Aero Performance CFD Engineer

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems; Poway (CA); On-site; USD 106,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

9/80 schedule

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

401(k) matching

Pension plan

Employee referral program

Job summary

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) is seeking an Aero Performance CFD Engineer to join our team in the San Diego area (Poway, CA). You will lead high-fidelity CFD analyses for next-generation unmanned aircraft, develop 6DOF aerodynamic databases, and support wind tunnel planning.

Expect a comprehensive benefits package and a 9/80 work schedule. The role requires ownership of CFD workflows, strong Python/MATLAB programming, and the ability to obtain/maintain a DoD Secret

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in engineering or related technical discipline; progressive engineering experience.
• Demonstrated experience with high-fidelity Navier–Stokes CFD for aircraft aerodynamics.
• Experience running CFD on HPC clusters.
• Strong understanding of turbulence modeling, numerical methods, and solver limitations.
• Proven CFD workflow ownership from CAD prep to data extraction; able to produce aerodynamic databases.

Responsibilities

• Lead CFD studies across conceptual to detailed aircraft design phases.
• Define modeling strategies and fidelity levels for programs.
• Develop high-fidelity aerodynamic databases and propulsion–airframe interaction data.
• Perform unsteady and maneuver CFD simulations to assess risk and feasibility.
• Support wind tunnel/test planning and correlate CFD to data.
• Mentor junior engineers in aerodynamic modeling and best practices.
• Contribute to internal tools, workflows, and advanced modeling capabilities.
• Engage in design reviews, test readiness, and customer meetings.

Skills

CFD analysis

Python

MATLAB

HPC computing

DoD security clearance (ability to obt

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering or related field

Master’s degree in engineering

PhD in engineering

Tools

AVL

XFOIL

MSES

Navier–Stokes CFD solvers

Job description

Job Summary

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), an affiliate of General Atomics, is a world leader in proven, reliable remotely piloted aircraft and tactical reconnaissance radars, as well as advanced high-resolution surveillance systems.

Job Summary

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), an affiliate of General Atomics, is a world leader in proven, reliable remotely piloted aircraft and tactical reconnaissance radars, as well as advanced high-resolution surveillance systems.

We have an exciting opportunity for an Aero Performance CFD Engineer in the San Diego (Poway, CA) area. In this role, you will contribute directly to the design and development of next-generation unmanned aircraft platforms. Responsibilities include leading high-fidelity CFD analyses to support conceptual sizing, preliminary and detailed design, aerodynamic database development, and performance modeling, as well as supporting wind tunnel test planning, execution, and data correlation. This position offers competitive benefits, including 9/80 work schedule, medical, dental, employer-matched 401(k), pension plan, employee referral program, and more.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead CFD studies across conceptual, preliminary, and detailed aircraft design phases
• Define appropriate aerodynamic modeling strategies and fidelity levels across program maturity
• Develop high-fidelity 6DOF aerodynamic databases, including force and moment coefficients, control effectiveness, hinge moments, and propulsion-airframe interaction effects
• Perform unsteady and maneuver-based CFD simulations to evaluate flight risk and concept feasibility
• Conduct aerodynamic trade studies and sensitivity analyses to inform configuration-level decisions
• Support wind tunnel and flight test planning; correlate CFD predictions to experimental data
• Mentor junior engineers in aerodynamic modeling best practices and engineering judgment
• Contribute to internal toolchain development, workflow automation, and advanced modeling capability
• Participate in internal and customer-facing design reviews, test readiness reviews, flight briefings, and technical meetings.
• Contribute to a broad swath of novel aircraft platforms ranging from Small Unmanned Air Systems (SUAS) to Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA).

We recognize and appreciate the value and contributions of individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences and welcome all qualified individuals to apply.

Job Qualifications

• Typically requires a bachelors degree, masters degree or PhD in engineering or a related technical discipline from an accredited institution and progressive engineering experience as follows; nine or more years of experience with a bachelors degree, seven or more years of experience with a masters degree, or four or more years with a PhD. May substitute equivalent engineering experience in lieu of education.
• Demonstrated applied experience using high-fidelity Navier–Stokes CFD solvers for aircraft aerodynamics
• Experience running CFD simulations on high-performance computing (HPC) clusters
• Strong foundational understanding of turbulence modeling, numerical methods, solver limitations, and modeling assumptions
• Demonstrated ownership of complete CFD workflows, including CAD preparation, mesh generation, solver setup, convergence assessment, and force/moment extraction
• Experience developing aerodynamic databases for flight mechanics, stability & control, or performance analysis
• Strong programming proficiency in Python and MATLAB for scientific computing and workflow automation
• Ability to obtain and maintain a DoD Secret security clearance
• Ability to work on-site during normal business hours for indeterminate periods of time as dictated by program security requirements.

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• Experience with gradient-based and gradient-free optimization applied to aerodynamic shape optimization problems
• Experience developing surrogate or reduced-order models for rapid aerodynamic performance estimation
• Demonstrated validation, verification, and uncertainty quantification (UQ) of aerodynamic models
• Experience with statistical methods for design space exploration and sensitivity analysis
• Experience using or developing lower-fidelity aerodynamic tools (e.g., AVL, XFOIL, MSES), including understanding of their appropriate use and limitations
• Applied experience running unsteady and multi-body CFD simulations.
• Experience with experimental aerodynamic data processing and CFD correlation
• Experience contributing to production-quality engineering software using modern development practices
• Active DoD Secret, or higher, security clearance.

Job Type: Full-Time Salary
Salary range: 105,890 - 189,545