Principal Mechanical Engineer – Structural Analyst

Principal Mechanical Engineer-Structural Analyst

Job Summary

DRS Network & Imaging Systems in Cypress, CA is part of the Electro-Optical and Infrared Systems Group of Leonardo DRS and has over 30 years of experience in designing and developing electro-optical/infrared systems for surveillance and targeting applications. We are seeking a highly motivated Principal Mechanical Engineer with a strong background in structural analysis to join the company in the development of strategic space and weather systems. In this role, you will be a key contributor to the development of spaceborne EO/IR payloads, focal plane arrays, and other sensor technologies.

Basic Qualifications and Required Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering with 10+ years of experience (8+ years with a Master’s degree) in structural analysis and design
• 5+ years of experience in structural FEA using Ansys, NASTRAN, Abaqus, or similar tools, including at least 2 years using Ansys Workbench
• Proven experience in a wide array of FEA problems including non-linear static, modal, random vibration, shock, and fatigue analyses
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Hands-on experience with shock, vibration, and thermal testing, with the ability to correlate test results with FEA
• U.S. citizenship is required

Desired Skills and Experience

• Experience in the design and analysis of space hardware and cryogenic systems
• Proven ability to generate FEA results for STOP analyses of optical systems
• Experience utilizing high performance computing to run large FEA models
• Proficiency in using solid modeling tools such as Creo or SolidWorks

• Ability to write functions in Ansys APDL and create MATLAB or Python scripts for processing FEA data

Job Duties and Responsibilities

• Conduct structural analyses of opto-mechanical, electro-mechanical, and microelectronics systems operating in harsh environments using FEA, spreadsheets, and hand calculations
• Collaborate within a cross-functional engineering team to support design trades, failure analyses, and design reviews
• Take ownership of structural requirements, ensuring they are met through all phases of design, integration, and testing
• Present study results to both internal and external stakeholders through detailed written reports and formal presentations
• Derive load cases and decompose system-level requirements into subsystem and component level requirements