Technical Staff - Hypersonic and multi-physics simulation (Group 91)

MIT Lincoln Laboratory; Lexington (MA); On-site; USD 145,000 - 220,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health plans

Pension plan

401K matching

Paid leave

Tuition reimbursement

Job summary

MIT Lincoln Laboratory in Lexington, MA, seeks a physicist, engineer or computational scientist to develop advanced modeling and simulation capabilities for complex national security systems.

The successful candidate will connect detailed physics-based simulations with computationally efficient models that enable trade-space exploration, uncertainty analysis, optimization, and system- or mission-level decision making.

Qualifications

• PhD in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering, Applied Mathematics, Computational Science, Physics, or a related field.
• In lieu of the above, a Master's and 5+ years of demonstrated experience or a Bachelor's and 10+ years of demonstrated experience may be considered.
• Proficiency with continuum, transitional, and kinetic methods and relevant tools such as LeMANS, DPLR, LAURA, US3D, FUN3D, and SPARTA is desired.
• Strong understanding of numerical methods for partial differential equations and experience developing, modifying, or applying computational simulation software.
• Experience with reduced-order or multi-fidelity modeling, uncertainty quantification, surrogate modeling, or optimization.
• Proficiency in scientific computing using MATLAB, Python, or similar tools.

Responsibilities

• Develop and apply high-fidelity CFD, hydrodynamic, and multi-physics simulations involving compressible flows, shocks, high-temperature environments, impact, material response, and related phenomena.
• Develop reduced-order, surrogate models that retain essential physics while reducing computational cost.
• Apply uncertainty quantification, sensitivity analysis, verification and validation, and optimization to assess model credibility and identify key performance drivers.
• Integrate physics-based models into system and mission simulations for performance assessment, architecture evaluation, and technology trades.

Job description

Technical Staff - Hypersonic and multi-physics simulation (Group 91)

The Advanced Capabilities and Technologies Group (91) researches, develops, and evaluates technologies for next-generation space systems. Current areas of interest include novel orbital constellations, deployable apertures, optical and RF imaging arrays, wide-field image acquisition and processing, feature modeling and recognition, communications networks, data visualization, and decision support. The group’s programs leverage resources from across Lincoln Lab to address critical needs for DARPA, the Air Force, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and others. Our goal is to provide new capabilities, develop their of concepts of operation, and ensure that they are resilient to disruptive technological advances.

Technical Staff - Hypersonic and multi-physics simulation

We are seeking a physicist, engineer or computational scientist to develop advanced modeling and simulation capabilities for complex national security systems.

The successful candidate will connect detailed physics-based simulations with computationally efficient models that enable trade-space exploration, uncertainty analysis, optimization, and system- or mission-level decision making.

Responsibilities

• Develop and apply high-fidelity CFD, hydrodynamic, and multi-physics simulations involving compressible flows, shocks, high-temperature environments, impact, material response, and related phenomena.
• Develop reduced-order, surrogate models that retain essential physics while reducing computational cost.
• Apply uncertainty quantification, sensitivity analysis, verification and validation, and optimization to assess model credibility and identify key performance drivers.
• Integrate physics-based models into system and mission simulations for performance assessment, architecture evaluation, and technology trades.

Requirements

• PhD in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering, Applied Mathematics, Computational Science, Physics, or a related field.
  • In lieue of the above, a Master's and 5+ years of demonstrated experience or a Bachelor's and 10+ years of demonstrated experience may be considered.
• Proficiency with continuum, transitional, and kinetic methods and relevant tools such as LeMANS, DPLR, LAURA, US3D, FUN3D, and SPARTA is desired.
• Strong understanding of numerical methods for partial differential equations and experience developing, modifying, or applying computational simulation software.
• Experience with reduced-order or multi-fidelity modeling, uncertainty quantification, surrogate modeling, or optimization.
• Proficiency in scientific computing using MATLAB, Python, or similar tools.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in high-enthalpy hypersonic aerothermodynamics, including thermochemical nonequilibrium, finite-rate chemistry, high-temperature gas effects, gas–surface interactions, and aerothermal/TPS coupling.
• Proficient with hydrocodes or shock-physics frameworks such as ALE3D, FLAG, CTH, or comparable tools.
• Reduced-order modeling, multi-fidelity methods, Bayesian inference, uncertainty quantification, or scientific machine-learning methods.
• High-performance computing, GPU acceleration, or adaptive mesh refinement.
• Experience with verification and validation, multidisciplinary optimization, or large-scale system trade studies.
• Aerospace, hypersonics, missile defense, space systems, or other national-security applications.

Recent Graduate Hiring Range: $145,200-$170,000

Experienced Hiring Range: $145,200-$220,000

Disclaimer: MIT Lincoln Laboratory provides a typical hiring range as a good faith estimate of what we reasonably expect to offer for this position at the time of posting. The final salary offered to a selected candidate will depend on various factors, including—but not limited to—the scope and responsibilities of the role, the candidate’s experience, skills and education/training, internal equity considerations and applicable legal requirements. This range reflects base salary only and does not include additional forms of compensation or benefits.

At MIT Lincoln Laboratory, our exceptional career opportunities include many outstanding benefits to help you stay healthy, feel supported, and enjoy a fulfilling work-life balance. Benefits offered to employees include:

• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision plans
• MIT-funded pension
• Matching 401K
• Paid leave (including vacation, sick, parental, military, etc.)
• Tuition reimbursement and continuing education programs

Selected candidate will be subject to a pre-employment background investigation and must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret level DoD security clearance.

MIT Lincoln Laboratory is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, veteran status, disability status, or genetic information; U.S. citizenship is required.