Senior​/Principal R&D Aerospace Engineer - Hypersonics, Onsite

What Your Job Will Be Like

We are seeking either a Senior or Principal level self-directed, results focused, individual who has strong interpersonal skills to support lab‑wide efforts focusing on the research, development, and application of aerodynamic and aero‑thermal models for hypersonic reentry systems, atmospheric flight vehicles, and rocket systems. Research & Development staff will perform research, capability development, and analyses using analytical and computational techniques to design and analyze hypersonic vehicles, flight test bodies, and related systems.

The responsibilities associated with this position span the spectrum of activities from research to development and applications. Applications of interest include analysis spanning levels of complexity, ranging from fast‑turnaround reduced‑order model simulations, to compute intensive fully resolved, highly‑coupled, multi‑fidelity simulation.

On any given day, you may be called on to:

• Work with other researchers in the department over the complete capability development cycle of discover, model, validate, and apply, developing new and extending existing hypersonic aerodynamics, turbulence modeling, and ablation modeling capabilities to deal with constantly evolving technical needs and requirements
• Develop computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and related code in Sandia's SPARC CFD and Sierra/Thermal‑Fluids code suite for reentry aerodynamic, ablation, and aerothermal response applications.
• Be involved in supporting Sandia's numerous flight test programs, working to analyze proposed vehicles to support design and analyze flight test data to validate computational models in support of these programs. It is expected that this experience will feed back into the capability development cycle.
• Show demonstrated proficiencies and interest in modeling research spanning multiple disciplines, including nonequilibrium high-speed flow‑field modeling, boundary layer transition and turbulence, fluid‑structure interactions, aero‑thermodynamics, and material thermal response.

$117,500 - $235,700

Salary range is estimated, and actual salary will be determined after consideration of the selected candidate's experience and qualifications, and application of any approved geographic salary differential.

• A Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline and five (5) years of directly relevant experience, or an equivalent combination of directly relevant education and engineering or scientific experience that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and ability to perform independent research and development.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a DOE Q security clearance.

• Graduate degree in Aerospace Engineering, Aeronautical Engineering, or a highly related field where an independent research project was a graduation requirement (e.g., independent project, thesis, or dissertation).
• Experience in applied aerodynamics, flight mechanics, or trajectory simulation with application to the design, modeling, simulation, optimization, and analysis of aerospace flight systems.
• Experience with the capabilities, use, and application of MATLAB®, Simulink®, Python, C/C++, or other modern programming languages and repositories in technical analysis/computing and software development.
• Proven ability to work and communicate effectively in a collaborative and interdisciplinary team environment.
• Demonstrated ability to work in a fast‑paced/schedule driven environment. Also for this posting we are seeking individuals with the following experience:
• PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related field, or Master's degree in Mechanical, or Aerospace Engineering, or other related field plus three years of professional experience.
• Strong background in hypersonic compressible fluid mechanics theory and modeling.
• Experience and expertise in the application of CFD, aerothermal/ablation, material thermal response tools, fluid/thermal/ablation, or closely related tools for the analysis of hypersonics, reentry, or related flight systems.
• Versatility to provide quick‑turnaround meaningful engineering solutions, as well as solutions…