Lead CFD Engineer

Zone5Technologies; San Luis Obispo (CA); On-site; USD 161,000 - 238,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive pay

Medical benefits

401k with company-match

Paid time off

Company holidays

Job summary

Zone 5 Technologies is seeking an experienced CFD Lead to join our Weapons Performance team. You will lead CFD analysis to characterize aerodynamic performance for air-launched effects and munitions, guiding concept studies through wind tunnel and flight-test correlation.

You will collaborate with Propulsion, GNC, Design, and Systems Engineering to integrate data into vehicle designs, mentor engineers, and drive standards, workflows, and scalable HPC processes to support fast, reliable

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or related field; Master’s preferred.
• 8+ years of experience performing and leading CFD analysis in a product-driven environment.
• Proficiency with aerospace/defense CFD solvers (CFD++, OVERFLOW, FUN3D, STAR-CCM+, ANSYS Fluent).
• Experience validating CFD against wind-tunnel or flight-test data.
• Hands-on with flight hardware or test articles; able to influence design decisions.

Responsibilities

• Lead high-fidelity CFD analyses (RANS/URANS/DES) across speed regimes to characterize aerodynamic performance for missiles and interceptors.
• Establish shared CFD standards and document procedures for CFD-based aerodynamic databases.
• Participate in program-level resource allocation, timelines, and deliverable estimates.
• Validate CFD models against wind tunnel/flight-test data and investigate discrepancies.
• Develop mesh generation and grid-convergence techniques for complex geometries.
• Collaborate to integrate aerodynamic data into vehicle design and performance models.
• Present findings at design reviews and internal discussions.
• Mentor CFD engineers and develop automated HPC workflows and post-processing pipelines.
• Manage HPC usage tracking and software licensing.

Skills

CFD analysis

Leadership

Python

Linux

HPC

Git

Education

Bachelor's degree in Aerospace/Mechanical Eng

Master's degree typical

Tools

CFD++

OVERFLOW

FUN3D

STAR-CCM+

ANSYS Fluent

Pointwise

ANSA

Chimera Grid Tools

Job description

At Zone 5 Technologies, we're redefining what's possible in unmanned aircraft systems. Our team of engineers and innovators is developing cutting‑edge autonomous solutions that push the boundaries of UAS technology - solving complex challenges that matter.

We're building the future of UAS capabilities, and we're looking for exceptional talent to join us. If you're driven by hard problems, energized by rapid innovation, and ready to make an impact on next‑generation flight systems, you belong here.

We are seeking an experienced CFD Lead to join our Weapons Performance team. In this role, you will lead computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis to characterize the aerodynamic and ballistic performance of Zone 5's air‑launched effects, tactical interceptors, and next‑generation munitions — from early concept and trade studies through wind tunnel and flight test correlation to fielded performance.

We're looking for a technical leader with an entrepreneurial mindset: someone who takes personal responsibility for the success of the systems they help build, has a bias toward action, and treats program performance as a personal stake. You will work within your organization to help set technical direction for CFD, mentor other aerodynamicists using CFD, and partner closely with Propulsion, GNC, Design, Analysis, Systems Engineering, and Flight Test to ensure our systems perform reliably under demanding launch, flight, and terminal conditions.

Responsibilities

• Lead high‑fidelity CFD analysis (RANS, URANS, and DES where required) across speed regimes typical to the defense industry to characterize aerodynamic performance — drag, lift, moment coefficients, and stability derivatives — for missiles, interceptors, and other types of hardware.


• Work with the Weapons Performance team to establish shared analysis standards and document the procedures and processes used for CFD‑based aerodynamic database development, improving turnaround time and ensuring data consistency for use in GNC flight control law development, trajectory simulation, and mission performance analysis.


• Participate in program‑level resource allocation, timeline, and deliverable estimates.


• Validate CFD models against wind tunnel and flight test data and help lead root‑cause investigation of discrepancies between simulation and test.


• Develop mesh generation and grid convergence techniques and studies for complex, high‑speed vehicle geometries.


• Collaborate with Design, Propulsion, GNC, Analysis, and Systems Engineering to integrate aerodynamic performance data into vehicle‑level design, sizing, and performance models.


• Present technical findings, aerodynamic performance data, and CFD methodology at design reviews (PDR, CDR) and internal engineering discussions.


• Mentor and provide technical guidance to other aerodynamics and CFD engineers and review their analysis approaches and results.


• Develop and lead automated workflows and scripts for batch HPC job generation, post‑processing, and data reduction, streamlining deliverables for Aerodynamics, GNC, and Systems Engineering teams.


• Perform lightweight HPC administrative responsibilities such as tracking compute usage and software licensing and assisting the team with HPC environment usage.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related technical field required; Master's degree typical for candidates at this level, though exceptional applied experience can substitute.


• 8+ years of experience performing and leading CFD analysis in an applied, product‑centric, program‑driven environment, leading the technical approach across multiple full vehicle programs — from conceptual design through wind tunnel, flight test, and production.


• Proficiency with CFD solvers commonly used in aerospace/defense aerodynamics (e.g., CFD++, OVERFLOW, FUN3D, STAR-CCM+, or ANSYS Fluent) for compressible, high‑speed flow, along with meshing and grid‑generation tools such as Pointwise, ANSA, and Chimera Grid Tools, and overset grid assembly for complex multi‑body geometries.


• Proficiency with CFD/FEA post‑processing and visualization tools such as ParaView, FieldView, and ANSYS Workbench for data reduction, visualization, and correlation of results across disciplines.


• Experience characterizing aerodynamic performance of missiles, munitions, rockets, or other high‑speed vehicles, including store separation and base drag effects.


• Experience validating and correlating CFD results against wind tunnel or flight test data


• Hands‑on experience working alongside real flight hardware — wind tunnel models, instrumented test articles, or flight test vehicles — rather than working from simulation data alone.


• Experience making or directly informing safety‑critical engineering decisions, with the judgment and integrity to discern credible simulation results from questionable ones.


• Experience where your CFD analysis directly informed a design decision, program milestone, or fielded outcome, not just standalone technical results.


• Experience building and maintaining CFD validation libraries — reference cases and benchmark comparisons used to check new analysis against established, trusted results.


• Experience working with a team to establish and document CFD analysis standards, procedures, and workflows — helping make methods repeatable and consistent across a group, not just performing analysis yourself.


• Programming or scripting proficiency (Python, MATLAB, or similar) for CFD automation, post‑processing, and data reduction.


• Working knowledge of Linux system administration and HPC cluster environments (e.g., job scheduling, resource allocation, environment/module management) sufficient to run and troubleshoot CFD workloads independently, down to the interconnect if need be.


• Strong experience with version control (e.g., Git, SVN) for CFD codebases and the batch/automation scripts that run them.


• Experience generating aerodynamic coefficient databases for use in 6-DOF trajectory or flight simulation.


• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with experience presenting technical results at design reviews and supporting proposal/capture efforts.


• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. DoD Secret security clearance; must qualify as a U.S. Person under ITAR regulations.

Pay range for this role

$161,000 — $238,000 USD

What's in it for you:

• Competitive total compensation package


• Comprehensive benefit package options include medical, dental, vision, life, and more.


• 401k with company‑match


• 3 weeks of paid time off each year


• 40 hours of sick time


• 12 annual company holidays

Why Join Zone 5 Technologies?

• Innovative Environment: Work on cutting‑edge technology that is shaping the future of defense and aerospace.


• Collaborative Culture: Join a team of passionate professionals dedicated to pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.


• Career Growth: Opportunities for professional development and career advancement.

If you are passionate about unmanned aircraft technology and want to be a part of a dynamic and growing company, we would love to hear from you.

In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.

Zone 5 Technologies is a federal contractor and participates in E-Verify to confirm employment eligibility. As required by law, we will verify the identity and employment authorization of all new employees using the E-Verify system. Learn more about your rights and responsibilities under E-Verify: https://www.e-verify.gov.