Barber-Nichols, Inc.Verified Source

Foil Bearing Engineer, Turbomachinery & Analysis

Onsite · Denver, Colorado
Posted August 12, 2026
payroll

Overview

You will design and analyze gas foil bearings for high-speed rotating machinery, owning bearing modeling, tool development, and integration across projects. You will work within Barber-Nichols' turbomachinery team, collaborating with the Foil Bearings Expert and other engineers to advance analysis capabilities. The role spans COMSOL model development, simulation validation, and manufacturing support, with opportunities to contribute to defense and aerospace programs. This position stands out for its focus on cutting-edge foil bearing technology and the chance to work on NASA and Navy projects.

What You'll Do9

  • 1Perform detailed engineering analysis and design of gas foil bearings for high-speed rotating machinery in COMSOL and ANSYS.
  • 2Develop and enhance COMSOL multiphysics models for 2D compressible flow, thermal effects, and structural interactions.
  • 3Validate simulation results against analytical methods and test data, documenting methods and limitations.
  • 4Create scripts and automation tools in MATLAB or Python to improve analysis workflows.
  • 5Collaborate with the Foil Bearings Expert to advance analytical methodologies and modeling capabilities.
  • 6Support manufacturing of foil bearing components, advising on materials, coatings, tolerances, and assembly.
  • 7Investigate and resolve manufacturing and field performance issues with foil bearing hardware.
  • 8Analyze test data and correlate results with analytical predictions for bearing qualification and performance testing.
  • 9Contribute to broader turbomachinery analysis, including structural and thermal FEA and CFD.

Requirements9

  • 1Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering.
  • 22+ years engineering experience or relevant graduate research.
  • 3Strong understanding of fluid mechanics, compressible flow, thermodynamics, heat transfer, and numerical methods.
  • 4Experience developing engineering simulations using finite element or multiphysics software.
  • 5Graduate-level coursework in rotordynamics and fluid-film bearings.
  • 6Experience with MATLAB, Python, or similar engineering programming environments.
  • 7Experience with COMSOL, ANSYS Mechanical, ANSYS Workbench, or related FEA software.
  • 8Experience with gas bearings, foil bearings, air bearings, or rotating machinery.
  • 9Experience in aerospace, defense, energy, or high-speed rotating machinery industries.

Salary Insight

Salary not disclosed in listing

Location

Typeonsite
LocationDenver, Colorado

Required Skills

comsolansysmatlabpythonaerospace
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