[Hiring] Structural & Mechanical Engineering Benchmark Consultant @24-MAG

Role Description

We are sharing a specialised part-time consulting opportunity for structural and mechanical engineering professionals experienced in finite element methods, scikit-fem, computational mechanics, beam analysis, elasticity problems, mesh convergence studies, variational formulations, Python scientific computing, and benchmark evaluation workflows. This role supports current and upcoming remote consulting opportunities focused on structural and mechanical engineering problem design, scientific software evaluation, finite element workflow development, Python-based validation, and high-quality project execution. Selected professionals will design challenging research-grade computational problems, create precise expected outputs, develop validation logic, and refine task difficulty based on structured calibration feedback.

Key Responsibilities

• Structural & Mechanical Engineering Problem Design
  • Design original graduate-level computational problems grounded in real structural engineering, mechanical engineering, and computational mechanics workflows.
  • Create tasks involving finite element analysis, beam analysis, elasticity problems, variational formulations, or mesh convergence studies.
  • Develop problems that require precise outputs from fully specified computational setups.
  • Design tasks that test strategic reasoning, physical interpretation, numerical judgment, and careful analysis of partial simulation outputs.
• Scientific Software & Computational Mechanics Evaluation
  • Work with scikit-fem or similar finite element libraries for structural and mechanical engineering analysis.
  • Create problems involving Timoshenko beam theory, elasticity, finite element discretization, computational mechanics, or convergence behavior.
  • Evaluate whether tasks require genuine engineering reasoning rather than surface-level computation.
  • Identify edge cases, numerical artifacts, solver limitations, or reasoning traps that make a problem genuinely challenging.
• Python-Based Validation & Benchmark Calibration
  • Write Python problem setups, oracle functions, and solution validators.
  • Refine tasks through calibration feedback until the difficulty reaches the target range.
  • Create structured evaluation materials that support reproducible scoring and consistent review.
  • Maintain technical accuracy, reproducibility, and clear documentation across submitted task materials.

Qualifications

• Graduate-level expertise in structural engineering, mechanical engineering, computational mechanics, applied mechanics, civil engineering, aerospace engineering, materials science, or a closely related STEM field.
• MS, PhD, or equivalent research experience in a relevant domain.
• Hands-on experience using scikit-fem or comparable finite element and computational mechanics tools in real research or engineering workflows.
• Strong Python programming skills for scientific computing, validation logic, and task setup.
• Experience writing code that calls scientific software libraries to solve actual engineering or mechanics problems.
• Ability to understand software edge cases, numerical limitations, and what makes a problem genuinely difficult.
• Comfort working independently and iterating on problem designs based on feedback.
• Ability to work in Linux, terminal-based environments, or remote compute sandboxes.

Educational Background

• MS, PhD, or equivalent research experience in structural engineering, mechanical engineering, computational mechanics, civil engineering, aerospace engineering, applied mechanics, materials science, or a related technical field is preferred.
• Research publications, open-source contributions, professional scientific software work, or applied finite element analysis experience are highly relevant.
• Experience designing or validating computational mechanics pipelines may be especially valuable.

Nice to Have

• Experience across multiple finite element tools, structural analysis libraries, or computational mechanics methods.
• Familiarity with benchmark design, evaluation design, calibration workflows, or technical task validation.
• Background in scientific pedagogy, exam design, problem-set creation, or graduate-level technical assessment.
• Experience with computational reproducibility, containerized environments, remote compute, or research software packaging.
• Availability for approximately 15–20 hours per week depending on project scope.

Why This Opportunity

• Apply structural and mechanical engineering expertise to structured remote scientific problem design work.
• Contribute to high-quality benchmark tasks involving scikit-fem, finite element methods, computational mechanics, and Python workflows.
• Work on flexible assignments aligned with your engineering background and scientific software experience.
• Use your ability to design rigorous, strategic, research-grade computational problems.
• Remote structure with competitive hourly compensation.

Contract Details

• Independent contractor role.
• Fully remote with flexible scheduling.
• Eligible professionals may be based in approved project locations depending on project needs.
• Expected commitment of approximately 15–20 hours per week depending on project availability.
• Competitive rates between $60–$90 per hour depending on expertise and project scope.
• Weekly payments via Stripe or Wise.
• Projects may be extended, shortened, or adjusted depending on scope and performance.
• Work will not involve access to confidential or proprietary information from any employer, client, or institution.

About the Platform

This opportunity is available through 24-MAG LLC. We connect experienced professionals with remote consulting opportunities across technical, evaluation, and project-based workstreams.

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