Lead Aircraft Conceptual Design Engineer (Performance and Sizing)

What we do:

The Lead Aircraft Conceptual Design Engineer (Performance & Sizing) will lead and conduct the planning and execution of vehicle performance and sizing tasks for rotorcraft design and analysis, ground tests, and flight tests. The engineer will interface regularly with other engineers working on Configuration, Handling Qualities, Loads & Dynamics, Propulsion, Flight Controls, and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), amongst others.

What you can do:

• Develop and maintain aircraft sizing models that integrate aerodynamics, propulsion, weight estimation, mission profiles, and energy systems
• Conduct vehicle-level performance analyses, including hover, climb, cruise, descent, and transition phases
• Define and optimize mission profiles (range, payload, endurance, speed, reserve energy, etc.) based on operational and certification requirements
• Perform trade studies on design parameters such as rotor configuration, battery capacity, wing loading, and powertrain sizing to guide conceptual design
• Collaborate with aerodynamics, propulsion, structures, and controls teams to ensure consistency between subsystem performance and overall vehicle goals
• Support simulation and modeling activities for energy management, control law tuning, and flight performance validation
• Prepare technical documentation, presentations, and reports for internal design reviews and external stakeholders (e.g., regulators or partners)
• Contribute to system-level requirements definition and support design optimization for performance, efficiency, and safety
• Provide technical mentorship to junior engineers
• Other duties as assigned

What you can contribute:

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant engineering field required
• Minimum of ten (10) years of relevant experience (an equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered)
• Experience performing aerodynamics and performance analysis to evaluate new concepts and refine existing concepts
• Experience with innovative, physics-based aerodynamics analysis and design methods
• Experience with MDAO tools and methods
• Demonstrable project planning and leadership skills
• An understanding of aerodynamics engineering fundamentals, especially with regard to an aircraft
• Capability to assess the aerodynamics and performance of vertical lift aircraft through analysis, test, and a combination of the two
• Experience with rotorcraft or fixed-wing performance analysis techniques that builds on applicable educational experience
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Proactive delivery of communication and follow up
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail
• Ability to independently prioritize and accomplish work within time constraints
• Self-motivated and forward-thinking
• Proficiency with MS Office Suite

You may also be able to contribute:

• Experience performing analysis on VTOL aircraft preferred