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Leidos’ Defense Sector - Kinetic Effects Business Area, has an opportunity for a Senior Applied Aerodynamics Engineer to work at our Huntsville, AL campus leading design and analysis of missile and aviation systems.

Leidos Defense Sector provides a diverse portfolio of systems, solutions, and services covering land, sea, air, space, and cyberspace for customers worldwide. Solutions for Defense include enterprise and mission IT, large-scale intelligence systems, command and control, geospatial and data analytics, cybersecurity, logistics, training, and intelligence analysis and operations support. Our team is solving the world’s toughest security challenges for customers with “can’t fail” missions. To explore and learn more, click here!

Primary Responsibilities

The Senior Applied Aerodynamics Engineer requires strong technical skills in applied aerodynamics. The candidate will possess expertise in the use of analytical and semi‑empirical aerodynamic prediction tools to guide the design and analysis of flight vehicles in subsonic, supersonic, and/or hypersonic applications. Responsibilities include leading and managing technical personnel of aerodynamic design trade studies, performance assessments, testing activities, and the development of high‑fidelity aerodynamic characterizations for flight vehicles.

Basic Qualifications

• A bachelor’s degree in Aerospace or Aeronautical Engineering from an ABET-accredited program and 12+ years of relevant industry experience in applied aerodynamics, or a master’s degree in Aerospace or Aeronautical Engineering and 10+ years of relevant industry experience in applied aerodynamics.
• Demonstrated expertise applying analytical and semi-empirical aerodynamic prediction methods to flight-vehicle design and analysis.
• Demonstrated experience independently leading aerodynamic design studies, aerodynamic characterizations, and flight-performance evaluations, including interpreting results and recommending design decisions.
• Demonstrated proficiency developing and applying Python or MATLAB tools for engineering analysis, data processing, and visualization.
• Strong oral and written communication skills, including experience presenting technical approaches, findings, and recommendations to leadership and customers.
• Demonstrated ability to provide technical leadership, mentor engineers, and collaborate constructively within a multidisciplinary design team.
• U.S. citizenship and the ability to obtain and maintain a Department of War (DoW) security clearance.
• Ability to work on-site at the Huntsville, Alabama, campus. Candidates must reside in the North Alabama area or be willing to relocate.

Preferred Qualifications

• An MS degree in Aerospace or Aeronautical Engineering  and 10+ years of applied aerodynamics industry experience.
• Extensive experience applying industry-standard aerodynamic prediction tools and methods to missile, guided-weapon, aviation, or other flight-vehicle applications.
• Experience leading wind-tunnel tests, including test planning, test-matrix development, execution, data reduction, data-quality assessment, correlation, and reporting.
• Experience generating, processing, and applying CFD data to aerodynamic design, trade studies, performance assessments, or aerodynamic model and database development.
• Experience integrating and correlating analytical or semi-empirical predictions, CFD, wind-tunnel data, and flight-test data.
• Experience characterizing aerodynamic sensitivities, uncertainties, and model limitations across relevant flight regimes and configuration spaces.
• An active DoW security clearance.

If you're looking for comfort, keep scrolling. At Leidos, we outthink, outbuild, and outpace the status quo — because the mission demands it. We're not hiring followers. We're recruiting the ones who disrupt, provoke, and refuse to fail. Step 10 is ancient history. We're already at step 30 — and moving faster than anyone else dares.

Original Posting:

Pay Range:

The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.