FEA Engineer

About Us

HSM Company History  |  HSM HEART Company Values  |  Who is HSM to our customers?

Founded in 1944, HSM is a third generation, privately held company with a rich history of innovation and a commitment to our people. With 25 locations across the U.S. and corporate headquarters in Hickory, NC and Huntersville, NC, we specialize in manufacturing components for furniture, bedding, transportation, packaging, automotive, and healthcare industries. Our expertise also includes designing and building automated production machinery. HSM products from sofa springs to swimming pool noodles and bus seats, touch everyday life in countless ways.

At HSM, our success is built on our people. We foster a culture of teamwork, innovation, and shared success. If you’re looking for a meaningful place to grow and make an impact, we want to hear from you!

What You Will Do

• Develop and execute finite element analyses. Build, solve, and interpret linear and nonlinear models using appropriate materials, loads, constraints, contacts, connections, and mesh strategies.
• Evaluate product performance. Perform static strength, modal, dynamic, vibration, fatigue, thermal, buckling, contact, and durability analyses based on product and program needs.
• Verify model accuracy. Use mesh convergence studies, sensitivity checks, hand calculations, and other verification methods to assess model quality and evaluate likely failure modes.
• Influence product design. Partner with design engineers to evaluate geometry, materials, joints, welds, bolted connections, and load paths, recommending improvements to performance, cost, and manufacturability.
• Connect simulation with physical testing. Support test planning, compare predictions with test results, and refine models to address meaningful differences.
• Support technical problem-solving. Contribute to design reviews, failure investigations, root-cause analysis, and corrective actions.
• Communicate results clearly. Prepare reports and presentations documenting methods, assumptions, results, limitations, risks, and recommended actions while maintaining traceable analysis records.
• Improve analysis methods. Develop reusable modeling approaches, templates, and workflows, and automate repeatable tasks where appropriate.

What You Bring

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, civil engineering, or a related engineering discipline.
• Demonstrated experience applying finite element methods to product or structural engineering problems and translating requirements into appropriate analysis plans.
• Proficiency with at least one commercial FEA solver and its pre- and post-processing tools.
• Strong understanding of solid mechanics, material behavior, structural dynamics, fatigue, numerical methods, meshing, boundary conditions, and solution strategies.
• Ability to interpret engineering drawings, material specifications, product requirements, and physical test data.
• Working knowledge of ISO 9001 and experience supporting automotive quality-system requirements.
• Clear technical communication, effective collaboration across functions, and the ability to manage competing priorities and own deliverables.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in a related engineering discipline.
• Automotive or commercial vehicle experience, particularly with structural components, seating, mechanisms, durability, or vehicle interiors.
• Experience with ANSYS, Abaqus, NASTRAN, LS-DYNA, OptiStruct, HyperMesh, or comparable platforms.
• Experience with advanced analysis methods such as nonlinear materials, large deformation, complex contact, composites, welds, bolted joints, explicit dynamics, fracture mechanics, optimization, or probabilistic analysis.
• Experience correlating simulations with strain-gage, modal, vibration, durability, or other physical test data.
• Familiarity with CAD, product lifecycle management systems, IATF 16949, and VDA 6.3.
• Scripting or workflow automation experience using Python, MATLAB, or solver-specific tools.

Travel

Limited travel may be required to support design reviews, testing, manufacturing activities, and collaboration at other company locations.

Why Join Us?

• Health & Wellness: Affordable medical, dental, and vision insurance plans, including an innovative global healthcare option for qualified participants.
• Retire: 401(k) with company match, fully vested from day one.
• Paid Time Off: Competitive PTO: 3 Weeks of Vacation + 9 company paid holidays.
• On-Site Medical Clinics: Free for you and covered dependents.
• Teladoc: 24/7 access with no copay.
• Professional Development: Tuition reimbursement, professional development assistance and career growth opportunities.
• Discounts: Enjoy discounts with HSM partners, including Dollywood Parks & Resort, Verizon Wireless, and more.

EEOC

At HSM, we believe that our diversity creates a productive workplace. All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, creed, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, marital status, affectionate or sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.

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