Principal Product Engineer

Principal Product Engineer – FEA

Position at 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, Solid Works).
• 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…