Flight Sciences Engineer (Contract/Perm)
On-siteNewport News, Virginia, United States
Job Summary
Perform engineering analyses supporting aircraft flight characteristics, aerodynamic performance, structural loading, and certification of modifications. Develop technical reports, compliance documentation, and test plans for regulatory and customer approval. Support aerodynamic evaluations, CFD, flight loads, flutter dynamics, and flight test planning with data acquisition strategies. Coordinate with multidisciplinary teams including Mechanical, Stress, and Certification Engineers to validate assumptions and identify technical risks. Participate in design reviews and provide recommendations on aeroelastic stability and regulatory compliance. Maintain configuration-controlled documentation and support continuous improvement initiatives. Work in office and aircraft hangar environments while collaborating with FAA representatives, DERs, and military authorities.
Required Qualifications
- Five or more years of experience supporting aircraft modification, repair, integration, flight sciences, or aerospace product development programs.
- Experience performing aerodynamic analyses, computational fluid dynamics (CFD), aircraft performance evaluations, flight loads, flutter and structural dynamics, or flight test engineering.
- Experience developing engineering reports, substantiation packages, compliance documentation, test plans, and certification support documentation.
- Familiarity with MIL-HDBK-516C airworthiness requirements and military aircraft modification programs.
- Experience supporting aircraft certification, ground testing, flight testing, conformity inspections, or certification compliance demonstrations.
- Experience using commercial engineering analysis software such as ANSYS Fluent, STAR-CCM+, OpenFOAM, MATLAB/Simulink, FlightStream, or equivalent engineering analysis tools.
- Familiarity with aircraft systems, structures, avionics integration, and aircraft modification practices.
- Experience working within configuration management, engineering release processes, and aerospace quality systems such as AS9100.
- Experience working directly with customers, DERs, FAA representatives, military authorities, OEMs, suppliers, or certification organizations.
- Experience supporting multidisciplinary engineering teams through design, analysis, testing, and certification activities.
- Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related engineering discipline from an accredited college or university.
- Working knowledge of aerodynamics, aircraft performance, stability and control, flight mechanics, structural loading, computational fluid dynamics (CFD), and engineering analysis methods applicable to flight sciences.
- Experience developing engineering analyses, technical reports, compliance documentation, and supporting engineering substantiation for FAA, military, or other regulated aerospace programs.
- Strong analytical, organizational, written, verbal, and technical communication skills, including proficiency with Microsoft Office applications.
- Ability to coordinate effectively with Engineering, Certification, Production, Quality, Program Management, customers, suppliers, FAA representatives, DERs, ODA organizations, and military authorities.
- Ability to work in both office and aircraft hangar environments.
- U.S. Citizenship or Permanent Resident status.
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