Location: Stevenage (4 days per week onsite)Duration: 12-month contractRate: 50ph UMB (Inside IR35) Our client, a leading entity in the Defence and Security sector, is currently seeking a Principal Structural Engineer for a contract role in Stevenage. This opportunity is situated within the Mechanical Analysis Group, which is composed of over fifty engineers working on cutting-edge military systems.Key Responsibilities:Providing critical structural analysis to ensure products meet key performance requirements.Carrying out structural analysis using hand calculations and Finite Element (FE) methods.Employing the Altair FE toolset and other alternative FE codes such as NASTRAN, ANSYS.Performing static, dynamic, fatigue analysis, and metallic/composite analysis.Conducting Finite Element optimisation and Design of Experiments.Assessing mechanisms and multi-body dynamics.Carrying out crash analysis to validate design integrity.Job Requirements:Proven experience in structural analysis and application of FE methods.Experience in static, dynamic, fatigue analysis, and metallic/composite analysis.Familiarity with Finite Element optimisation and Design of Experiments.Ability to make quick assessments to progress design activities efficiently.Capable of taking responsibility for complex structural analysis tasks.Ability to work both independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team.Strong verbal and written communication skills, able to network and influence stakeholders.Experience