Aerodynamics Engineer

About the role

You will join the aerodynamics team of an aerospace company shaping the outer mold lines and flight performance of aircraft or spacecraft. The team owns aerodynamic design, analysis, and testing from concept through flight validation. This role matters because drag, lift, and stability define the vehicle's reason for existing: range, payload, and handling qualities, and your predictions must match what the wind tunnel and the sky actually deliver. You will live in the details of flow physics: pressure distributions, separation bubbles, shock-boundary layer interactions, and the subtle geometry changes that move drag counts. Your CFD matrices will be designed like experiments, isolating variables so every run answers a specific design question rather than generating colorful pictures. You will work closely with the wind tunnel team to design test entries that validate exactly what the program needs to retire risk, and you will be honest about where CFD cannot be trusted, insisting on test where the physics demands it. Over time you will develop the intuition that separates great aerodynamicists from competent ones: knowing which three geometry parameters matter before running a single case.

What you will achieve

• Deliver aerodynamic designs meeting lift, drag, and stability targets with CFD-to-wind-tunnel correlation within 3 percent on key coefficients
• Cut cruise drag by 2 to 3 counts through shape optimization, fairing design, and interference drag reduction
• Own wind tunnel test campaigns: model design support, test matrices, data reduction, and correlation to CFD
• Drive high-lift and control surface design achieving takeoff, landing, and maneuver requirements with margin
• Ship aero databases for flight dynamics and loads with documented uncertainty for certification
• Build validated aerodynamic uncertainty models that let loads, performance, and controls teams design with confidence instead of excessive conservatism

What you will bring

Must-haves

• 2 to 5 years of experience in applied aerodynamics for aircraft or spacecraft programs
• Strong understanding of compressible and incompressible flow, boundary layers, and stability and control derivatives
• Proficiency with RANS CFD (Fluent, Star-CCM+, or FUN3D): meshing, turbulence modeling, and solution verification
• Experience with wind tunnel testing: test planning, instrumentation, and data analysis
• Working knowledge of aircraft performance: range, endurance, climb, and takeoff/landing analysis
• Ability to perform grid convergence studies and quantify numerical uncertainty honestly
• Clear reporting of aero results for loads, performance, and handling qualities teams

Nice-to-haves

• Experience with LES/DES or transition modeling for critical flows
• Knowledge of hypersonic or transonic flow phenomena as applicable
• Familiarity with aeroelastic coupling and flutter clearance processes
• Background in experimental methods: PIV, PSP, or force balance testing
• Experience with adjoint-based optimization or machine learning surrogates for aero design