Computer-Aided Engineering Engineer

CAE Engineer – Structural (Shanghai)

POSITION OVERVIEW

At Ascend Performance Materials, we are seeking a CAE (Computer-Aided Engineering) Engineer to join our highly skilled team of industry professionals and support our continued growth in engineering plastics.

As a member of the Ascend Performance Materials team, the CAE Engineer will conduct structural finite element analysis (FEA) simulations on polyamide components to support product development and customer applications. In addition, this role will provide mechanical engineering expertise and consultation on material performance, failure analysis, and product design to both internal teams and external customers. The position will support troubleshooting, root cause investigations, material selection, and design optimization to ensure product performance, reliability, and customer satisfaction.

This is an in-person position based in Shanghai, China and reports to the Global Application Development Manager.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Conduct CAE simulations to support project timelines and key program milestones.
• Support existing core applications and strategic growth initiatives by leveraging CAE tools to predict and optimize the performance of Ascend's materials in customer applications.
• Collaborate with regional CAE and application development engineers to develop, review, and manage material characterization data, simulation models, technical analyses, and customer presentations.
• Validate and correlate simulation results with physical testing and real-world component performance to improve model accuracy and reliability.
• Conduct engineering analyses to support root cause investigations, including crashworthiness, structural deformation, durability, and failure assessments.
• Optimize designs and material solutions to achieve the best balance of cost, weight, manufacturability, and performance.
• Serve as the regional application development engineering resource, providing mechanical engineering support and technical consultation to internal stakeholders and external customers.
• Support material selection, product design optimization, and failure analysis activities to address customer challenges and improve product performance.
• Develop and implement innovative simulation methodologies, analysis workflows, and best practices to support emerging applications, new customer opportunities, and advanced engineering solutions.
• Communicate technical findings and recommendations effectively through reports, presentations, and customer interactions.

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE

• Masters's degree in Mechanical Engineering or Plastic Engineering from an accredited university.
• 5 years automotive or general industrial CAE experience with knowledge of plastic applications associated with structural systems, including injection molding processing and plastic mechanical behavior.
• Experience with Hyperworks structural FEA tool.
• Experience performing and interpreting static, dynamic, fatigue, and creep analyses of plastic components, including nonlinear material behavior, durability assessments, load path evaluation, and correlation of simulation results with physical testing.

At Ascend Performance Materials, we value transparency and fairness in our hiring process. We do not accept unsolicited resumes from third-party recruiters, search firms, or staffing agencies. Any resumes received from such entities will be considered the property of Ascend Performance Materials, and we will not be obligated to pay any fees for such submissions. Our Talent Acquisition Team actively engages with preferred recruitment partners who have established agreements with us. We encourage all interested candidates to apply directly through our official channels to be considered for any open positions.

About Us:

Ascend Performance Materials is the premium provider of high quality chemicals, fibers and plastics. With world scale integrated manufacturing facilities we are able to develop new products from our core technologies, and provide flexibility to respond to the expanding needs of customers. Ascend has global sales and distribution facilities across the globe and six manufacturing facilities globally. As a privately-held company, our people do big things and make big decisions, often much earlier in their careers than at larger companies. Ascend Performance Materials offers team members the opportunity to contribute in big, meaningful ways—all within a stable and growing business.

Why work at Ascend?

Our vision is to be the recognized leader in the nylon 6,6 value chain, creating new possibilities with PA66 for everyone, everywhere, every day. We achieve that through living our Ascend values.

We care. We operate safely with high integrity for our employees, our customers and our communities. Our people are our greatest assets, and our Total Rewards Program extends beyond traditional benefits to include access to on-site medical clinics at our U.S. facilities, a global wellness rewards program and Performance Matters, an employee-driven recognition plan. Our Commitment to Zero demonstrates our belief that is it possible to operate with zero personal injuries, zero process safety incidents and zero environmental releases. And the Ascend Cares Foundation, led by Ascend employees, supports Ascend families in times of need, provides inspiring opportunities ​​for community engagement and facilitates community leadership.

Customer-focused. We exist for our customers; they drive our actions. Their success is our success. Our plastics and chemicals are building blocks that help make everyday essentials safer and more sustainable, and we constantly strive to develop new and innovative products to meet the future needs of our customers. And that customer focus doesn’t only apply to the marketplace – it also applies to how we treat our colleagues and our fellow community members.

Better every day. We invest in our people and our processes to improve every day. A2E, our continuous improvement program, guides the way we do business. And this way of problem solving applies not only to our manufacturing practices but also to our commitment to developing our people. You’ll see it during your career at Ascend in our leadership development, skills training and mentoring programs

Agile. We think broadly and lead proactively in a constantly evolving organization and industry. Agility doesn’t mean simply working quickly – it means critical thinking, creative problem solving and novel approaches to everyday challenges.

One Ascend. All together, with a common set of goals and an eye toward the future. We don’t accept silos. We look for ways to share across departments, sites and geography. This means you won’t be boxed into a single role at Ascend – you could get the chance to work with teams across the globe to improve the way we serve our people, our customers and our communities.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veteran status, citizenship, genetic information or other protected status under federal, state or local laws.