Senior Structural Engineer

The Senior Structural Engineer – FEA Specialist is a key technical role within the Structural Engineering function, responsible for the delivery and assurance of structural design, calculation and analysis for composite and metallic marine structures.

This role sits at Senior level, with a recognised Finite Element Analysis (FEA) specialism, while retaining full responsibility for hand calculations, rule-based design, and engineering judgement. The role is not limited to analysis execution; it includes method selection, assumption validation, interpretation of results, and integration with production realities.

Working across concept, detailed design and production support, the role contributes directly to structural integrity, compliance, weight control and manufacturability of vessels up to approximately 24m load line length, with scope to support larger or novel platforms under guidance.

The role is expected to mentor junior engineers, provide technical guidance, and act as a trusted point of reference within the team.

• Delivery of structural calculations and analysis for composite and metallic marine structures
• Application of FEA as a design and verification tool, including model build, loading definition, result interpretation and validation
• Development and checking of hand calculations and rule-based assessments to support and validate numerical analysis
• Structural optimisation for strength, stiffness, weight and manufacturability
• Structural substantiation in accordance with relevant Class, Flag and regulatory requirements
• Liaison with production teams to support build queries, concessions and as-built changes
• Contribution to early-stage concepts, including structural feasibility and weight estimation
• Technical review of junior engineers’ work and support to their development
• Effective collaboration with Naval Architecture, Design and Systems disciplines to manage interfaces

The FEA specialism within this role includes:

• Finite Element modelling and analysis of composite and metallic structures
• Appropriate element selection, meshing strategy and boundary condition definition
• Application of relevant failure criteria for composites and stress/strain limits for metallics
• Correlation of FEA results with hand calculations, rules and engineering judgement
• Clear communication of assumptions, limitations and conclusions of analysis

• Structural design and analysis of marine structures in composites and/or metallics
• Finite Element Analysis experience applied to real engineering problems
• Ability to perform and validate hand calculations and rule-based assessments
• A strong understanding of composite manufacturing methods, including hand lay-up, infusion, RTM and prepreg construction, and their impact on structural behaviour and design decisions
• Understanding of structural behaviour, load paths and failure modes
• Design to the standards of, and liaison with, relevant regulatory bodies
• Experience supporting production and resolving design-related build issues
• Clear technical communication, both written and verbal

• Structural analysis using Siemens NX / Simcenter or equivalent
• Composite laminate design, material selection and manufacturing awareness
• Experience with weight estimation and structural optimisation
• Familiarity with configuration control and change management
• Experience mentoring junior engineers

• Take ownership of technical scope and deliver high-quality outputs
• Collaborate effectively across multidisciplinary teams
• Work confidently under time and production pressures
• Communicate clearly across all levels of the business
• Support team development through knowledge sharing

• Work on advanced, cutting-edge maritime platforms
• Take a leading role in structural engineering delivery
• Be part of a highly capable and collaborative engineering team
• Influence real-world designs from concept through to production

• 25 days holiday per year, plus paid bank holiday
• After two years’ consecutive service, one additional day’s annual leave up to a maximum of five additional days annual leave
• Holiday buy/sell, up to five days per calendar year
• Flexi working, core hours 10:00 to 15:00, subject to departmental requirements
• Private Medical Insurance with optional family cover
• Pension scheme with a 5% employer contribution, there is no cap on the employee contribution level
• Life assurance 3x salary
• Group Income Protection 3x salary, subject to eligibility
• Health Care Cash Plan
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Electric Car Scheme
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) providing mental health and wellbeing support
• Professional membership reimbursement

Due to the nature of our work many of our roles require a UK nationality and the ability to obtain a security clearance.  Applicants who accept a conditional offer of employment must meet the requirement of right to work in the UK and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information and will be subject to Government security checks.

Kraken Works Limited is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer.  We are committed to maintaining a workplace that is free from unlawful discrimination and offers equal opportunities to all.  Applications from individuals are encouraged regardless of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, and marriage and civil partnerships.