COMPUTATIONAL FLUID DYNAMICS (CFD) ENGINEER

MIKEL invests in people and technology – empowering the creative process, building responsive relationships, and propelling innovative solutions from conception to completion for the U.S. Navy. MIKEL is a small woman owned business that has been providing Undersea Warfare Solutions to the Department of Defense since the company’s inception in 1999. 

Be a part of our dynamic team whose solutions and services enable the Navy to solve their toughest problems and meet their mission requirements. We have undersea operations experience, combined with engineering and specific subject matter expertise, that provides an in-depth understanding of the problem and a novel, innovative and cost-effective solution. MIKEL is committed to providing an environment that challenges its employees to use and advance their skills and knowledge to provide solutions that exceed customer expectations.

Position: Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Engineer

Nature of Role: MIKEL INC. is currently looking for a Mechanical Engineer to support the physics-based modeling team at Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Division Newport (NUWCNPT). The Engineer should have a solid foundation in fluid mechanics, heat transfer, and mechanical design principles, along with advanced knowledge of numerical modeling techniques for complex multi-faceted systems. Specifically, the engineer must have in-depth knowledge of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and hands-on experience using OpenFOAM, or a comparable commercial software suite, to model internal and external flow problems.

The successful candidate will work in a team environment to develop, execute, post-process and analyze output of CFD models at various levels of fidelity, from simplified analytical estimates to high-fidelity, three-dimensional transient simulations. Highly qualified applicants will also have knowledge of experimental methods and data analysis used to validate and verify model predictions. They must work well as part of a highly skilled and multi-disciplined team to provide numerical analysis products, reports and briefings.

Responsibilities:

Include but are not limited to:

• Fully integrate with our customers’ teams, working closely with them on-site to understand their needs and ensure our services align closely with their operational needs.
• Develop, set up, and execute CFD models in OpenFOAM, ANSYS, or other comparable software suites, including geometry preparation, meshing, boundary condition definition, solver selection, and turbulence model selection
• Generate and refine computational meshes using meshing software (Ex. hypermesh) and perform mesh convergence studies
• Verify and validate CFD results against analytical solutions, published data, and experimental measurements
• Post-process and visualize simulation results and present findings to diverse technical and non-technical audiences
• Automate simulation workflows and parametric studies through scripting
• Participate in proposal and grant funding efforts to different funding agencies (ex. SBIR/STTR Proposals).
• Participate in team meetings to plan and execute complex analysis tasks

Requirements

Experience & Skills:

• MS or PhD with 2 to 8 years’ experience in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Ocean Engineering, Physics, or related discipline, or BS with 5 to 7 years’ experience in computational fluid dynamics
• Strong understanding of fluid mechanics, turbulence modeling (ex. RANS, LES), and numerical methods (ex. finite volume method)
• Working to advanced proficiency in OpenFOAM or related simulation software, including case setup, meshing, solver execution, and troubleshooting
• Experience with multiphase, free-surface, or fluid-structure interaction (FSI) problems
• Experience working in a Linux environment, including command-line operation and shell scripting
• Coding or scripting in Python, MATLAB, or C++
• Excellent communication skills
• Excellent scientific documentation, ideally in LaTeX

Desired Experience & Skills:

• Experience developing custom solvers, utilities, or libraries in OpenFOAM using C++
• Experience with hydrodynamic or marine flow applications
• Experience running simulations on high-performance computing (HPC) clusters and parallel computing
• Familiarity with other CFD or multiphysics tools (ex. ANSYS Fluent, STAR-CCM+, COMSOL Multiphysics) and computer aided design tools
• Experience with experimental flow measurement techniques used for model validation

MIKEL offers a competitive salary and a comprehensive benefits package that includes Medical/Dental/Vision Insurance, Flexible Spending Account (FSA), 401k Retirement Plan, Life Insurance, Disability Insurance, Paid Time Off (PTO), and Tuition Reimbursement.

Department of Defense Secret Security Clearance or higher is required at time of hire. Applicants selected will be subject to a U.S. Government security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information. Due to the nature of work performed within our facilities, U.S. citizenship is required.

MIKEL is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws.