Senior Research Engineer, Solid Mechanics

We are seeking a Senior Research Engineer with deep expertise in solid mechanics to build the theoretical foundation of Gridware’s new sensing capabilities. You will be the team’s subject matter expert on the mechanics of structures, and your work will directly shape how we measure, validate, and improve our physics-based measurement systems.

You will develop performant measurement algorithms, lead sensitivity analyses that quantify how physical assumptions and algorithm inputs propagate into measurement error and run field validation studies. You will bridge the gap between structural mechanics theory and deployed sensing products.

This position focuses on mechanics modeling, algorithm design, validation study design, and technical leadership rather than fleet-scale data operations or software implementation.

• Design physics-based measurement algorithms.

• Determine which physical and structural input parameters most reduce algorithm uncertainty, to what precision they are needed, and how to acquire them—optimizing the tradeoff between input data cost and measurement accuracy. Identify which error sources dominate and mitigate them.

• Design and execute field validation studies: develop the protocol, sample size, acceptance criteria, and ground truth measurement methods to evaluate our measurement products.

• Serve as the team’s theoretical subject matter expert on structure mechanics: failure modes, material nonlinearity, creep, damage progression, soil-structure interaction, and regulatory strength standards.

• Investigate alternative measurement principles that could improve accuracy or add interpretability.

• Mentor team members on structural mechanics fundamentals and raise the rigor of the team’s scientific work.

• Collaborate closely with cross functional stakeholders to operationalize new capabilities from measurement to customer delivery.

• PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Civil/Structural Engineering, or a closely related field plus 3+ years of relevant industry experience, or MS in one of those fields plus 6+ years of relevant industry experience with a demonstrated track record of leading structural mechanics work end-to-end.

• Deep expertise in solid mechanics: beam theory, stress-strain constitutive models, failure criteria, fracture mechanics, fatigue. Able to derive and critically evaluate structural models from first principles.

• Experience with nonlinear material behavior—specifically wood, composites, biological materials, or other anisotropic/viscoelastic materials. Understanding of how material structural variability, environmental factors, anisotropy, and aging affect mechanical properties.

• Track record of designing and analyzing physical experiments or validation studies with quantitative rigor—defining acceptance criteria, characterizing uncertainty, and drawing defensible conclusions.

• Scientific computing: comfortable developing mechanics models and writing experimental analysis pipelines in Python, MATLAB, or equivalent.

• Strong technical judgment, communication, and ability to translate complex mechanics into actionable engineering recommendations.

• Experience leading technically complex work across multiple stakeholders and deadlines.