MERITUS are recruiting for a Principal Structural Engineer to join our defence client on an initial 12 month contract with very likely extension offered thereafter.PRINCIPAL STRUCTURAL ENGINEER - INSIDE IR35 - 50 PER HOUR - 12 MONTHS - STEVENAGE - SINGLE STAGE INTERVIEW PROCESSResponsibilities:Working for an internationally recognised defence company, you will play a critical role in ensuring that products deliver the necessary performance against key structural requirements.Skillset/experience required:Degree qualified in a STEM subject.Proven ability to carry out structural analysis through the application of hand calculations and Finite Element (FE) methods. Proven experience in the Altair FE toolset is preferred, although experience in alternative FE codes such as NASTRAN, ANSYS etc. will be considered.Experience in one or more of the following areas: Static, dynamic, fatigue analysis;Metallic/composite analysis;Finite Element optimisation and Design of Experiments;Assessment of mechanisms and multi body dynamics;Crash analysis.Ability to make quick/simple assessments to progress design activities in an efficient manner.Self-motivated individuals, who are great problem solvers and are able to take responsibility for complex structural analysis tasks.Can work as a part of a multi-disciplinary team, as well as independently.Strong verbal and written communication skills with the ability to network and influence internal and external customers.Relevant experience in an equiv