Mechanical/Structural Analyst

Company Description:

Join us and make YOUR mark on the World!

Are you interested in joining some of the brightest talent in the world to strengthen the United States’ security? Come join Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) where our employees apply their expertise to create solutions for BIG ideas that make our world a better place.

We are dedicated to fostering a culture that values individuals, talents, partnerships, ideas, experiences, and different perspectives, recognizing their importance to the continued success of the Laboratory’s mission.

Pay Range

$140,700 - $214,032 Annually 

$140,700 - $178,392 Annually for the SES.2 level

$168,780 - $214,032 Annually for the SES.3 level

This is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting; pay will not be below any applicable local minimum wage. An employee’s position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to, specific competencies, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, seniority, geographic location, performance, and business or organizational needs.

Job Description:

We have multiple openings for Mechanical/Structural Engineering Analysts with a strong background in solid mechanics and finite element analysis (FEA) to support Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) stockpile programs. In this role, you will perform computational modeling and simulation using advanced, nonlinear finite element analysis codes developed at LLNL to evaluate structural and material responses to combined thermal, quasi-static or dynamic, and hydrodynamic loads under time-dependent kinematic conditions.

You will contribute to research and development in advanced simulation capabilities, including constitutive modeling, Simulation Process and Data Management (SPDM), as well as Verification, Validation, and Uncertainty Quantification. Your work will support engineering design, testing, and certification of the nation’s nuclear weapon systems through both advanced development and practical design and assessment initiatives. These positions are in the Weapon Analysis and Methods (WAM) section within the Computational Engineering Division (CED) of the Engineering Directorate.

This position may offer a hybrid schedule, blending in-person and virtual presence.  You may have the flexibility to work from home one or more days per week.

These positions will be filled at either level based on knowledge and related experience as assessed by the hiring team. Additional job responsibilities (outlined below) will be assigned if hired at the higher level:

You will

• Contribute to and actively participate in the conception, development, implementation, execution, and documentation of FEA models of structural systems and their mechanical components, with emphasis on state-of-the-art computational techniques and constitutive modeling to evaluate the responses of structures and materials subjected to thermal, time-dependent displacement, and structural loads.
• Perform engineering analysis with limited guidance using FEA models and other solution methods to support stakeholders in design, modification, optimization, testing, and certification of nuclear weapon systems.
• Thoroughly document solution approaches, activities, sequences, requirements, and implementation practices including corresponding engineering assumptions, and present and explain analysis results to the team, as well as internal and external stakeholders.
• Collaborate and communicate with multi-disciplinary teams of engineering analysts, code developers, design engineers, and subject matter experts using established workflows, standards, and verification/validation best practices to solve moderately complex technical problems with limited direction within the scope of the assignment.
• Participate in and contribute to design reviews, training, briefings, or other program-related events, including describing analyses, input assumptions, potential enhancements, and current limitations during meetings with sponsors, other DOE Laboratories, and U.S. government agencies, which will require occasional travel.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Additional job responsibilities at the SES.3 level 

• Provide technical leadership and guidance to project teams developing state of the art methods and applying research results to meet programmatic goals, while balancing priorities of customers and partners to ensure deadlines are met.
• Solve abstract and complex problems as required, using in-depth analysis, and drawing from advanced level technical knowledge, best practices, and both routine and innovative techniques and approaches.
• Serve as the primary technical point of contact for program managers internally and at sponsor and partner organizations by sharing relevant advanced level knowledge, providing opinions and recommendations on methodologies, and exerting influence as needed to fulfill deliverables and best meet sponsor needs.
• Mentor and advise LLNL scientists and engineers in finite element analysis best practices.

Qualifications:

• Ability to secure and maintain a U.S. DOE Q-level security clearance which requires U.S. citizenship.
• Master’s degree in mechanical, structural, or aerospace engineering, or structural/applied mechanics, or related technical field, or the equivalent combination of education and related experience.
• Proficient interpersonal, communication, and organizational skills necessary to perform required duties, work and collaborate in a multidisciplinary team environment, and to present and explain technical information to a wide variety of audiences.
• Broad and comprehensive knowledge of continuum mechanics (or advanced solid mechanics) and the finite element method, including proficiency and experience with commercial FEA tools (LS-DYNA, ABAQUS, ANSYS, ADINA or similar) or NNSA national laboratory codes (ParaDyn, Diablo, Sierra, or similar).
• Ability to work under limited direction, independently or as part of a team within the assigned project group, and use independent judgment to determine analysis methods and evaluation criteria.
• Ability to travel occasionally.

Additional qualifications at the SES.3 level 

• Advanced knowledge and significant experience in computational structural mechanics, with depth in at least one of these areas: nonlinear finite element methods, structural mechanics, structural dynamics and modal response analysis, fracture mechanics, contact mechanics, or coupled thermo-mechanical stress analysis.
• Significant experience using verification analyses to ensure the validity of FEA solutions in comparison to analytical solutions and/or against empirical solutions and independently provide technical insight into stakeholder challenges.
• Ability to exercise independent judgement to effectively manage concurrent technical tasks with competing priorities, set technical strategy, and advise or direct the work of others in a team environment.
• Advanced verbal and written communication, presentation, and interfacing skills needed to effectively collaborate in a team environment, present and explain technical information in formal design reviews, document work, and provide advice to management and sponsors.
• Ability to work independently and as a member of multidisciplinary team on complex problems to develop and execute complex analyses while working under minimal direction.

Qualifications We Desire

• Active Department of Energy (DOE) Q-level clearance or active Top Secret clearance issued by another U.S. government agency.
• Ph.D. in mechanical, structural, or aerospace engineering, or structural/applied mechanics, or related field.
• Experience conducting (and selecting the technical approach of) computational analysis in a multi-physics context with software on massively parallel systems.
• Experience in material modeling utilizing experimental mechanics and laboratory-scale tests, and proficiency in benchmarking finite element analysis models at the system level on empirical test results, as well as in practical code verification and validation processes.
• Experience with finite element meshing software to develop high quality hexahedral based meshes that are sufficient for the selected analysis approach.
• Programming experience, particularly in Python and/or MATLAB, and familiarity with Git version control environment.

Additional Information:

#LI-Onsite

Position Information

This is a Career Indefinite position, open to Lab employees and external candidates.

Why Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory?

• Included in 2026 Best Places to Work by Glassdoor!
• Flexible Benefits Package
• 401(k)
• Relocation Assistance
• Education Reimbursement Program
• Flexible schedules (*depending on project needs)
• Our values - visit https://www.llnl.gov/inclusion/our-values

Security Clearance

This position requires a Department of Energy (DOE) Q-level clearance.  If you are selected, we will initiate a Federal background investigation to determine if you meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information or matter. Also, all L or Q cleared employees are subject to random drug testing.  Q-level clearance requires U.S. citizenship. 

Pre-Employment Drug Test

External applicant(s) selected for this position must pass a post-offer, pre-employment drug test. This includes testing for use of marijuana as Federal Law applies to us as a Federal Contractor.

Wireless and Medical Devices

Per the Department of Energy (DOE), Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory must meet certain restrictions with the use and/or possession of mobile devices in Limited Areas. Depending on your job duties, you may be required to work in a Limited Area where you are not permitted to have a personal and/or laboratory mobile device in your possession.  This includes, but not limited to cell phones, tablets, fitness devices, wireless headphones, and other Bluetooth/wireless enabled devices.  

If you use a medical device, which pairs with a mobile device, you must still follow the rules concerning the mobile device in individual sections within Limited Areas.  Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities require separate approval. Hearing aids without wireless capabilities or wireless that has been disabled are allowed in Limited Areas, Secure Space and Transit/Buffer Space within buildings.

How to identify fake job advertisements

Please be aware of recruitment scams where people or entities are misusing the name of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) to post fake job advertisements. LLNL never extends an offer without a personal interview and will never charge a fee for joining our company. All current job openings are displayed on the Career Page under “Find Your Job” of our website. If you have encountered a job posting or have been approached with a job offer that you suspect may be fraudulent, we strongly recommend you do not respond.

To learn more about recruitment scams: https://www.llnl.gov/sites/www/files/2023-05/LLNL-Job-Fraud-Statement-Updated-4.26.23.pdf

Equal Employment Opportunity

We are an equal opportunity employer that is committed to providing all with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, marital status, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, medical condition, pregnancy, protected veteran status, age, citizenship, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws.

Reasonable Accommodation

Our goal is to create an accessible and inclusive experience for all candidates applying and interviewing at the Laboratory.  If you need a reasonable accommodation during the application or the recruiting process, please use our online form to submit a request. 

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Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, located in the San Francisco Bay Area, is a premier applied science laboratory that is part of the National Nuclear Security Administration within the Department of Energy.