Fracture Mechanics Engineer

Excet, A Precise Systems Company, is a scientific and engineering business that provides technological support services to a diverse customer base. We’re committed to delivering world-class scientific and engineering professional assistance to prepare for our nation’s defense and security. Our work supports some of our country’s most important national security programs, and our expertise enhances homeland security. As a growing research services firm specializing in science and engineering, we offer a collaborative team culture, providing support for research, engineering, and project management. We seek intellectual curiosity, a high level of comfort with complexity, and a desire to work in a wide range of challenging on-site environments.

All work is performed on site, in Washington DC, 5 days per week. Remote delivery is not authorized. 

Excet, a Precise Systems Company seeks an Fracture Mechanics Engineer to work as a member of the technical team performing and leading research, development, and testing in the areas of environmental assisted cracking and fracture mechanics in support of Excet contracts with U.S. Navy. The job will be based in Washington, DC, but regular travel to perform work at NRLKW is required. 

Duties: 

• Develop new experimental design and/or technologies at NRL facility for marine corrosion, marine engineering, materials, electrochemistry, coatings, biofouling remediation and environmental effects.
• Work as a project leader in specific corrosion science and engineering projects.
• Perform fatigue testing, such as high and low stress cyclic corrosion fatigue, cyclic air fatigue, and multiaxial fatigue testing, and fracture mechanics testing, such as fatigue crack growth, stress corrosion and fracture toughness testing.
• Experimental setup, sample identification, collecting and analyzing data, experimental clean up and test equipment maintenance.
• Draft blueprint designs in Solidworks or similar platforms.
• Work with supply chain and vendors to revise blueprints as needed based on manufacturability and experimental testing considerations. 
• Strong understanding of Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing to effectively communicate design requirements and leverage tolerance relief as potential source of cost savings.
• Work as part of a development team and see projects through initial concept, write proposals, execute tests, evaluate experimental results, and formally document the results as author or co-author.
• Must be comfortable in handling multiple projects simultaneously.
• Candidate must be able to work with cross-functional groups involving government and industry partners to develop, test, manufacture and transition products or technologies to practical fleet applications and solutions.

Required Education:

• PhD or Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Engineering, Structural Mechanics, or related disciplines; with dissertation or thesis work related to experimental focused research project, such as in fatigue or fracture mechanics.

Required Experience:

• Fracture Mechanics and Fatigue Analysis: Linear, Non-Linear, Static and Dynamic.
• Familiarity working with metals, composites or polymers.
• Commercial software such as SolidWorks, LabView, Matlab, MathCad, Pyton, ABAQUS, COMSOL, NASGRO or equivalent.
• Probabilistic approaches to materials degradation and risk analysis.
• Experience in industrial and military specifications.
• Operation of potentiostats/galvanostats to apply electric potential onto test specimens to simulate cathodic protection conditions.
• Collect and interpret data from standard corrosion experiments (e.g. potential surveys, polarization scans, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), etc.).
• Knowledge of safety principles and demonstration of safety competence and aptitude.

Desired Experience:

• Understanding fundamental metallurgical or materials science principles and their influence on material properties.
• Experience with and knowledge of standard fatigue testing methods, fracture testing methods, stress- and strain-life approaches to fatigue for uniaxial and multiaxial cases, damage tolerance methods, durability and life assessment methodologies.
• Familiarity with hydraulic test equipment and control software, such as MTS Systems.
• • This includes actuators, load cells, extensometers, operating in load, strain or displacement control, hydraulic pump operation and maintenance.
• Experience with SEM fractography and other electron microscopy.
• Experience utilizes basic metallography tools and procedures.
• Experience with basic use of chemistry laboratory.
• Results focused and willingness to take ownership and responsibility for project objectives and management.
• Must be comfortable working in a collaborative environment with subject matter experts of various disciplines.
• Creative self-starter with hands on bench experience.
• Strong written, listening and communication skills.

Must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret security clearance. Due to the sensitivity of customer related requirements, U.S. Citizenship is required.

Precise Systems and its subsidiaries are committed to an inclusive and diverse workplace that values and supports the contributions of each individual. This commitment and shared Vision and Values of Integrity, Respect, and Responsibility allow us to leverage differences, encourage innovation, and expand our success in the global marketplace. Precise Systems and its subsidiaries are Equal Opportunity /Affirmative Action Employers. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, status as an individual with a disability, or any legally protected status under federal, state, or local law.