Aerothermodynamics Engineer

Analytical Mechanics Associates Inc.

Mountain View (CA)

Hybrid

USD 140,000 - 190,000

Full time

6 days ago

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Benefits offered by this job

401(k) matching

Tuition reimbursement

Short/long term disability plans

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

Job summary

Analytical Mechanics Associates, Inc. seeks an Aerothermodynamics Engineer to lead CFD software development and HPC modernization for NASA Ames’ Code TSA in Mountain View, CA. You will port CPU/MPI tools to GPU-accelerated platforms and create Python interfaces, workflows, and testing infrastructure.

The role focuses on multi-physics aerothermodynamics, radiative heat transfer, and high-performance computing on modern hardware, with collaboration across engineering teams.

Qualifications

Master’s degree or higher in Aerospace Engineering, Aeronautical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or closely related field.
Strong background in numerical methods for computational fluid dynamics through research or professional work.
Experience developing massively parallel CFD solvers for Linux environments with CPU & GPU hardware.
Familiarity with scale-resolving or high-fidelity simulation methods (RANS-LES, LES, DNS).
Experience with CFD verification/validation and documenting methods and results.

Responsibilities

Develop CFD/CFD-based multi-physics aerothermodynamics software for reentry problems.
Prepare geometries, meshes, and simulation inputs; establish best practice workflows.
Set up and monitor CFD simulations on HPC systems; post-process results.
Compare simulations with experimental data and perform convergence/mesh studies.
Document methods, configurations, and results for reports and publications.

Skills

Fortran

C++

Python

GPU programming

CUDA

OpenMP

HPC

Numerical methods

Education

Master's degree or higher in Aerospace Engineering / Aeronautical Engineering / Mechanical Engineering

Tools

PETSc

HDF5

Kokkos

OpenMP

CUDA

Job description

Job Overview

Analytical Mechanics Associates, Inc. is seeking an Aerothermodynamics Engineer to support the Aerothermodynamics branch (Code TSA) within the Entry Systems and Technology Division at NASA Ames Research Center. The selected candidate will serve as the lead for development of computational fluid dynamics simulation software for aerothermodynamics on modern HPC platforms including GPU-based clusters. Primary focus will be scientific software development and HPC modernization of NASA tools, including CFD, material response, and radiative heat transfer. Tasks may include porting mature CPU- and MPI-based applications to GPU-accelerated and exascale computing platforms. Develop Python interfaces, workflows, testing infrastructure, and automation. Work with engineers to translate mission needs to develop numerical algorithms that are then implemented efficiently on modern hardware. This is an onsite position at NASA Ames in Mountain View, CA.

Salary range $125k-$200k, depending on skills and experience.

Responsibilities

Develop computational simulation software for multi-physics aerothermodynamics simulations of reentry bodies. Prepare computational geometries, generate and evaluate meshes, and develop simulation inputs and established best practices. Set up, execute, and monitor computational fluid dynamics simulations on high-performance computing systems. Post-process simulation results and evaluate convective and radiative thermal environments. Support verification and validation activities, including convergence assessment, mesh-resolution studies, and comparisons between computational methods. Document computational methods, assumptions, configurations and results in archival medium, including NASA technical reports, international conferences and journal-publications.

Minimum Qualifications

Master’s degree or higher in Aerospace Engineering, Aeronautical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a closely related engineering field.
Strong background in numerical methods for computational fluid dynamic through academic research, thesis work, internships, or professional employment.
Demonstrated experience developing massively parallel CFD solvers for Linux based computing environments with CPU & GPU hardware.
Familiarity with scale-resolving or high-fidelity simulation methods, including hybrid RANS-LES, LES, DNS, or related approaches.
Knowledge of computational mesh generation, aerothermodynamic data analysis, and CFD verification and validation practices.
Experience using scientific programming or scripting languages for engineering analysis and data processing.
Experience running multi-physics aerothermodynamics simulations for hypersonic flows.
Experience comparing computational results with wind-tunnel or other experimental data.
Ability to document technical work and communicate computational results clearly.

Preferred Qualifications

Proficiency in Fortran, C++, and Python.
Proficiency in GPU computing using CUDA, HIP, OpenMP, Kokkos, RAJA or similar with experience porting large scientific applications from CPUS to GPUs.
Experience implementing or maintaining numerical software such as PDE solvers, finite-volume/finite-element methods, sparse linear algebra, and iterative solvers.
Experience working on exascale or frontier-class computing systems.
Knowledge of PETSc, Trillions, HDF5 and other HPC libraries and ability to use modern scientific computing tools such as JAX, NumPy, or PyTorch.

Employment Eligibility

This position is open to U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents (green card holders), and eligible foreign nationals whose country of birth and current citizenship are not included on NASA’s Designated Countries List (https://www.nasa.gov/oiir/export-control/). Employment is subject to U.S. work authorization and approval for access to NASA Ames facilities and systems.