Lead CAE Model Build Engineer

Rivian•Irvine, CA

12d•Onsite

About The Position

The Lead CAE Model Build Engineer serves as the technical backbone of the virtual validation process. You will own the full-vehicle assembly pipeline, acting as the primary bridge between Design (CAD) and Analysis (CAE). This role requires managing the complex logistics of model maturation while technically executing high-fidelity model builds for Safety, NVH, Durability and Vehicle Dynamics.

Requirements

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, or Civil Engineering.
12+ years of dedicated CAE Model Build experience in an automotive OEM or Tier 1 environment.
Expert-level proficiency in ANSA is mandatory. Must be capable of complex batch meshing, morphing, and database management.
Deep understanding of deck formatting, control cards, and element formulations for LS-DYNA, Optistruct, and Abaqus.
Experience with PDM systems (Enovia, Teamcenter)
Solid understanding of Body-in-White (BIW) structures, fastening technologies (SPR, FDS, laser welds), and plastics modeling.

Nice To Haves

Proficient in Python for CAE automation.
Excellent cross-department communication skills
Experience implementing AI/ML workflows in engineering (data cleaning for training sets).

Responsibilities

Define and track the CAE model build timeline, ensuring alignment with vehicle program milestones (Gate reviews, Prototype releases).
Resource planning for external vendors or internal teams to ensure model delivery targets are met.
Serve as the single source of truth for model versioning and configuration management.
Lead inter-team communication to gather geometry, BOM, and fastener data from Body, Chassis, Powertrain, and Interior teams.
Resolve geometry conflicts and connection issues directly with Design Engineers prior to mesh generation.
Standardize part naming conventions and hierarchy to ensure seamless PDM/PLM data synchronization.
Oversee the master assembly of full-vehicle FEA models within ANSA, utilizing Include management and Task Manager workflows.
Manage occupant and structural safety model assembly, ensuring correct contact definitions, material mapping, and barrier setups.
Lead the creation of trimmed body models, defining mass distribution, connection stiffness, and load case setups for modal and FRF analysis.
Construct implicit and explicit models for fatigue and strength analysis, focusing on bolt preload retention, bushing non-linearity, and sub-modeling techniques.
Develop and maintain Python scripts for ANSA to automate repetitive tasks (batch meshing, connector realization, quality checking).
Design model databases to be "AI-Ready" by standardizing metadata and topology, facilitating future predictive modeling and surrogate model training.
Create common connection master files to allow rapid switching between discipline-specific representations (e.g., changing a spot weld from a rigid element for Safety to a ACM/CWELD for NVH automatically).