Flight Sciences - IPT Head

Katalyst CRO; Montreal; On-site; CAD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Katalyst CRO seeks an accomplished Flight Sciences leader to drive Aerodynamics, Aero-loads, and Flight Dynamics across the aircraft development program. You will own technical delivery, coordinate across disciplines, and interface with customers to ensure program success.

Responsibilities include leading CFD/ wind tunnel efforts, aero-load generation, and certification readiness, with emphasis on NPD programs and cross-functional collaboration. Strong leadership and communication are essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Aerospace Engineering or Aeronautical Engineering.
• 12-18+ years in the aerospace domain.
• Strong experience in aerodynamics, aero-loads, and flight dynamics.
• Experience in aircraft NPD programs is mandatory.
• Proven experience leading IPTs or cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Flight Sciences IPT, ensuring alignment with overall aircraft development program objectives.
• Own technical delivery, schedule, cost, and quality for aerodynamics and loads domain.
• Coordinate across Structures, Flight Controls, Propulsion, and Avionics teams.
• Act as the primary interface with customers and internal stakeholders.
• Lead aerodynamic design and optimization of aircraft components including wings, fuselage, empennage, and nacelles.
• Oversee CFD simulations, wind tunnel data correlation, drag reduction, and performance improvement initiatives.
• Define and generate aero-loads across the flight envelope, including gust loads, maneuver loads, and ground-air loads interactions.
• Lead flight dynamics modeling and simulation, including stability and control analysis and handling qualities evaluation.
• Support wind tunnel testing, ground testing, validation, and flight test campaigns.
• Ensure compliance with FAA, EASA, and DGCA certification requirements (CS/FAR 23/25/27).
• Participate in PDR, CDR, and certification audits.

Skills

Technical leadership

Communication

Stakeholder management

Analytical skills

Problem solving

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in Aerospace/Aeronautical Engineering

Tools

ANSYS Fluent

STAR-CCM+

MATLAB/Simulink

Flight simulation tools

Cameo

Rhapsody

Job description

• Lead the Flight Sciences IPT, ensuring alignment with overall aircraft development program objectives.
• Own technical delivery, schedule, cost, and quality for aerodynamics and loads domain.
• Coordinate across Structures, Flight Controls, Propulsion, and Avionics teams.
• Act as the primary interface with customers and internal stakeholders.

Responsibilities

IPT & Program Leadership

• Lead the Flight Sciences IPT, ensuring alignment with overall aircraft development program objectives.
• Own technical delivery, schedule, cost, and quality for aerodynamics and loads domain.
• Coordinate across Structures, Flight Controls, Propulsion, and Avionics teams.
• Act as the primary interface with customers and internal stakeholders.

Aerodynamic Design & Analysis

• Lead aerodynamic design and optimization of aircraft components including wings, fuselage, empennage, and nacelles.
• Oversee CFD simulations, wind tunnel data correlation, drag reduction, and performance improvement initiatives.
• Conduct performance analysis (range, climb, cruise efficiency) and high-lift systems assessment for take-off and landing performance.

Aero-Loads Development

• Define and generate aero-loads across the flight envelope, including gust loads, maneuver loads, and ground-air loads interactions.
• Ensure proper integration with structural design and sizing teams.
• Develop certification load cases, loads envelopes, and critical conditions.

Flight Dynamics & Dynamic Behavior

• Lead flight dynamics modeling and simulation, including stability and control analysis and handling qualities evaluation.
• Evaluate aircraft response to disturbances, gusts, turbulence, and dynamic behavior.
• Collaborate with Flight Control teams on control law development and aircraft response tuning.

Integration & Validation

• Ensure integration of aerodynamics, loads, and dynamic behavior with overall aircraft design.
• Support wind tunnel testing, ground testing, validation, and flight test campaigns.
• Validate simulation models against test data.

Certification & Compliance

• Ensure compliance with FAA, EASA, and DGCA certification requirements (CS/FAR 23/25/27 as applicable).
• Support certification deliverables including loads reports, stability and control reports, flight test plans, and analysis reports.
• Participate in PDR, CDR, and certification audits.

Risk & Performance Management

• Identify and mitigate aerodynamic risks, loads exceedance risks, and stability and handling concerns.
• Ensure performance targets for fuel efficiency, payload-range capability, and flight envelope compliance are achieved.

Stakeholder & Customer Management

• Act as technical focal point for the flight sciences domain.
• Present aerodynamic performance, loads data, and dynamic analysis results.
• Support proposal development, RFQs, effort estimation, and planning.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Aerospace Engineering or Aeronautical Engineering.

Experience

• 12-18+ years in the aerospace domain.
• Strong experience in aerodynamics, aero-loads, and flight dynamics.
• Experience in aircraft NPD programs is mandatory.
• Proven experience leading IPTs or cross-functional teams.

Technical Skills

Core Expertise

• Aerodynamics using CFD tools such as ANSYS Fluent and STAR-CCM+.
• Aero-loads generation tools and methodologies.
• Flight dynamics, stability and control analysis, and handling qualities.

Tools & Methods

• MATLAB/Simulink.
• Flight simulation tools.
• Wind tunnel data analysis.
• MBSE tools such as Cameo and Rhapsody (preferred).

Standards & Knowledge

• CS/FAR 23/25 certification standards.
• Understanding of aeroelasticity, flutter analysis, and gust response modeling.

Leadership & Soft Skills

• Strong technical leadership and decision-making capability.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience working in onsite-offshore delivery models.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.