CFD Aerodynamicist – Hypersonic Vehicles

Aurex; Huntsville (AL); On-site; USD 118,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Aurex in Huntsville, AL seeks a CFD Aerodynamicist to advance high-fidelity simulations for hypersonic vehicles. You will determine lift, drag, and stability, and perform aeroheating analyses to guide TPS design, using industry-standard CFD tools with an emphasis on high-fidelity hypersonic flow.

You will collaborate with thermal, structures, and GNC teams, validate against data, and contribute to fast, precise aerodynamic data for flight control development.

Qualifications

• BS or MS/PhD in aerospace or mechanical engineering with relevant CFD experience.
• 5+ years in CFD for aerospace vehicles, preferably hypersonic.
• Proficient with CFD tools: ANSYS Fluent/CFX, STAR-CCM+, OpenFOAM.

Responsibilities

• Perform high-fidelity CFD analyses to determine lift, drag, stability, and overall aerodynamic performance of hypersonic vehicles.
• Generate aerodynamic databases, force/moment coefficients, and stability derivatives to support GNC, 6-DOF simulations, and flight control design.
• Conduct coupled aero-thermal simulations to generate aeroheating environments for TPS design.
• Develop CFD models including geometry prep, mesh generation, boundary conditions, turbulence modeling, and solver setup.
• Collaborate with Thermal Analyst to integrate aeroheating results into thermal/material models.
• Validate CFD results against experimental, wind tunnel, or flight-test data.
• Support design trades and optimization studies for aerodynamic performance and thermal loads.
• Document methodologies, results, and recommendations in technical reports.
• Work with multidisciplinary teams to ensure accurate aerodynamic and aero-thermal data.

Skills

CFD Analysis

Hypersonics

Aerodynamics

GNC Integration

Education

Bachelor's in Aerospace Engineering

Master/PhD in Aerospace Engineering

Tools

ANSYS Fluent

CFX

STAR-CCM+

OpenFOAM

US3D

Job description

Who We Are

Aurex is a mission-focused aerospace and defense company building the next frontier of deterrence. From hypersonics and missile defense to hardened networks and orbital systems, we design, test, and deliver the platforms that turn unproven ideas into battlefield-ready capability.

Huntsville, AL

Who We Are

Aurex is a mission-focused aerospace and defense company building the next frontier of deterrence. From hypersonics and missile defense to hardened networks and orbital systems, we design, test, and deliver the platforms that turn unproven ideas into battlefield-ready capability.

Born in Huntsville and built for speed, Aurex brings together aerospace veterans, combat-tested operators, and forward-leaning technologists to solve problems that matter—fast. We move from whiteboard to warfighter with precision, clarity, and zero tolerance for fluff.

Job Summary

We are looking for a CFD Aerodynamicist with extensive experience performing advanced computational fluid dynamics analysis for hypersonic vehicles. The ideal candidate will use CFD to determine lift, drag, center of pressure, and stability characteristics of aerospace vehicles, and will perform coupled aero-thermal analysis to generate aeroheating environments. Proficiency with industry-standard CFD tools is required, with a primary focus on high-fidelity hypersonic flow simulation, aero-thermal coupling, and delivering actionable aerodynamic data.

Job Responsibilities

• Perform high-fidelity CFD analyses to determine lift, drag, center of pressure, stability derivatives, and overall aerodynamic performance of hypersonic vehicles.
• Generate and deliver aerodynamic databases, force/moment coefficients, center-of-pressure data, and stability derivatives to support GNC algorithm development, 6-DOF simulation, and flight control design.
• Conduct coupled aero-thermal simulations to generate aeroheating environments and support thermal protection system design.
• Develop and execute CFD models including geometry preparation, mesh generation, boundary condition definition, turbulence modeling, and solver setup for hypersonic flow regimes.
• Collaborate closely with the Thermal Analyst Engineer to integrate aeroheating results into thermal and material response models.
• Validate CFD results against experimental, wind tunnel, or flight test data.
• Support design trades and optimization studies for aerodynamic performance, stability, and thermal loads.
• Document simulation methodologies, results, and engineering recommendations in clear technical reports.
• Work with multidisciplinary teams (aerodynamics, thermal, structures, and GNC) to ensure accurate aerodynamic and aero-thermal data supports vehicle development.

Basic Qualifications

• Active DoD Secret Clearance
• Work in person at our corporate headquarters in Huntsville, AL.
• One of the following:
• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field with relevant industry experience
• Master’s degree or Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a relevant field with experience applying knowledge to real-world systems
• 5+ years of industry experience in CFD analysis for aerospace vehicles, preferably including high-speed or hypersonic applications.
• Hands-on experience with CFD software such as ANSYS Fluent, CFX, STAR-CCM+, OpenFOAM, FUN3D, OVERFLOW, or equivalent.
• Strong understanding of hypersonic aerodynamics, compressible flow, shock interactions, and aero-thermal coupling.
• Experience determining lift, drag, center of pressure, and stability characteristics from CFD results.
• Proficiency with CAD tools (e.g., SolidWorks, NX, or similar) for geometry preparation and meshing.
• Ability to analyze and communicate complex simulation results to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and attention to detail.
• Strong communication and teamwork skills to collaborate with multidisciplinary aerospace teams.

Preferred Qualifications

• Direct experience with hypersonic or high-Mach-number CFD, including real-gas effects and high-enthalpy flows.
• Experience generating aeroheating databases for thermal protection system analysis.
• Familiarity with high-performance computing (HPC) environments for large-scale CFD simulations.
• Experience validating CFD models against wind tunnel or flight test data.
• Knowledge of coupled aero-structural or aero-thermal-structural analysis.
• Familiarity with additional hypersonic CFD tools such as US3D, CFD++, Kestrel, or LAURA.

How You Will Be Rewarded

The salary range for this role is 118,000 – 140,000. We offer a comprehensive total rewards approach to compensation, providing incentives and benefits that extend far beyond the base salary. Compensation is determined by the candidate’s work experience, education, training, and relevant skills. We offer a competitive benefits package designed to support our employees’ health, well-being, and professional growth.

Location:

Huntsville, AL

Aurex is an Equal Opportunity Employer. It prohibits discrimination, retaliation, or any type of harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, veteran status, citizenship, immigration status, or any other legally protected status in employment, including in hiring, firing, and recruiting decisions. All applicants must be authorized to work lawfully in the United States for positions at Aurex. There may be limited circumstances in which a law, regulation, executive order, or government contract would require certain citizenship; only in those limited circumstances would Aurex require certain citizenship status to comply with the relevant law, regulation, executive order, or government contract applicable to that position. For all other positions, Aurex does not consider an applicant’s citizenship but only requires that the applicant be authorized to work lawfully in the United States. If a position is one that falls under export control laws and regulations requiring authorization from the U.S. government to access export-controlled items, any hiring is contingent on the applicant passing the export compliance assessment, which is separate from the I-9 process, for that specific position. A background check will be required prior to any hire.

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