Principal Aerospace Engineer

Sierra Nevada Corporation; Lone Tree (CO); Hybrid; USD 165,000 - 227,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual incentive pay

Medical, dental, and vision plans

401(k) with 150% match up to 6%

Life insurance

3 weeks paid time off

Tuition reimbursement

Job summary

Sierra Nevada Corporation is seeking a Principal Aerospace Engineer to shape the strategic direction of engineering projects and drive innovation in ISR and aviation. You will lead a small engineering team, mentor senior engineers, and influence industry standards while collaborating with executives to align technical goals with business priorities.

The role demands a strong background in aerospace engineering, 14+ years of experience, and expertise in CFD tools, with the ability to travel up to

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering or related field; 14+ years of relevant experience.
• Higher level degree may substitute for experience.
• Extensive experience in advanced aerodynamic analysis principles.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategic planning and development of advanced aerospace technologies.
• Provide visionary leadership and technical direction across multiple projects.
• Represent the company at industry conferences and in technical forums.
• Establish and influence industry standards and best practices.
• Collaborate with executive leadership to align engineering goals with business objectives.
• Drive continuous improvement and innovation across engineering functions.
• Mentor senior engineers and develop technical talent within the organization.
• Provide people leadership for a small team of engineers, including performance management, development planning, recognition, and fostering a high-performance, collaborative culture.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic direction

Multidisciplinary teamwork

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering or related field

Tools

CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics)

Job description

Do you love bringing "out-there" ideas to life? We are innovators on a mission to unite, explore and inspire. As a Principal Aerospace Engineer, you will be a leading expert and visionary in the aerospace field, driving the strategic direction of engineering projects and innovation within the company. You will influence industry standards and lead a team of aerospace engineers. The ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance), Aviation, and Security (IAS) business area is a leader in ISR and aviation, it is a leading prime manned and unmanned aircraft systems integrator for innovative, high-performance ISR and aviation systems. Its end-to-end Command, Control, Computers, Communications and Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance (C4ISR) capabilities encompass design, integration, test, certification, ground/flight training and complete logistics support. IAS tailors solutions to customer cost, performance, and schedule requirements and designs to consistently exceed expectations - with an unrivaled record of on time and on (or under) budget deliveries.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategic planning and development of advanced aerospace technologies.
• Provide visionary leadership and technical direction across multiple projects.
• Represent the company at industry conferences and in technical forums.
• Establish and influence industry standards and best practices.
• Collaborate with executive leadership to align engineering goals with business objectives.
• Drive continuous improvement and innovation across engineering functions.
• Mentor senior engineers and develop technical talent within the organization.
• Provide people leadership for a small team of engineers, including performance management, development planning, recognition, and fostering a high-performance, collaborative culture.

Qualifications You Must Have

• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering or related field.
• 14+ years of relevant experience.
• Higher level relevant degree may substitute for experience.
• Extensive experience in advanced aerodynamic analysis principles.
• Demonstrated knowledge of engineering principles and practices.
• Experience working in multi-disciplinary design and development teams.
• Thorough understanding of Computer Aided Engineering tools such as Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD).

Qualifications We Prefer

• Master's degree or Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering.
• Published research in relevant technical journals.
• Understanding of aircraft external loads, aircraft performance and stability and control.
• Exposure to wind tunnel and/or aircraft flight test.
• Background in the Aerospace and Defense Industry.
• Understanding of system-level static and dynamic modeling and simulation.
• Exposure to aircraft stability principles and control system design and analysis.
• Knowledge of industry-standard aerospace principles, to include, but not limited to parametric design, model-based definition, and fundamentals of flight mechanics.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to work effectively in a team environment.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills for effective collaboration across multidisciplinary teams.
• Exposure to StarCCM+.
• Exposure to internal & external thermal analysis.
• Experience with people leadership.

Essential Functions

• Ability to work at a computer for extended periods.
• Ability to travel up to 10%.
• Work in an office or hybrid environment.

Estimated Starting Salary Range

Estimated Starting Salary Range: $165,010.21 - $226,889.04. Compensation varies depending on a wide array of factors, such as candidates' key skills, relevant work experience, and education/training/certifications. The disclosed range estimate may be adjusted for any applicable geographic differential associated with the location at which the position may be filled.

SNC offers annual incentive pay based upon performance that is commensurate with the level of the position.

SNC offers a generous benefit package, including medical, dental, and vision plans, 401(k) with 150% match up to 6%, life insurance, 3 weeks paid time off, tuition reimbursement, and more.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: This position requires the ability to obtain and maintain a Secret U.S. Security Clearance. U.S. Citizenship status is required as this position needs an active U.S. Security Clearance for employment. Non-U.S. citizens may not be eligible to obtain a security clearance. The Department of Defense Consolidated Adjudications Facility (DoD CAF), a federal government agency, handles the adjudicative aspects of the security clearance eligibility process for industry applicants. Adjudicative factors which affect the outcome of the eligibility determination include, but are not limited to, allegiance to the U.S., foreign influence, foreign preference, criminal conduct, security violations and illegal drug use. Learn more about the background check process for Security Clearances.

This posting will be open for application for a minimum of 5 days and may be extended based on business needs.

SNC is a global leader in aerospace and national security committed to moving the American Dream forward. We’re known and respected for our mission and execution focus, agility, and disruptive and rapid innovation. We provide leading edge technologies and transformative solutions that support our nation’s most critical security needs. If you are mission-focused, thrive in collaborative environments, and want to make our country stronger with state-of-the-art technologies that safeguard freedom, join our team! SNC is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to an environment free of discrimination. Employment decisions are made based on merit without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran or other characteristics protected by law. SNC is a trusted global leader in aerospace and national security. Our innovative solutions enable connected protection through command, control and communications systems, as well as ISR, cyber, electromagnetic spectrum management, and other high capabilities for systems across all domains - sea, land, air, space and cyber. As a longstanding leader in defense technology, SNC is the optimum intersection of commercial, defense and non-traditional contractors. We are one of the only privately owned mid-tier A&D contractors and we pride ourselves on our ability to invest early and often to ensure mission success on or ahead of schedule. It's part of our mission to always stay one step ahead; working on solutions today to solve the problems of tomorrow. Founded in 1963, SNC is owned by Chairwoman Eren Ozmen and CEO Fatih Ozmen.