Rotor Dynamics Specialist in Coalville

We are looking for a Rotor Dynamics Specialist to join Coolbrook’s Technology & Engineering team. As a Rotor Dynamics Specialist, you are the technical authority for the rotor dynamics of the rotor, bearing, support, and drivetrain in our RDH and RDR products over the full life cycle, from technology to design to fleet support. You receive rotor geometry and masses from design, component stiffness and temperatures from stress and thermal analysis, and aerodynamic loads from aero, or commissioning and field services. You deliver critical speed and stability margins, bearing and seal requirements, balance specifications, and vibration limits.

Coolbrook offers you an exciting role in an international, dynamic, growing company with a real opportunity to make an impact and make history. In this permanent role, you will preferably be based in the UK or Finland offices and report to our Engineering Manager while collaborating with multiple internal and external stakeholders.

As Rotor Dynamics Specialist, your responsibilities will include:

• Lateral analysis: undamped critical speed maps, damped eigenvalue and stability (logarithmic decrement) analysis, and unbalance response with separation margins and amplification factors per API 684 / API 617.
• Torsional and transient analysis: the full train, covering motor, VFD-induced excitation, coupling, and gearbox where fitted. Includes start-up, coast-down, trip, and electrical fault cases.
• Rotor architecture: shaft layout, disc stacking and joints, bearing span and overhang. Includes casing, pedestal and foundation stiffness, and coupling selection, all decided together with design and stress.
• Bearings and seals: specify and assess tilting-pad and fixed-geometry journal and thrust bearings, squeeze-film dampers or magnetic bearings. Assess the rotor dynamic coefficients of seals (labyrinth, brush, dry gas), destabilizing cross-coupling, and the effect of thermal growth on clearances and alignment, using the temperature fields provided by the thermal analysts.
• Balancing: define the balancing concept and tolerances (ISO 21940), low- versus high-speed balancing, and field trim-balance procedures.
• Test and validation: specify vibration instrumentation (proximity probes, accelerometers, keyphasor per API 670) and alarm and trip limits. Evaluate run-up and coast-down data (Bode, polar, orbit, waterfall) and run modal impact tests on rotors and supports. Correlate models with test results. Define vibration alarm and trip limits, balancing and alignment acceptance criteria, and run-up/coast-down evaluation templates for commissioning protocols and O&M manuals.
• Diagnostics: lead root-cause analysis of sub-synchronous vibration, rubs, misalignment, thermal bow, and bearing distress on the test bed and at customer sites.
• Specifications and reviews: write the rotor dynamic design specification and the requirements for motor, coupling, and bearing suppliers. Present results in design reviews (PDR and CDR) to partners and customers.

For success in this role, you will need:

• An MSc or PhD in mechanical or aerospace engineering, or an equivalent combination of degree and experience.
• Command of rotor dynamics theory, from Jeffcott rotors to multi-shaft trains, plus hydrodynamic lubrication (Reynolds equation) and bearing and seal dynamic coefficients.
• Capability to guide internal teams and coordinate with external engineering service providers.
• Hands-on use of a specialist rotor dynamics code (XLTRC2/XLRotor, DyRoBeS, MADYN 2000, ARMD, SAMCEF Rotor or ANSYS Rotor Dynamics) and a general FEA package.
• Vibration measurement and signal processing, and a working knowledge of API 684, 617 and 670 and ISO.

Desirable is:

• Experience with VFD-driven high-speed trains, magnetic bearings, or rotors running at high temperature.
• Experience with condition monitoring systems (such as Bently Nevada ADRE / System 1).
• Scripting in Python or MATLAB to automate analyses and post-process test data.

Experience levels:

• For the engineer level: 2–5 years in rotor dynamics or vibration analysis, or a PhD in the field. You build and run train models with guidance and grow quickly with expert mentoring.
• For the advanced level: 6+ years of rotor dynamics on gas or steam turbines, aero engines, compressors, or large motor-driven trains. Includes test correlation, bearing selection, and field troubleshooting, and you can sign off margins yourself.
• For the senior level: 12+ years, recognized as the technical authority for rotor dynamics. You set design rules and margins, review supplier analyses, and mentor the team.

At Coolbrook, we are passionate about building teams where unique perspectives and backgrounds are valued and where everyone feels equally included. If this resonates with you, we are looking forward to receiving your application.

About Coolbrook: Coolbrook is a transformational technology and engineering company on a mission to decarbonize major industrial sectors: petrochemicals and chemicals, iron and steel, and cement. Our RotoDynamic™ technology combines space science, turbomachinery, and chemical engineering to replace the burning of fossil fuels in high-temperature industrial processes with electricity. The technology has two main applications: the RotoDynamic Heater™ (RDH™), which provides carbon-free process heat for iron and steel, cement, and chemicals production, and the RotoDynamic Reactor™ (RDR™), which enables 100% CO2-free olefin production. Implemented at scale, RotoDynamic technology can reach temperatures of up to 1,700 °C and cut 2.4 billion tons (30%) of annual CO2 emissions in heavy industry.