The Aerospace Corporation

2026 Aerodynamic Environments Engineer

The Aerospace Corporation$120K — $140K *
Aerospace & Defense
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • PhD in aerospace, aeronautical, or mechanical engineering (recently conferred or in progress)
  • 0-1 years of industry experience
  • Coursework and experience in aerodynamics and fluid mechanics for vehicles
  • Proficiency in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) techniques
  • Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance
  • Transcripts required for application

Responsibilities

  • Conduct analyses and modeling of aerodynamic environments
  • Analyze internal and external flows from subsonic to hypersonic
  • Develop new modeling tools as required
  • Participate in multi-disciplinary teams to solve technical challenges
  • Support technical meetings and contractor analysis reviews
  • Collaborate with contractors, government personnel, and research labs

Benefits

  • Comprehensive healthcare and wellness plans
  • Paid holidays, sick time, and vacation
  • Flexible work schedules, including telework options
  • Generous 401(k) Plan with company-paid benefits and contributions
  • Flexible spending accounts
  • Professional growth and development programs
  • Education assistance programs
  • Inclusive work environment fostering teamwork and respect
Full Job Description
The Vehicle Systems Division (VSD) sits at the center of the ideas and data behind current and future systems supplying innovative research and development; technical evaluations during the acquisition process; conceptual and detailed design; assembly, integration, and test; and operational support. Comprised primarily of highly-trained mechanical and aerospace engineers, VSD provides national expertise in the areas of vehicle engineering; guidance, navigation, and controls; robotics; electro-mechanical devices; embedded systems; fluid mechanics; propulsion; thermal control; mechanisms; structures; structural dynamics; and dynamic environments.

The Aerodynamic Environments Section within the Fluid Mechanics Department provides design and analysis support for aerodynamic environments of space, launch, and reentry vehicles. We are currently seeking a talented Aerodynamic Environments Engineer (Senior Member of Technical Staff - Aeronautical and Mechanical Engineering). The qualified candidate works with both internal and external customers participating as a technical authority on aerodynamic and fluid mechanics topics.

The selected candidate will be required to work full-time, on-site at our facility in El Segundo, CA.

What You'll Be Doing
  • Conduct analyses, modeling, planning and reviewing functions associated with aerodynamic environments pertaining to space, launch, and reentry vehicles
  • Analyze and assess steady and transient internal and external flows ranging from subsonic to hypersonic regimes
  • Develop new modeling and analysis tools, as needed
  • Participate in multi-disciplinary engineering teams to resolve technical issues
  • Support on-site and off-site technical interchange meetings, review of contractor analyses, wind tunnel testing, and mission assurance reviews
  • Work closely with program offices and interface with contractors, government personnel, research laboratories, and academia


What Corporate Skills You'll Bring
  • Strong written and oral communication skills
  • Effective teamwork
  • Strong organizational, time management, and project management skills
  • Demonstrate flexibility and ability to adapt to changing organizational need
  • Effective interpersonal skills to coordinate efforts and work with other internal and external organizations


What You Need to be Successful

Minimum Requirements:
  • PhD degree from an accredited college/university program in aerospace, aeronautical, or mechanical engineering (pursuing or conferred within last 12 months)
  • 0-1 years of industry experience
  • Coursework and research experience in the field/subject of aerodynamics and fluid mechanics related to space, launch, and reentry vehicles
  • Demonstrated use of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) techniques
  • Willingness to occasionally travel to support customer needs, approximately 5% (as required)
  • This position requires ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance, which is issued by the U.S. government. U.S. citizenship is required to obtain a security clearance.
  • Transcripts are required


How You Can Stand Out

It would be impressive if you have one or more of these:
  • Graduate-level coursework in incompressible flows, compressible flows, aerodynamics, thermodynamics, computational fluid dynamics
  • Experience in analyzing aerodynamic flight and/or experimental data
  • Experience in use of CFD computational grid generation and post-processing software


We offer a competitive compensation package where you'll be rewarded based on your performance and recognized for the value you bring to our business. The grade-based pay range for this job is listed below. Individual salaries within that range are determined through a wide variety of factors including but not limited to education, experience, knowledge and skills.

(Min - Max)
$120,000.00 - $140,000.00

Pay Basis: Annual

Leadership Competencies

Our leadership philosophy is simple: every employee, regardless of level and role, can demonstrate leadership. At Aerospace, our commitment is our people. To cultivate our talent and ensure that we have a strong pipeline of future leaders, we want individuals who:
  • Operate Strategically
  • Lead Change
  • Engage with Impact
  • Foster Innovation
  • Deliver Results


Ways We Reward Our Employees

During your interview process, our team will provide details of our industry-leading benefits.

Benefits vary and are applicable based on Job Type. A few highlights include:
  • Comprehensive health care and wellness plans
  • Paid holidays, sick time, and vacation
  • Standard and alternate work schedules, including telework options
  • 401(k) Plan - Employees receive a total company-paid benefit of 8%, 10%, or 12% of eligible compensation based on years of service and matching contributions; employees are immediately eligible and vested in the plan upon hire
  • Flexible spending accounts
  • Variable pay program for exceptional contributions
  • Relocation assistance
  • Professional growth and development programs to help advance your career
  • Education assistance programs
  • An inclusive work environment built on teamwork, flexibility, and respect


We are all unique, from various backgrounds and all walks of life, yet one thing bonds all of us to each other-the belief that we can make a difference. This core belief empowers us to do our best work at The Aerospace Corporation.

About The Aerospace Corporation

The Aerospace Corporation is a nonprofit corporation that operates a federally funded research and development center (FFRDC) headquartered in El Segundo, California. The corporation provides technical guidance and advice on all aspects of space missions to military, civil, and commercial customers. Aerospace also designs and develops spacecraft, sensors, and other systems in support of national security, civil, and commercial customers. The corporation has more than 4,000 employees and operates a number of laboratories and test facilities across the United States.
Learn more about The Aerospace Corporation
Size
4,000 employees
Industry
Founded
1960

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