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Simulation Engineer - Mechanical & Thermal Systems

Microsoft· Quantum Engineering
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Redmond, WA$119.8k - $234.7k-full-timePosted 4d ago

About the role

Cryomechanical simulation specialist to lead mechanical, structural, thermal, and coupled multiphysics analyses for cryogenic hardware and laboratory systems, translating requirements into validated models, informing design decisions, and supporting lifecycle activities within Microsoft Quantum.

Responsibilities

  • Own end-to-end mechanical and thermal analysis for cryogenic subassemblies and top-level integrations, including millikelvin (mK), 4 kelvin (4 K), and ambient-temperature structures, radiation shields, vacuum interfaces, thermal straps, supports, and cable or harness routing hardware.
  • Develop and maintain high-fidelity finite element and multiphysics models in COMSOL Multiphysics and ANSYS Mechanical, including defensible geometry idealization, material models, contacts, interfaces, meshing strategies, loads, boundary conditions, solver controls, and post-processing methods.
  • Perform structural, thermal, and coupled thermo-mechanical analyses, including linear and nonlinear stress, stiffness, deflection, buckling, modal and vibration response, steady-state and transient heat transfer, thermal contact resistance, radiation, and thermal stress caused by coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) mismatch.
  • Translate system and subsystem requirements into analysis plans and acceptance criteria for heat-load budgets, temperature stability, thermal anchoring, structural margins, alignment, vacuum loading, vibration isolation, interface loads, and performance across temperature stages.
  • Verify, validate, and correlate simulation results through mesh-convergence studies, sensitivity and uncertainty analyses, hand calculations, analytical benchmarks, and comparison with instrumentation, prototype, and system-level test data.
  • Drive design decisions through clear technical communication by presenting assumptions, methods, limitations, margins, risks, and recommendations at design reviews; partner with mechanical designers, thermal engineers, physicists, electrical engineers, manufacturing teams, and suppliers to close issues and improve designs.
  • Build reusable simulation capability and engineering discipline by creating model templates, material-property libraries, documented workflows, review checklists, and automation for parametric studies and results processing; support root-cause investigations
  • Other: Embody our Culture and Values.

Qualifications

  • Doctorate in Physics, Engineering, or related field AND 1+ year(s) experience in industry or in a research and development environment, or Master's Degree with 4+ years, or Bachelor's Degree with 6+ years, or equivalent experience.

Skills

Required:Finite element analysisCOMSOL MultiphysicsANSYS MechanicalMathematical and analytical reasoning
Nice to have:Cryogenic systems modelingProgramming/scripting for automation
Last updated Oct 23, 2026. Interested? Apply on the company site.

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