Flight Sciences Manager

Empirical Systems Aerospace, Inc. (ESAero); San Luis Obispo (CA); On-site; USD 118,000 - 175,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health & Wellness plans (3 options)

PTO and holiday break pay

Life insurance

Job summary

Empirical Systems Aerospace, Inc (ESAero) in San Luis Obispo, CA seeks a Manager, Flight Sciences to coordinate with departments, oversee GNC, CFD, and aerodynamic disciplines, and define the engineering product development strategy, budget, and team growth. This senior role reports to the engineering management team and drives milestones across product cycles.

The position emphasizes hardware-in-the-loop verification, modern software deployment via Simulink/embedded Coder pipelines, and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a STEM discipline.
• 10+ years in an aerospace vehicle development environment with Flight Sciences, aerodynamic design, or flight control systems.
• 3+ years in formal leadership/directing engineering teams within an aerospace lifecycle.

Responsibilities

• Lead a group of aerospace and GNC engineering professionals including budget planning, staffing, training, and performance evaluation.
• Allocate resources to meet project demands and ensure team engagement and output quality.
• Drive engineering excellence across GNC, CFD, high-fidelity flight simulation, and aerodynamic design; oversee HIL hardware-in-the-loop environments and embedded flight control software deployment.

Skills

Leadership

GNC expertise

MATLAB/Simulink

CFD analysis

Aerodynamic design

Flight dynamics

Embedded C/C++

Budget planning

Staffing & training

Education

Bachelor's degree in Aerospace/Mechanical STEM

Tools

MATLAB/Simulink

CFD packages

Embedded software builds (C/C++)

Job description

Summary

The Manager, Flight Sciences, coordinates with other departments to meet the milestones during product development cycles. As a member of the Engineering management team, the Flight Sciences Manager oversees the Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC), Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), and Aerodynamic Performance disciplines and participates in defining and executing the overall engineering product development strategy, budget, team development and evaluation.

Summary

The Manager, Flight Sciences, coordinates with other departments to meet the milestones during product development cycles. As a member of the Engineering management team, the Flight Sciences Manager oversees the Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC), Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), and Aerodynamic Performance disciplines and participates in defining and executing the overall engineering product development strategy, budget, team development and evaluation.

Position Responsibilities

• Manages a group of Aerospace and Guidance, Navigation, and Controls engineering professionals, including budget planning, staffing, training, performance evaluation and career development


• Manages resources to meet project demands


• Is responsible for engagement and quality output of the team


• Drive engineering excellence across key specialized disciplines, including Guidance, Navigation & Controls (GNC), Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis, high-fidelity flight simulation, and aerodynamic structural design


• Direct the development, verification, and validation of hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) environments, ensuring seamless deployment of embedded flight control software via modern software deployment methodologies (e.g., automated Simulink Embedded Coder pipelines, C/C++ builds)


• Guide the team to rapidly mature concepts from early initial sketches into operational hardware integrated with intelligent operating systems


• Actively manage a high-performing engineering team, providing mentoring, performance evaluations, and structured technical career pathing


• Coordinate closely with Project leaders to monitor future program demands, execute strategic resource staffing, screen high-caliber engineering talent, and close crucial technical skills gaps


• Support Flight Sciences Reviews (FSR), and Test Readiness Reviews (TRR)


• Frequently interacts with subordinate supervisors, customers and/or functional peer group managers, normally involving matters between functional areas


• Other duties as assigned

Required Qualifications and Skills

• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a highly relevant Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM) discipline


• A minimum of 10+ years of professional engineering experience in an aerospace vehicle development environment, with a demonstrable background in Flight Sciences, aerodynamic design, or flight control systems


• 3+ years of formal leadership or functional management experience directing engineering teams within an integrated aerospace project lifecycle


• Deep expertise in aerodynamics, flight dynamics, and aircraft stability/control for fixed-wing, rotary-wing, or hybrid missile/UAV systems


• Proven capability utilizing modern analytical platforms, such as MATLAB/Simulink, low/high-order CFD packages, and embedded C/C++ environments


• Must be a U.S. Person as defined by ITAR/EAR.

Desired Qualifications and Skills

• Master's degree or a Ph.D. with a research focus in flight physics, fluid dynamics, or advanced control laws


• Familiarity with open-source flight software frameworks and their application to complex edge-case navigation (e.g., GPS-denied environments)


• Active U.S. Government Secret Security Clearance, with immediate eligibility for Top Secret (TS) and Special Access Programs (SAP) highly preferred


• Prior hands-on experience managing complex wind tunnel testing, scaling models, or live-fly uncrewed systems testing operations

Comprehensive Benefits & Perks

• Health & Wellness: Choose from three health, dental, and vision plans - including a 100% employer-paid option covering both employees and their families


• Paid Time Off: Enjoy 120 hours of PTO, 80 hours accrued plus an additional 40 hours of holiday break pay in addition to Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day off


• Life Insurance: $25,000 employer-paid life insurance policy, with the option to purchase additional coverage for employeSummary: The Manager, Flight Sciences, coordinates with other departments to meet the milestones during product development cycles. As a member of the Engineering management team, the Flight Sciences Manager oversees the Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC), Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), and Aerodynamic Performance disciplines and participates in defining and executing the overall engineering product development strategy, budget, team development and evaluation

Company Overview

Empirical Systems Aerospace, Inc (ESAero) is a leader in aerospace engineering, product development, and manufacturing, dedicated to delivering high-quality, innovative, and cost-effective solutions to the industry. We specialize in cutting-edge system design, rapid product development, precision manufacturing, comprehensive testing, and technology demonstrations to support the evolving needs of the aerospace community. Committed to excellence, on-time delivery, and continuous growth, we invest in infrastructure to expand our manufacturing and aftermarket capabilities while maintaining the highest standards of engineering services. At ESAero, we don't just build products, we engineer solutions that propel the aerospace industry forward.

**This position is fully on-site at ESAero in San Luis Obispo, CA**

ESAero is an equal opportunity employer.

E-Verify participation required for employment.

Must present proof of authorization to work in the United States.

Must be able to pass background check.

Pay Range: $118,000-$175,000 Salary Exempt