thermo-mechanical loading across components and assemblies.
• Lead simulation-driven studies and analytical Design of Experiments (DOE) to quantify sensitivity to geometry, materials, process parameters, and boundary conditions.
• Multi-step, history-dependent mechanical and thermo-mechanical loading, including manufacturing and assembly load sequences, across components and assemblies.
• Analyze and predict fatigue, damage accumulation, and long-term reliability using physics-based metrics such as strain energy density, stress/strain range, and time and force dependent deformation behavior.
• Utilize simulation to evaluate material behavior in metals, polymers, and composite materials to inform design and material selection.
• Serve as a subject matter expert for advanced mechanics, structural integrity, and reliability of mechanical assemblies and systems.
• Conduct coupled thermo-mechanical simulations to evaluate creep, thermal fatigue, and long-term material deformation under sustained loads.
• Develop, implement, and validate advanced material models including viscoelastic, creep, and stress relaxation behavior, particularly at elevated temperatures.
• Develop and correlate analytical models with physical test data to ensure accuracy and predictive capability.
• Provide technical mentorship for simulation engineers and lead standardization of FEA workflows, best practices, and analysis templates.
• Partner closely with cross-functional teams to ensure robust, manufacturable solutions that meet customer requirements.
• Communicate analytical findings effectively in design reviews, technical reports, and presentations to internal and external customers.
• Work effectively across multiple projects and priorities in a demanding environment.

“The responsibilities as defined are intended to serve as a general guideline for this position. Employees may be asked to perform additional tasks depending on strengths and capabilities.”

Required Experience:

• 10+ years of experience conducting structural analysis using commercial FEA tools, with experience using advanced techniques such as shock, vibration, and coupled thermo-mechanical FEA.
• Deep understanding of mechanics, dynamic response, and material behavior (including creep, stress relaxation, and fatigue).
• Expert with commercial FEA tools and design software (e.g., ANSYS, Abaqus, Nastran, SolidWorks).
• Proven expertise in modeling complex mechanical systems, encompassing contact, anisotropic materials such as fiber-filled plastics, and nonlinear modeling. Skilled in coupled thermo-mechanical modeling, including analyses of creep, thermal loading, and stress relaxation. Experienced in shock, vibration, and reliability modeling and qualification of mechanical systems.
• Expertise in non-linear solution strategies, convergence control, contact stabilization, and solver selection for complex problems.
• Proven record of accomplishment interpreting complex simulation results and influencing engineering decisions and product design.
• Must be able to manage multiple projects simultaneously as priorities can change quickly.
• Excellent technical communication (written and verbal) and experience interfacing with customers, multidisciplinary engineering teams, and non-technical stakeholders.

Preferred Experience:

• Experience within electronic, defense, aerospace, energy, or high reliability industrial fields.
• Knowledge and experience with manufacturing processes such as cold rolling, stamping, and injection molding and their impact on structural performance.
• Experience with product test plan development and correlation of simulation results to test data.
• Knowledge and experience with material testing and characterization methods (e.g., DMA, TMA, Stress Relaxation).
• Leadership experience in mentoring engineers and driving improvements in analytical processes and methodologies.
• Experience automating analysis workflows and post-processing using scripting or custom tools.

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Materials Science or equivalent is required.
• Master’s degree or PhD is highly desirable but not required.