NIAR Research Engineer - Wind Tunnel

Department: Walter H. Beech Wind Tunnel

Campus

Location:

Wichita, KS - WSU Main Campus

Hire Type: Full Time

Pay: Starting at $65,000

Work Schedule: Monday – Friday, normally 7:30am to 4:30pm, but could start as early as 6am and go as late as 6pm for an eight-hour shift; evening and weekends may be needed; work is completed onsite and in-person.

Export Compliance Requirement: This position requires access to EAR or ITAR controlled technologies. Applicants are required to be eligible for employment under U.S. export control laws and must meet the requirement of being a "U.S. Person".

Job Details

Join a team where innovation meets real‑world impact. At the Walter H. Beech Wind Tunnel—one of the nation’s premier aerodynamics testing facilities—you’ll contribute to cutting‑edge research that supports commercial partners, government agencies, and leading academic institutions. We’re looking for a Research Engineer who’s ready to turn complex challenges into meaningful results, collaborate with customers on high‑precision testing, and help advance the future of aerospace discovery.

If you’re driven by hands‑on engineering, analytical problem‑solving, and building solutions that matter, we’d love to have you on our team.

Job Summary

Independently interprets, organizes, executes, and coordinates research assignments in a field or specialization of an engineering discipline. Formulates and conducts research on problems of considerable scope and complexity. Explores subject area and defines scope and selection of problems for investigation through conceptually related studies or series of projects of lesser scope.

Essential Functions

Interprets, organizes, executes, and coordinates engineering research assignments concerned with unique or controversial problems. Applies diversified knowledge of engineering research principles, practices, and protocols in research projects; makes recommendations and conclusions which serve as the basis for decision making in a specialty area. Formulates and conducts systematic problem analysis and resolution in an area of considerable scope and complexity through series of complete and conceptually related studies, or through a variety of projects of lesser scope.

Receives administrative supervision, with assignments given in terms of broad general objectives and limits. Develops model concepts and approaches as an individual researcher and acts independently on technical matters. Collaborates with users and principal investigators on design, analysis, application, and reporting of research projects; provides technical leadership and technique consultation. Prepares analyses, reports, and assists with the preparation of, materials for grant proposals to obtain funding in support of research activities.

Serves as investigator on single or multiple projects of complexity and scope consistent with above criteria, and/or manages a research unit. Maintains currency of knowledge with respect to relevant state‑of‑the‑art technology, equipment, and/or systems.

Job Duties

• Select instrumentation to meet customer‑defined test needs.
• Lead maintenance and calibration efforts for instruments ranging from pressure scanners to internal balances.
• Setup and perform wind tunnel testing.
• Coordinate with customer to ensure wind tunnel test is successful, including both digital and physical test preparation tasks.
• Analyze and document wind tunnel data.
• Operate wind tunnel.
• Assist in maintenance of the facility.
• Assist in programming data collection and reduction software.

Required

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in engineering or related STEM field
• Two (2) years of related experience

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Demonstrated ability with attention to detail and analytical aptitude.
• Excellent…