Principal Aeronautical Engineer

Heaviside Industries, Inc.; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Heaviside Industries in Los Angeles, CA, seeks a senior Aerodynamics Lead to own airframe design, optimize performance across launch, cruise and terminal phases, and drive CFD- and wind-tunnel–based validation.

Ideal candidates have 10+ years of missiles, munitions, UAS, or tactical aircraft aerodynamics, strong CFD skills (STAR-CCM+, OpenFOAM), wind tunnel planning, and a proven record of taking an air vehicle from concept through flight test; U.S. person per ITAR.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of aerodynamics or flight sciences experience on missiles, munitions, UAS, or tactical aircraft.
• Ownership of an air vehicle's aerodynamic design from concept through flight test.
• Expert CFD experience with STAR-CCM+ or OpenFOAM and related tools.
• Strong flight mechanics knowledge and aero database generation for 6-DOF simulation.
• Experience with wind tunnel test planning, execution and data reduction.

Responsibilities

• Own the aerodynamic design of munition airframes across development stages.
• Lead aerodynamic analysis from sizing to design using CFD and wind tunnel data.
• Develop and maintain vehicle performance models (range, endurance, speed).
• Generate aero databases for GNC design and transients (folding/tube-launch).
• Lead propulsion-airframe integration for electric and small propulsion systems.
• Plan and execute aerodynamic test campaigns and mentor engineers.
• Set technical standards for analysis quality within the team.

Skills

Aerodynamics / flight science

CFD proficiency

Flight mechanics knowledge

Wind tunnel data analysis

Program ownership

Tools

STAR-CCM+

OpenFOAM

Missile DATCOM

AVL

Job description

ABOUT HEAVISIDE INDUSTRIES

Heaviside Industries builds multi-domain autonomous precision munitions for U.S. and allied special operations and conventional forces. While modern warfare has rapidly evolved with the proliferation of unmanned systems, hyper-precise munitions in contested environments are the future of the battlefield. Economical precision strike capabilities are critical to U.S. and allied war efforts, enabling successful defeat of enemy military assets and infrastructure. Heaviside builds precision munitions designed to operate in GPS-denied and spectrum-jammed battlefields—where traditional systems degrade or fail—without inflated prices or sacrifice to performance.

All engineering and manufacturing is conducted in-house in Heaviside's Los Angeles, CA headquarters and Oslo, Norway office.

Heaviside is backed by Felicis, Hedosophia, Interlagos, Friends & Family Capital, Menlo Ventures, Flume Ventures, Cantos, and others.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

• Own the aerodynamic design of Heaviside's munition airframes: configuration development, airfoil and planform selection, and performance optimization across launch, cruise, and terminal flight.
• Lead aerodynamic analysis from conceptual sizing through detailed design using low-order methods and CFD, anchored by wind tunnel and flight test data.
• Develop and maintain vehicle performance models — range, endurance, dash speed, and terminal maneuver capability — that drive design trades and customer commitments.
• Generate stability and control derivatives and aerodynamic databases for GNC design, including folding-surface deployment transients and tube-launch separation aerodynamics.
• Lead propulsion-airframe integration for electric and small air-breathing propulsion, including propeller/motor performance matching.
• Plan and execute aerodynamic test campaigns: wind tunnel entries, instrumented flight tests at DoD ranges, and parameter identification.
• Mentor engineers across the vehicle design team and set the technical standard for analysis quality.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

• 10+ years of aerodynamics or flight sciences experience on missiles, munitions, military UAS, or tactical aircraft — with hardware that flew.
• Demonstrated ownership of an air vehicle's aerodynamic design from concept through flight test.
• Expert proficiency in CFD (e.g., STAR-CCM+, Fluent, OpenFOAM) and low-order aero-prediction tools (e.g., Missile DATCOM, AVL), with sound judgment on when each is appropriate.
• Strong foundation in flight mechanics, stability and control, and the generation of aero databases for 6-DOF weapon simulation.
• Experience with wind tunnel test planning, execution, and data reduction.
• Working fluency in performance analysis for small, fast, or long-endurance tactical air vehicles under real employment constraints.
• [BONUS] Experience with high-subsonic/transonic munition aerodynamics or folding/tube-launched configurations.
• [BONUS] Experience correlating CFD and flight test data through parameter identification on defense programs.
• U.S. Person as defined by ITAR (22 CFR §120.62)

Additional Information:

Compensation bands are determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data. Individual level and base pay is determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on job-related skills, education, experience, technical capabilities and internal equity. In addition to base salary, for full-time hires, you may also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of stock options, and access to medical, vision & dental coverage as well as access to a 401(k) retirement plan.

To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.

Heaviside is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Heaviside is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, physical disability or any other legally protected status.