Senior Research Scientist - Fire Modeling

Established nearly two centuries ago, FM is a leading mutual insurance company whose capital, scientific research capability and engineering expertise are solely dedicated to property risk management and the resilience of its policyholder-owners. These owners, who share the belief that the majority of property loss is preventable, represent many of the world’s largest organizations, including one of every four Fortune 500 companies. They work with FM to better understand the hazards that can impact their business continuity to make cost-effective risk management decisions, combining property loss prevention with insurance protection. 

Schedule & Location

Employment type: Full-time, exempt salaried position based in office at FM’s Science and Technology Office in Norwood, MA.

Relocation assistance is available for this position. 

Assessments

Candidates will be expected to deliver an in‑person presentation as part of the interview process.

Position Summary  

FM is seeking a Senior Research Scientist to develop new scientific knowledge, modeling capabilities, and engineering solutions to challenges involving fire hazards and fire protection. The position will advance the application of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and responsible artificial intelligence (AI) to support industrial property loss prevention through high-quality research. The successful candidate will combine scientific computing, physics-based reasoning, and AI-enabled workflows to improve technical problem solving, research productivity, and the delivery of practical solutions.

Responsibilities

• Lead internally funded research projects involving CFD siulations for practical engineering applications.

• Develop, implement, and evaluate physics-based models and sub-models for combustion, heat transfer, fire spread, suppression, and related fire phenomena.

• Integrate AI and machine-learning approaches with physics-based modeling where they provide clear technical value, including surrogate and reduced-order models, parameter estimation, and sensitivity analysis.

• Use AI-enabled tools to improve research productivity and technical problem solving, including code development, workflow automation, data assimilation, visualization, and knowledge sharing, while maintaining scientific rigor, appropriate oversight, and accountability.

• Collaborate across teams to help design experiments and use test data to support model development, calibration, validation, and uncertainty quantification.

• Apply fire modeling tools to analyze complex industrial hazards and translate research findings into practical solutions for property loss prevention.

• Interpret and analyze computational and experimental data and prepare high-quality technical documentation.

• Communicate methods, results, limitations, and recommendations to internal and external stakeholders, including collaborators, clients, and industry partners.

• Manage all aspects of project management, including proposals, planning, execution, reporting, and application.

Qualifications

• Strong fundamental background in combustion, fluid mechanics, heat and mass transfer, and applied mathematics.

• Demonstrated expertise in CFD modeling, with substantial research experience applying numerical methods to fire, combustion, or closely related reacting-flow problems.

• Experience developing, implementing, calibrating, and validating physics-based models using experimental data.

• Proficiency with scientific programming and high-performance computing used in advanced numerical modeling.

• Experience using modern AI-enabled tools to increase productivity and solve technical problems, together with sound judgment to verify outputs and ensure reproducible results.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and a demonstrated ability to develop effective solutions to complex technical challenges.

• Strong interpersonal and teamwork skills, with the ability to productively collaborate in an interdisciplinary research environment.

Desirable Skills 

• Understanding of physical fire phenomena, including ignition, flame spread, fire growth, heat release, smoke generation and transport, radiation, and fire suppression.

• Experience applying CFD methods to fire protection problems.

Education

Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, Structural Engineering, Civil Engineering, or a closely related field required

The hiring range for this position is $121,000 - $173,000 a year. The final salary offer will vary based on geographic location, individual education, skills, and experience. The position is eligible to participate in FM’s comprehensive Total Rewards program that includes an incentive plan, medical, dental and vision insurance, life and disability insurance, well-being programs, a 401(k) and pension plan, career development opportunities, tuition reimbursement, flexible work, and time off, including vacation and sick time.

FM is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to attracting, developing, and retaining a diverse workforce.