What are the responsibilities and job description for the Gas Turbine Stress and Life Engineer position at PROENERGY?
Gas Turbine Stress and Life Engineer
About PROENERGY
PROENERGY is a global and vertically integrated energy transition platform. Focused exclusively on fast-start, dispatchable power, our company supports both energy security and renewable growth with complete turbine services, project development, equipment manufacturing, turnkey generation facilities, operations, and maintenance.
Our Footprint
We are primed for the energy transition with permanent service locations in Missouri, Texas, and Argentina. Our world-class Missouri headquarters is purpose-built to meet dispatchable power needs. It sits on 90 acres in Sedalia and features more than 600,000 sq. ft of service capacity under roof, which includes the only independent Level-IV aeroderivative depot and string-test facility in the world. Our Houston, Texas, office is a strategic satellite positioned near our own dispatchable power installations.
Our Philosophy
We take care of our people and strive to make a positive difference for the world. We offer competitive pay, excellent benefits that include Medical, Dental, Vision, and Life/Disability Insurance at minimal cost to the employee, 10 paid holidays, paid time off, and a 401K plan. If you are looking for a rewarding career and possess specialized knowledge and quality-oriented problem-solving skills, we encourage you to apply today.
Position Summary
We are seeking a highly skilled Gas Turbine Stress and Life Engineer for gas turbine components. In this role, you will be responsible for performing stress analysis and life assessments of critical gas turbine components, including turbine blades, nozzles, shrouds, disks, shafts, bearings, and combustors. You will work closely with design, materials, and performance engineers to ensure the structural integrity, durability, and reliability of turbine components throughout their lifecycle.
This position offers the opportunity to be at the forefront of gas turbine technology, contributing to the development and optimization of turbine components to meet demanding operational conditions.
Position Responsibilities
- Conduct detailed stress analysis of gas turbine components to evaluate their ability to withstand mechanical, thermal, and aerodynamic loading.
- Perform finite element analysis (FEA) and other computational techniques to assess stress distribution, deformation, and failure modes under operating conditions.
- Work with design engineers to ensure that components are designed for optimal performance and structural integrity.
- Use advanced methods to predict the service life of gas turbine components based on stress cycles, material properties, and operational conditions.
- Perform fatigue analysis to assess the effects of cyclic loading and thermal gradients on component life, including high-cycle fatigue (HCF), low-cycle fatigue (LCF), and creep-fatigue interaction.
- Provide life predictions and recommend design changes or improvements to extend component life and improve reliability.
- Analyze the thermal-mechanical behavior of gas turbine components to assess the impact of temperature gradients, thermal expansion, and heat distribution on structural performance.
- Collaborate with thermal and aerodynamic engineers to ensure that thermal effects are accurately represented in structural analysis.
- Work with material and process engineers to understand the impact of material properties (e.g., high-temperature alloys, coatings) on the stress and life characteristics of gas turbine components.
- Assist in the selection of appropriate materials and coatings to meet stress and life requirements under extreme temperature and mechanical loading conditions.
- Support the validation of stress and life predictions through physical testing of gas turbine components, including strain gauging, load testing, and thermal cycling tests.
- Compare test results with predicted values and provide feedback for design optimization.
- Participate in root cause analysis for field failures or performance issues related to component stresses and life limitations.
- Investigate failure modes and recommend design modifications to mitigate future risks and improve component longevity.
- Prepare detailed reports documenting stress analysis, life predictions, test results, and design recommendations.
- Ensure all analyses and reports meet industry standards, customer specifications, and regulatory requirements.
- Work closely with multidisciplinary teams including design engineers, materials engineers, manufacturing teams, and quality assurance to support the development of high-performance turbine components.
- Identify opportunities for improving stress and life analysis methodologies and contribute to the development of best practices and new tools.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field. Advanced degrees (Master’s or Ph.D.) are preferred.
- Minimum 3-5 years of experience in stress analysis and life prediction for gas turbine or aerospace components.
- Strong background in structural analysis, including finite element analysis (FEA), fatigue analysis, and life prediction techniques.
- Experience with high-temperature materials, turbine components (e.g., blades, rotors, nozzles, shrouds), and thermal-mechanical coupling.
- Proficiency in CAD software (e.g., Creo, SolidWorks) for component design and engineering finite element analysis (FEA) tools (e.g., ANSYS or similar).
- Strong understanding of fatigue and fracture mechanics, including methods for predicting component life under cyclic loading.
- Knowledge of high-temperature material properties, including creep, fatigue, and thermal stresses in turbine components.
- Familiarity with gas turbine performance and aerodynamics.
- Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to analyze complex engineering challenges and develop solutions.
- Excellent communication skills to work effectively in a cross-functional team environment and present technical findings.
- Ability to manage multiple projects, prioritize tasks, and meet deadlines.
- Detail-oriented, with the ability to balance the need for performance, manufacturability, repairability and cost.
- Familiarity with ISO standards, ASME, or aerospace-specific regulations (e.g., AMS, ASTM) is highly desirable.
- US work authorization is a precondition of employment. The company will not consider candidates who require sponsorship for a work-authorized visa.
- Successful candidate will need to satisfactorily complete pre-employment drug screen and background check
It is PROENERGY’s policy to provide equal opportunity in employment to all its employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, age, disability, national origin, marital status, ancestry, medical condition, military status, or any other characteristic protected by State or Federal law.
