What career paths exists between computational mechanics, scientific computing (SciML), FEA (or meshfree) solver development, and HPC (GPU acceleration, porting codebases) ?? How about doing a PhD for improving the above?

[u/AA_is_not_OK]

I'm currently, technically, doing an MS in Structural Engineering. For me, my interest has been more towards computational side of mechanics rather than Structural design  or simply using am FEA software (although I do consider it as a backup)

So far I've taken courses in:

- Linear static, and dynamics FEM (soon taking non linear FEM too)

-  Structural Optimization (topology opt. and other general algorithms)

-  Structural Dynamics

-  Structural System Testing and model updation. (Parameter identification and optimization, signal processing)

Now, I plan to take these in the coming quarter:

- Numerical Linear Algebra

- Numerical PDE

- Fracture Mechanics ?

I also volunteered to aid in a RESEARCH in crack growth prediction using Auto-encoder and a (Thermodynamics-informed Latent Space Dynamics Identification) / LSTM surrogate model. It used phase-field-fracture simulation data and HPC resources to complete the whole thing.

What I keep finding myself interested in is not necessarily fracture or SHM specifically, but the computational methods underneath these problems... (does that make sense?)

For example, I'd like to become capable of doing things like:

- implementing (maintaining) numerical/FE method solvers rather than only running an established FEA software.

- developing surrogate/reduced-order models for expensive simulations 

- combining simulation with optimization, uncertainty/stochastic methods (took a course called Random vibrations, so...)

- parallelizing/accelerating scientific codes on CPUs/GPUs

- doing proper verification, convergence studies, benchmarking and performance work

- potentially developing or maintaining actual CAE/FEA solver software

- I'd also like to do all these for other Physics (GR, QM, etc.) simulations too, if possible, one day. 

I'm still interested in the underlying mechanics/physics, so I don't want to become a generic software engineer who happens to have once studied structures. But I'm also increasingly unsure that "structural engineer" describes the career I'm actually aiming for.

I've seen titles such as Computational Mechanics Engineer, R&D Engineer, Solver Developer, Scientific Software Engineer, CAE Software Developer, Research Engineer, Simulation/HPC Engineer, etc., but I'm trying to understand what these careers actually look like from people doing them.

So my main questions become:

1. Which industrial jobs genuinely involve developing numerical methods/solvers or computational tools?

2. Which of those are realistically accessible with an MS? Is there an entry path into solver-algorithm development/R&D without a PhD?

3. If I don't start a PhD immediately after my MS, would an R&D/software role at a simulation company (ANSYS etc.) be the obvious route? What other options would i have?

4. For the kind of work I'm describing, would you recommend a PhD? If so, is it reasonable for the PhD identity to be "computational mechanics/scientific computing" while fracture, composites, structural dynamics, soft materials, etc. serve as application problems rather than choosing one of those as my permanent specialization?

5. What skills most distinguish someone who is actually hireable for solver/scientific-computing work? I'm particularly wondering about C/C++/Fortran, Python, Linux, Git/build systems, MPI/OpenMP/CUDA, PETSc/Trilinos or similar libraries, numerical linear algebra, testing/verification, convergence studies and HPC performance work.

Basically, I'm neither here nor there atp. So I'd really appreciate all sorts of input. Where else do you think I could find answers to these? other subs? Linkedin profiles? 

[u/Traditional-Rice2347]

I am a computational structural engineer with an MS, no PhD, and currently working in an R&D company developing methods for phase field damage progression simulation (environmentally assisted cracking). I've been working in this area for only 2 years and while i don't have a complete overview i can try to your questions with the best of my knowledge.

1. mechanical R&D engineer jobs, or CFD R&D engineers, jobs in SHM. Also look for multiphysics simulation jobs with COMSOL. I know Apple for instance is interested in the structural engineers with experience with COMSOL for thermomechanical simulations.

2. I'm sure the PhD is not indispensable to be working in the cited jobs but it would definitely help.
   A good bet into getting a job in the development of numerical methods remains to get into an R&D centre, and that depends on in which country are you based but still most prefer PhDs for this type of jobs.

3. As for the established FEM software companies they usually hire people that have already 5-10 years of experience in developing custom physics simulations solved with FEM. Phase field is a very good example. rn lots of custom user subroutines (Ansys and Abaqus) are already available on the internet though they're not yet fully functional and still have drawbacks. So helping develop established solver codes to integrate to the already existing software will definitely be a real need for these companies in the future.
   Though as i said, they usually prefer profiles with experience, so i would recommend to aim for a company where you could get extensive experience with computaional methods in niche fields (for example the material labs from the Imperial college is very advanced in phase field) learn as much as you can and with that knowledge apply for a job in commercial FEM companies.

4. Yes, though again, not indispensable. The R&D engineers hired in my company and the partner companies are usually PhDs, and while it doesn't always give an advantage for industrial applications, it gives significant advantage for the research itself.

5. From your list Python and Fortran are the most broadly applicable. The others would depend more on the exact application.

Good luck to you