Senior/Principal R&D Aerospace Engineer - Hypersonics

Responsibilities

• Research, develop, and apply aerodynamic and aero-thermal models for hypersonic reentry systems, atmospheric flight vehicles, and rocket systems.
• Perform research, capability development, and analyses using analytical and computational techniques to design and analyze hypersonic vehicles and flight test bodies.
• Develop computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and related code within Sandia’s SPARC CFD and Sierra/Thermal-Fluids code suites.
• Support flight test programs by analyzing proposed vehicles and validating computational models using flight test data.
• Model complex phenomena including nonequilibrium high-speed flow-fields, boundary layer transition, turbulence, fluid-structure interactions, and material thermal response.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline and five years of directly relevant experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a DOE Q security clearance (requires U.S. citizenship).
• Strong background in hypersonic compressible fluid mechanics theory and modeling.
• Experience with CFD, aerothermal/ablation, or material thermal response tools.

Preferred Qualifications

• PhD or Master's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a highly related field.
• Experience in applied aerodynamics, flight mechanics, or trajectory simulation.
• Proficiency with MATLAB, Simulink, Python, C/C++, or other modern programming languages.
• Expertise in numerical algorithms (finite element, finite difference, or finite volume methods) for CFD simulations.
• Familiarity with High-Performance Computing (HPC) environments and grid generation software.
• Demonstrated ability to incorporate AI/ML processes into engineering workflows.

Benefits

• Flexible work arrangements including 9/80 or 4/10 compressed workweeks.
• Generous vacation and paid time off.
• Exceptional 401k savings plan.
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• Wellness programs and on-site amenities.
• Relocation assistance for qualified candidates.

About the Company

Sandia National Laboratories is the nation’s premier science and engineering lab for national security and technology innovation. Our Computational Aerosciences Department performs critical R&D in aerodynamics and fluid mechanics to support U.S. Department of Energy and Department of Defense programs.