Aero Performance Engineer

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems; Poway (CA); On-site; USD 105,890 - 189,545; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) retirement plan

Pension plan

Employee referral program

Medical and dental insurance

9/80 work schedule

Job summary

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems in Poway, CA is looking for an Aero Performance Engineer to design and develop next-generation unmanned aircraft platforms. Key responsibilities include supporting aircraft design phases, conducting wind tunnel tests, and performing sensitivity analyses. Candidates should possess a relevant bachelor's, master's, or PhD degree, with advanced MATLAB programming as a critical requirement. Offering a salary range of $105,890 - $189,545 along with attractive benefits including a pension plan, 401(k), and more.

Qualifications

• 9+ years with a bachelor's, 7+ years with a master's, or 4+ years with a PhD in a relevant field.
• Completion of coursework in aerodynamics and performance analysis required.
• Ability to maintain a DoD Secret security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Support all phases of aircraft design, including wind tunnel and flight test planning.
• Conduct trade studies and perform sensitivity analyses to inform design decisions.
• Collaborate with multi-disciplinary teams to solve complex engineering challenges.

Skills

Advanced MATLAB programming

Aerodynamic modeling

Communication skills

Ability to operate autonomously

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Master's degree in engineering

PhD in engineering

Tools

AVL

XFOIL

Python

Java

C/C++

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. We have an exciting opportunity for an Aero Performance Engineer in the San Diego (Poway, CA) area. In this position, you will play an active role in the design and development of cutting‑edge next generation unmanned aircraft platforms. Responsibilities include conceptual sizing and preliminary design, aerodynamic and performance modeling, wind tunnel test planning, execution, and data reduction, and ground and flight testing of prototype vehicles. 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

• Support all phases of aircraft design, including conceptual, preliminary, and detailed design.
• Take part in wind tunnel and flight test planning, execution, and post‑test analysis.
• Conduct trade studies and carry out sensitivity analyses to inform high‑level engineering design decisions.
• Predict and validate aircraft performance by developing and maintaining analytical Modeling and Simulation (M&S) tools.
• Generate high‑fidelity 6DOF aerodynamic databases from wind tunnel and CFD data.
• Collaborate among peers, as part of a multi‑disciplinary team, to solve unique and complex engineering challenges.
• 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).

Job Qualifications

• Typically requires a bachelor's degree, master's degree or PhD in engineering or a related technical discipline from an accredited institution and progressive engineering experience: nine or more years with a bachelor's, seven or more years with a master's, or four or more years with a PhD. May substitute equivalent engineering experience in lieu of education.
• Completion of relevant coursework in low‑ and high‑speed aerodynamics, air‑breathing propulsion, and aircraft performance analysis.
• Advanced MATLAB programming experience is required, including the ability to interpret and extend in‑house, peer‑developed codes.
• Ability and willingness to operate with relative autonomy; proactively collaborating with other disciplines and seeking help when appropriate.
• Effective at communicating complex engineering concepts both verbally and in writing.
• Understands engineering concepts, principles, and theory and has experience demonstrating the application of those concepts.
• Must possess the ability to understand new concepts quickly and apply them accurately throughout an evolving environment.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a DoD Secret security clearance is required.
• Ability to work on‑site during normal business hours for indeterminate periods of time as dictated by program security requirements.

Desired Skills / Qualifications

• Familiarity with Multidisciplinary Design, Analysis, and Optimization (MDAO), Design of Experiments (DoE), and surrogate modeling techniques.
• Applied experience using aerodynamic and aircraft design and analysis tools such as AVL, XFOIL, MSES, OpenVSP, OpenMDAO, SUAVE, RDS, Aviary, NASTRAN, LEAPS, FLOPS, and/or other.
• Strong background in applied statistics and aerodynamic uncertainty quantification, with experience using Gaussian process regression, surrogate modeling, and/or sensitivity analysis to support 6‑DOF aerodynamic modeling, performance prediction, and Monte Carlo analysis. Experience with wind tunnel data uncertainty analysis preferred.
• Familiarity with Python, Java, or C/C++ programming languages.
• Foundational understanding of Object‑Oriented Programming (OOP) principles.
• Contributed to internally developed engineering analysis tools and software.
• Exposure to adjacent technical areas, including Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), Guidance Navigation and Control (GNC), and/or aircraft structures.
• Familiarity with implementation of thrust‑drag bookkeeping and force‑moment accounting methodologies.
• Active DoD Secret, or higher, security clearance.

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

Job Type: Full‑Time Salary

Salary range: 105,890 - 189,545