Position/PostingTitle Senior Engineer for Propulsion Airframe Integration

Bnh Jv; Arnold (MD); Hybrid; USD 135,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salaries

Continuing education assistance

Multiple healthcare benefits packages

401K with employer matching

Paid time off (PTO)

Job summary

Bnh Jv is seeking a Senior Engineer for Propulsion Airframe Integration at Arnold AFB, TN. This role focuses on pioneering test methodologies that unify propulsion test data and advance next-generation aircraft designs.

Ideal candidates will possess extensive engineering experience and expertise in propulsion testing and force measurement. You will mentor a high-performing team and collaborate with various stakeholders to drive technical consensus.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 10 years of relevant experience for Grade 10.
• Expertise in propulsion/aerothermodynamic test engineering or force measurement/metrology.
• Ability to obtain a Department of Defense Secret level security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Architect a methodology for reconciling force and energy measurements.
• Lead the technical approach for testing and separate thrust from model drag.
• Serve as a senior technical authority interfacing with various stakeholders.

Skills

Propulsion/aerothermodynamic test engineering

Force measurement/metrology

Measurement uncertainty quantification

Education

Bachelor of Science in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering

Master’s or PhD in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering

Tools

Python

MATLAB

Job description

Overview

Job Title: Senior Engineer for Propulsion Airframe Integration

Location: Arnold AFB, TN

Job Family Code: O-Engineering

Function/Branch: Engineering/Engineering Solutions

Directorate: Engineering & Tech Support

Position Type: Regular, Full Time

Pay Type: Exempt

Grade: L10 (OA1015) -L11 (OA1115)

Salary Range: L10: $135,000 - $181,000; L11: $155,000 - $190,000 /year

Open to internal and external candidates.

Job Summary

This engineer will serve as the technical architect for a new, national-scale test capability. You will lead the effort to develop a rigorous framework that unifies force, momentum, and pressure measurements from our world‑class propulsion test cells and wind tunnels. This role is crucial for advancing the development of next‑generation aircraft, including blended‑wing‑body and embedded‑propulsion designs, where traditional measurement techniques are no longer sufficient.

This role centers on pioneering a methodology to resolve the complex, coupled aerodynamic forces in advanced propulsion‑airframe systems. You will be responsible for creating a single, consistent global force and energy budget with quantified uncertainty, integrating data from multiple, distinct test facilities and simulations. The position requires a unique blend of expertise in propulsion testing and force measurement metrology. The successful candidate will be a proven technical leader, capable of architecting a new test methodology from the ground up and mentoring a world‑class engineering team.

Job Duties

• Architect a comprehensive methodology for reconciling force and energy measurements by defining consistent control volumes, reference frames, and sign conventions that span propulsion test cells, altitude facilities, and wind tunnels
• Adapt and extend classical thrust‑drag bookkeeping methods for highly integrated and coupled aircraft configurations
• Incorporate modern power balance and exergy‑based frameworks to analyze tightly coupled aerodynamic flows
• Specify, oversee, and interpret complex force and flow measurements, including multi‑component strain‑gauge balances, thrust stands, and advanced gas‑path instrumentation
• Lead the technical approach for testing, developing bookkeeping strategies that separate thrust from model drag in the presence of strong external‑flow coupling
• Own the end‑to‑end measurement uncertainty budget, propagating uncertainties through the cross‑facility rollup to ensure the credibility of results where thrust‑minus‑drag is a small difference of large numbers
• Develop and build the data‑fusion methodology and supporting software/models required to integrate multi‑facility datasets into a global accounting framework
• Serve as a senior technical authority and mentor, interfacing with Air Force customers, engine OEMs, airframers, and other contractor teams to drive technical consensus and collaboration
• It is a condition of employment to wear company issued PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) in accordance with supervisory direction and company policy
• Perform other related duties as required

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering (or a closely related field)
• Grade 10: Minimum of 10 years of relevant experience
• Grade 10: Minimum of 14 years of relevant experience
• Demonstrated expertise in either:
  • (a) Propulsion/aerothermodynamic test engineering (engine performance, thrust‑drag bookkeeping, inlet/nozzle aerodynamics, gas‑path instrumentation, altitude/sea‑level engine testing) OR
  • (b) Force measurement/metrology (multi‑axis strain‑gauge balance design and calibration, load‑cell systems, calibration standards, measurement uncertainty)
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Department of Defense Secret level security clearance and access to the AEDC local area network
• Due to Air Force Security requirements, U.S. Citizenship is required for employment at AEDC

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated working fluency in the other of the two domains listed above
• Proven ability to architect a new test capability or methodology, not merely operate an existing one
• Rigorous command of measurement uncertainty quantification (as applied to force and/or thrust measurement)
• Master’s or PhD in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering
• Hands‑on experience with blended‑wing‑body (BWB), hybrid‑wing, embedded propulsion, S‑duct/serpentine inlets, or boundary‑layer‑ingesting (BLI) configurations
• Experience with engine and/or wind‑tunnel model testing and the associated thrust/drag bookkeeping challenge
• Experience with data fusion across facilities, control‑volume/CFD‑informed force decomposition, and test‑data systems/programming (Python, MATLAB)
• Education in fundamental engineering and science, and advanced knowledge of mathematics, algorithms and computer languages
• Strong oral and written communication skills with demonstrated ability to convey highly technical information effectively to a wide audience with varying levels of technical understanding

What We Offer

• Competitive salaries
• Continuing education assistance
• Multiple healthcare benefits packages
• 401K with employer matching
• Paid time off (PTO) along with a federally recognized holiday schedule

U.S. Citizenship is required. At this time BNH will not sponsor any applicants for employment authorization or offer any immigration related support for this position (i.e. H1b, F1 OPT, F‑1 STEM OPT, F‑1 CPT, J‑1, E‑2, E‑3, L‑1, or other forms of work authorization that require immigration support from an employer).

BNH is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. We provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibit discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, veteran status, and any other grounds for discrimination prohibited by applicable law. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.