Principal Engineer – Large Fabrications

Job Description Summary As the Principal Engineer – Large Fabrications, you will provide technical leadership and engineering rigor for the design, analysis, and validation of large fabricated and composite structures used in wind turbine nacelles and related assemblies. This role is focused on sheet-metal based structural components and requires deep expertise in structural integrity, dynamics, fatigue, fracture mechanics, strength assessment, and design for manufacturability.

You will be responsible for driving robust engineering decisions through design reviews, drawing reviews, stack-up assessments, analytical calculations, and correlation of test and simulation results. You will also support review of certification activities, engage with external agencies as needed, and help strengthen technical capability across the organization, especially in dynamics.

This is a leadership role for an experienced engineer who can challenge assumptions, develop new methods, and partner with CTHs, design teams, suppliers, and cross-functional stakeholders to deliver safe, high-quality, and compliant products.

Job Description Essential Responsibilities

• Lead the design, analysis, validation, and technical direction of large fabricated and composite structures for wind turbine nacelles.
• Drive robust engineering solutions for sheet-metal and composite structures, ensuring safety, quality, manufacturability, and compliance.
• Chair design reviews, perform detailed drawing and tolerance analyses, and ensure sound technical decisions throughout the product development process.
• Perform structural calculations and simulations in ANSYS, covering strength, frequency-domain fatigue, fracture mechanics, and structural performance.
• Apply industry standards (IIW, Eurocode, DNV) to support engineering decisions, compliance, and certification activities.
• Bridge testing and simulation by correlating results, improving models, and developing validated analysis methods.
• Partner with engineering leadership to strengthen structural engineering capabilities, identify technical gaps, and drive continuous improvement.
• Lead technical supplier reviews, root cause investigations, and cross-functional problem solving with design, manufacturing, quality, supply chain, and certification teams.
• Support product lifecycle management (PLM) activities and mentor engineers to grow technical expertise across the team.

Qualification / Requirements

• Master’s degree in Mechanical, Structural, Aerospace Engineering, or a related discipline.
• Extensive structural engineering experience, preferably with large fabricated metallic structures and composite components.
• Strong expertise in structural dynamics, sheet-metal fabrication, and composite structures.
• Hands-on experience in frequency-domain fatigue analysis, fracture mechanics, strength calculations, structural validation, and first-principles machine design.
• Proficiency in ANSYS or similar frequency-domain analysis tools.
• Working knowledge of engineering drawing reviews, GD&T, and tolerance stack-up analysis.
• Experience supporting certification processes and interacting with certification bodies.
• Strong communication, stakeholder management, and engineering coaching skills.
• Strong ownership, accountability, and commitment to engineering excellence.

Desired Characteristics

• Knowledge of wind turbine nacelle structures and related design challenges.
• Familiarity with industry standards and codes such as IIW, Eurocode, and DNV.
• Demonstrated ability to lead technical reviews and make sound engineering decisions.
• Experience in test-to-simulation correlation and method development in frequency domain.
• Strong problem-solving skills with experience in RCA, supplier issue resolution, and technical investigations.
• Ability to challenge the status quo and drive technical advancement.

Additional Information Relocation Assistance Provided: No