Flight Sciences Manager: GNC, CFD & Aerodynamics Leader

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

Benefits offered by this job

Health & Wellness plans

120 PTO hours + holiday breaks

Life Insurance

Job summary

Empirical Systems Aerospace, Inc (ESAero) seeks a Manager, Flight Sciences to lead GNC, CFD, and aerodynamic teams, directing the engineering strategy, budget, and staff development. The role oversees hardware-in-the-loop deployment and the integration of embedded flight software, guiding early concepts to hardware-ready solutions.

You will manage a senior engineering group, collaborate with project leaders on staffing and skill gaps, and support reviews.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a highly relevant STEM field.
• Minimum 10+ years of professional engineering experience in an aerospace vehicle development environment with 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 with MATLAB/Simulink, CFD packages, and embedded C/C++ environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead a group of Aerospace and GNC/CFD/aerodynamic engineers with budget, staffing, and career development.
• Manage resources to meet project demands and ensure quality output of the team.
• Drive engineering excellence across GNC, CFD, high-fidelity flight simulation, and aerodynamic design.
• Oversee hardware-in-the-loop environments and deployment of embedded flight software.
• Mentor and evaluate engineering staff and plan technical career paths.

Skills

Leadership experience

Aerodynamics

Flight dynamics

Aircraft stability/control

MATLAB/Simulink

CFD

Embedded C/C++

U.S. Person eligibility

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace/Mechanical/ STEM

Master’s or Ph.D. in flight physics/fluids/control

Tools

MATLAB/Simulink

CFD packages

Embedded software development

C/C++

Job description

Empirical Systems Aerospace, Inc (ESAero) seeks a Manager, Flight Sciences to lead GNC, CFD, and aerodynamic teams, directing the engineering strategy, budget, and staff development. The role oversees hardware-in-the-loop deployment and the integration of embedded flight software, guiding early concepts to hardware-ready solutions.

You will manage a senior engineering group, collaborate with project leaders on staffing and skill gaps, and support reviews.