Technical Staff - Hypersonic and multi-physics simulation; Group

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.

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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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…