Contractor - Senior Finite Element Analyst - Transmissions and Chassis

Overview

Role: Contractor - Senior Finite Element Analyst - Transmissions and Chassis

Location: Leamington Spa, Warwickshire - Hybrid

Role :

Our vision is to create a safe and sustainable world.

Ricardo, member of WSP, is a global strategic, environmental, and engineering consulting company. With over 100 years of engineering excellence and employing close to 3,000 employees in more than 20 countries, we provide exceptional levels of expertise in delivering leading‑edge and innovative cross‑sector sustainable products and solutions. Every day, we enable our customers to solve the most complex and dynamic challenges to help achieve a safe and sustainable world.

About The Role

Your primary role will be to aid the design of transmission and chassis systems by undertaking linear and nonlinear FE analysis using Abaqus and Hyperworks toolsets. This is a lead role to deliver transmission and chassis structural analysis activities, from concept to production design. This will include managing junior team members and liaising directly with our customers.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead analysis tasks on medium and large transmission and chassis projects
• Apply theoretical knowledge and engineering techniques to the solution of basic analytical engineering problems
• Build high‑fidelity FE models for transmission, suspension, chassis systems using commercial CAE tools based on CAD and other engineering data
• Conduct linear and nonlinear, static and dynamic FE analysis
• Prepare detailed technical presentations for both internal and client project engineering review
• Interface with internal and external clients to deliver updates, design recommendations and analysis results
• Perform technical supervision of junior team members
• Work with proposal leaders to develop scope of work and to estimate resource needs
• Assist with technique and analysis methodology development
• Perform other job‑related duties as assigned

Key Competencies and Experience

• Deep understanding of transmission, suspension, and chassis system design, including load paths and behaviour under a range of operating conditions.
• Strong knowledge of structural analysis methods, including static and dynamic stiffness, linear and non‑linear stress, fatigue, modal, noise, and vibration analysis (specialism across all areas not essential).
• Ability to develop and optimise component concepts using a CAE‑led design approach.
• Experience refining designs and conducting extensive virtual validation using detailed assembly models, including interfaces, joints, preloads, and measured data where appropriate.
• Proven understanding of durability and fatigue assessment methodologies.
• Professional experience performing finite element (FE) analysis, including non‑linear static and fatigue analysis.
• Hands‑on experience with Abaqus and Opti Struct for implicit FE analysis.
• Proficiency with pre and post‑processing tools such as Hyper Works or ANSA.
• Experience using at least one commercial CAD package (e.g. CATIA, Creo, NX, Solid Works).
• A degree in Mechanical Engineering.
• Advanced experience in static and dynamic FE analysis.
• Advanced experience in numerical methods including multi‑body dynamic / finite difference methods.

Working here

You will be warmly welcomed into our workplace where every voice matters. We are diverse thinkers and doers, coming together to create a culture of inclusion. We will support you to find your place.

We will encourage you to use your passion and expertise to make a positive impact through the projects you work on. Your knowledge and desire to bring about change will be invaluable in helping deliver innovative solutions that support communities across the globe in becoming safer and more sustainable.

Work life balance

We offer flexible approaches to work, whether that is working from home, being in the office, or as a hybrid worker. We're happy to discuss flexible working arrangements. Wellbeing is at the core to our culture, allowing employees to flourish and to achieve their full potential.

Benefits

We want you to know how much you are valued. Your remuneration and benefits package will reflect that. You will receive a range of benefits which include support for your physical and…