Associate Research Engineer

University of Dayton; Dayton (OH); On-site; USD 85,000 - 105,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental and vision insurance

Retirement plans

Tuition assistance

Vacation/Sick accrual and holiday pay

Job summary

University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI) in Dayton, OH, invites applications for an Associate Research Engineer in the Air Vehicle Optimization group. This full-time, benefits-eligible position supports aerospace software and hardware development, analysis, and testing for AFRL contracts.

The role emphasizes multidisciplinary design, aero- and propulsion integration, and collaboration with engineers across disciplines to advance air vehicle concepts from concept to flight testing.

Qualifications

• ABET accredited degree in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering or related field.
• Experience with Python, MATLAB, C++, ANSYS or SolidWorks.
• Knowledge of aircraft design and performance analysis.
• US citizenship required for U.S. government contracts.

Responsibilities

• Support aerospace R&D contracts at Wright-Patterson AFB.
• Design, develop, document, maintain and deploy software analyses.
• Apply engineering principles to air vehicle design and propulsion integration.
• Collaborate with cross-disciplinary teams in a multidisciplinary environment.

Skills

Python

MATLAB

C++

ANSYS

SolidWorks

Education

ABET accredited degree

Tools

ANSYS

SolidWorks

CFD tools

Job description

Job No: 503788

Work Type: Staff Full Time (1500 hours or greater)

Location: Dayton, OH

Category: Research Institute Staff

Department: Air Vehicle Optimization - 250571

Pay Grade: R1/R2 - Exempt

Advertised: August 07, 2026

Applications close: August 21, 2026

Position Summary:

UDRI is seeking qualified applicants to apply for a Associate Research Engineer position. This position will work for the Air Vehicle Optimization Group of the Structures & Materials Division and is a full-time benefit eligible position that offers health, dental and vision insurance, retirement, disability, tuition assistance, vacation/sick accrual and holiday pay.

The Air Vehicle Optimization Group at UDRI is a diverse team of skilled engineers and scientists who work closely with the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to develop, prototype, and test numerical models, software, and hardware for the multidisciplinary design and analysis of aerospace vehicles. The group brings together specialties in Aerospace, Electrical, and Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, Mathematics, and Physics to combine state-of-the-art engineering tools with innovative ideas to support future aircraft design methods from conceptual design through flight testing. A few of the projects the group currently supports include: Computational Aircraft Prototype Synthesis (CAPS), Missile Enhancement via Reconfigurable Interceptor Nose, Efficient Supersonic Aircraft Vehicle, X-56, XQ-58, Effectiveness Assessment of Concepts and Technologies, and Sensitivity Analysis for Multidisciplinary Systems.

The group is currently seeing an Aerospace Engineer to support ongoing research and development contracts at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in the Air Force Research Laboratory to provide support for airframe propulsion and power systems integration. Research Aerospace Engineers apply fundamental engineering principles to design, develop, document, maintain, and deploy software infrastructure and engineering analyses in the support of aerospace engineering research.

The successful candidate will bring to bear their skills and experience with one or more of the following: experience in aircraft design and propulsion and power system integration, finite element analysis for structural analysis, CFD for aerospace analysis, multidisciplinary analysis, sensitivity analysis, design optimization, aeroservoelastic design optimization, and aircraft trajectory optimization framework, and computer programming. Strong communication and interpersonal skills are essential and highly valued in this role.

Minimum Qualifications:

• A Bachelors or equivalent degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or related discipline from ABET accredited institution
• Basic experience with Python/MATLAB/C++/ANSYS/SolidWorks or similar programming languages
• Knowledge of aircraft design and performance analysis
• Knowledge of propulsion systems
• Due to requirements of our research contracts with the U.S. federal government, candidates for this position must be a US Citizen

R1 Level Requirements:

Bachelors and no previous work experience

R2 Level Requirements:

Bachelors and three years previous work experience, OR

Masters and two years previous work experience

Preferred Qualifications:

While not everyone may possess all of the preferred qualifications, the ideal candidate will bring many of the following:

• A Masters or equivalent degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related discipline from ABET accredited institution.
• In addition to the minimum qualifications, a preferred candidate will also have a background and/or proven interest in one or more of the following topics: Finite element analysis Topology optimization or other structural design methods Smart materials and systems Programming
• Proficient using Python/MATLAB, C++, Simulink, CSDL, ANSYS, SolidWorks, or similar programming languages
• Proficient in aircraft design and performance analysis
• Familiar with multidisciplinary analysis and optimization including sensitivity analysis
• Familiar with finite element method as applied to structures
• Experience with CFD tools
• Experience with aeroelastic analysis
• Experience with aeroservoelastic design optimization and gradient-based aircraft trajectory optimization framework
• Experience with simulating flight dynamics
• Experience with NASTRAN/ABAQUS or similar finite element modeling tools
• Research experience

Closing Statement:

Informed by its Catholic and Marianist mission, the University is committed to the dignity of every human being. Informed by this commitment, we seek to increase diversity in all of its forms, achieve fair outcomes, and model inclusion across our campus community. The University is committed to policies of affirmative action designed to increase the employment opportunities of individuals with disabilities and protected veterans in compliance with the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act of 1973.

• Staff Full Time (1500 hours or greater) 1