Aero Performance 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

Dental

401(k) matching

Pension plan

Employee referral program

Job summary

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) seeks an Aero Performance Engineer in the San Diego (Poway, CA) area to design and develop next-generation unmanned aircraft platforms.

You will perform conceptual sizing, aerodynamic modeling, wind tunnel test planning, data reduction, and ground/flight testing of prototypes. Responsibilities include 6DOF aerodynamic database generation, M&S tool development, and collaboration within a multi-disciplinary team.

Qualifications

• Bachelor/Master/PhD in engineering from an accredited institution.
• Advanced MATLAB programming experience and ability to modify in-house codes.
• Experience with aerodynamic sizing and aircraft performance analysis.
• Ability to work autonomously and collaborate across disciplines.
• Clear communication of complex engineering concepts.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a DoD Secret clearance.
• On-site work during program security requirements.

Responsibilities

• Support all phases of aircraft design from conceptual to detailed design.
• Plan and execute wind tunnel and flight test activities and analyze results.
• Conduct trade studies and sensitivity analyses for design decisions.
• Develop and maintain analytical M&S tools to predict aircraft performance.
• Create high-fidelity 6DOF aerodynamic databases from wind tunnel/CFD data.
• Collaborate in a multidisciplinary team to solve complex engineering challenges.
• Participate in design reviews, test readiness reviews, and technical meetings.
• Contribute to projects from SUAS to Collaborative Combat Aircraft.

Skills

MDAO

DoE

Surrogate modeling

Uncertainty quantification

Python programming

C/C++ programming

OOP fundamentals

Education

Bachelor/Master/PhD in engineering

Tools

AVL

XFOIL

MSES

OpenVSP

OpenMDAO

SUAVE

RDS

Aviary

NASTRAN

LEAPS

FLOPS

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.

Job Summary

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).

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.
• Completion of relevant coursework in the areas of 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 upon in-house, peer-developed, codes.
• Ability and willingness to operate with relative autonomy; proactively collaborating with other disciplines and seeking out 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

Job Type: Full-Time Salary

Salary range: 105,890 - 189,545