Senior Aerodynamics Engineer

Astromecha; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 160,000 - 215,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) program and stock options

Flexible time-off policy

Job summary

Astromecha in San Francisco is seeking an experienced Aerodynamicist to drive the design and analysis of high-speed flight systems. The ideal candidate will have over 10 years of experience in aerodynamic design, proficient in CFD and optimization techniques, and a Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering or a related field. This full-time position offers comprehensive benefits, including medical, dental, vision insurance and a self-managed flexible time-off policy, fostering innovation and teamwork in a collaborative environment.

Qualifications

• Minimum 10 years of experience in aerodynamic design and analysis.
• Proficient in CFD solvers and parametric geometry modeling.
• Experience with high-fidelity aerodynamic shape optimization.

Responsibilities

• Perform design and analysis of aircraft aerodynamics.
• Conduct CFD analysis using multiple solvers.
• Develop advanced optimization techniques.

Skills

Aerodynamic design and analysis

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis

Optimization techniques

Parametric geometry modeling

Wind tunnel testing

High-fidelity aerodynamic shape optimization

Education

Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering or related field

Tools

CFD solvers

High performance computing (HPC)

Job description

We’re a team of passionate engineers dedicated to advancing aerospace.

We’re generalists with specialist depth, united by a flat structure and a shared obsession with building things that work well. We move fast, stay pragmatic, and let engineering excellence speak louder than hierarchy.

If this sounds like how you operate, check out our job openings below.

Location

Employment Type

Full time

Department

Airframe

Compensation

• comp $160K – $215K

ABOUT US:

Astro Mechanica is a vertically integrated aerospace company building a faster, more connected future. Our mission is to democratize high-speed flight by making supersonic travel flexible, accessible, and sustainable. We believe that rapid, on-demand, point-to-point global mobility will become the new standard for moving people and goods across the planet. To achieve this, we are integrating our advanced airframe and engine technologies—which include Duality™, our proprietary dual-use propulsion system, with a new flight operations model to make supersonic transport as efficient and economical as commercial air travel is today. In the near term, we are developing adaptable, high-speed systems to close aircraft performance gaps for the United States government.

WHO WE ARE:

We’re a team of passionate engineers dedicated to advancing aerospace. We’re generalists with specialist depth, united by a flat structure and a shared obsession with building things that work well. We move fast, stay pragmatic, and let engineering excellence speak louder than hierarchy.

WHO YOU ARE:

You are an aerodynamicist who moves seamlessly between first-principles physics, computational analysis, and experimental validation- using each to inform and challenge the others. You take ownership of complex, ambiguous problems and drive them to ground truth, making sound engineering judgments while balancing speed and rigor. You are deeply technical but not siloed- comfortable working across disciplines, contributing wherever needed, and focused on the end goal of building and flying real hardware. In a fast-paced, hands-on environment, you care about what works, not just what models say, and you are motivated by the opportunity to directly shape the performance of high-speed flight systems.

WHAT YOU’LL DO:

Perform design and analysis of aircraft aerodynamics across subsonic, transonic, and supersonic flight regimes

Conduct computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis using multiple solvers, including gridding and post-processing methods

Develop and apply advanced optimization techniques to enhance aerodynamic performance

Create and utilize parametric geometry models for design and analysis purposes

Support the design, fabrication, testing, and data analysis of wind tunnel models

Work closely with cross-functional teams to refine concepts, conduct trade studies, and develop multidisciplinary design, analysis, and optimization (MDAO) systems

Lead concept refinement, cross-discipline trade studies, and develop a highly skilled flight sciences team

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR:

Minimum of a Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field

10+ years of experience in aerodynamic design and analysis, CFD analysis, and optimization techniques

Proficiency in CFD solvers, parametric geometry modeling, and wind tunnel testing

Experience with high-fidelity aerodynamic shape optimization using adjoint-based methods and heuristic methods

Experience synthesizing a variety of computational, experimental, and multi-fidelity data sources into cohesive aerodynamics models for design, performance, stability and control, flight simulator development, and experimental flight testing

Expertise in architecting multidisciplinary design, analysis, and optimization (MDAO) frameworks for transonic and supersonic configurations, integrating various solvers and models

Proficiency with high performance computing (HPC) environments, mesh adaptation, adjoint-based optimization; implementation of HPC via AWS, Azure, Google HPC

Proven ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and manage complex projects

Ambition to work in a fast-paced environment

PERKS & BENEFITS:

Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance, including Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)

401(k) program and transparent stock option plan

Self-managed and flexible time-off policy, including PTO, paid holidays, and sick time

Flexible work environment

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

At Astro Mechanica, we highly value in-office work to foster collaboration and strengthen our company culture. We consider working in the office five days a week an essential part of the employee's role.

Astro Mechanica is an equal opportunity employer. We proudly recruit and hire a diverse workforce and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.