Research Engineer - Hypersonic Boundary-Layer Stability & Trans

Position: RESEARCH ENGINEER - Hypersonic Boundary-Layer Stability & Trans.
National Institute of Aerospace

Research Engineer

Effects of Surface Roughness Patterns on Hypersonic Boundary-Layer Stability and Transition

National Institute of Aerospace (NIA) located in Hampton, Virginia, has an immediate opening for a Research Engineer to conduct research on the topic of effects of surface roughness patterns on hypersonic boundary-layer stability and transition. This position requires an individual familiar with Linux environment with advanced programming skills in modern Fortran and Python. The successful candidate will perform computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulations and multidimensional stability analysis to study the effects of roughness and surface defects on boundary-layer stability and transition at hypersonic flow conditions, as well as potential flow control strategies with surface roughness patterns.

Furthermore, development of the tools necessary to accomplish the tasks is expected. The researcher is expected to be located at the NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, VA, but remote work may be considered. The researcher will collaborate with NIA and NASA researchers, as well as researchers from other institutions, and will be expected to present progress at relevant technical meetings.

The anticipated annual base salary range for this position is $72,146 - $82,967. Actual compensation will be determined based on qualifications, skills, experience, education, and business needs. In addition to base pay, employees are eligible for a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, paid time off and retirement benefits.

Primary Responsibilities:

* Conduct laminar flow simulations and boundary layer instability analysis of hypersonic flow configurations.

* Study effects of roughness and surface defects on boundary-layer stability and transition.

* Investigate potential flow control strategies with surface roughness patterns.

Requirements:

* Ability to successfully complete a background investigation required to obtain a NASA badge.

* US citizenship is a bona fide requirement.

* PhD in Engineering, Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics, or equivalent.

* Advanced programming skills in modern Fortran and Python.

* Basic knowledge in viscous fluid dynamics, and discretization and solution algorithms for CFD.

* Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

* Demonstrated work in cross functional team environment.

Desired

Skills:

* Experience with visualization software (Tecplot, Paraview, etc), OpenMP/MPI parallelization, and version control (Git)

* Experience in NASA's VULCAN-CFD software and multidimensional instability analysis methods.

Interested candidates should apply via NIA's career opportunities site located at  Please include a letter of introduction, resume, and the names and contact information of three current professional references.

NIA, with headquarters located near NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, is a non-profit research and graduate education institute created to perform aerospace and atmospheric research, develop new technologies for the nation, and help inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers. Additional information about NIA and its research programs is available net.org.

NIA ranked #1 in the mid/large sized companies 2021 Top 50 Best Nonprofits to work for in the U.S.!

NIA is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other protected characteristic under federal, state or local law.