Flight Dynamicist

Primary Responsibilities

• Develop and analyze 3DOF and 6DOF flight dynamics models to evaluate vehicle performance, stability, controllability, and mission effectiveness across the full flight envelope.
• Perform trajectory design, optimization, and trade studies for hypersonic, missile, launch vehicle, and space systems, balancing performance, range, payload, thermal, and operational constraints.
• Design, implement, and validate guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) algorithms including autopilot logic, trajectory shaping, target engagement, and terminal guidance functions.
• Develop high-fidelity simulations and digital engineering models to support concept development, requirements analysis, mission planning, system design, verification, and test activities.
• Conduct aerodynamic, propulsion, mass properties, and environmental sensitivity analyses to assess vehicle performance and identify key design drivers and technical risks.
• Perform flight mechanics analyses including stability and control assessments, separation dynamics, staging events, atmospheric flight, reentry, and orbital mission operations as applicable.
• Develop and integrate mission-level models within modeling and simulation frameworks, digital engineering environments, and hardware-in-the-loop or software-in-the-loop test architectures.
• Support flight test planning, pre-flight predictions, post-flight reconstruction, and data analysis activities to validate models and improve system performance.
• Collaborate across disciplines including aerodynamics, propulsion, thermal, systems engineering, software, and mission analysis teams to translate requirements into executable vehicle designs.
• Present technical results, trade studies, and recommendations to internal leadership, customers, and stakeholders through briefings, reports, and design reviews.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, Applied Mathematics, or related engineering discipline from an ABET-accredited institution.
• Minimum 8-10 years of experience in flight dynamics, trajectory analysis, mission design, guidance and control, modeling and simulation, or related aerospace engineering disciplines.
• Demonstrated experience developing and analyzing 3DOF and/or 6DOF vehicle simulations.
• Strong understanding of flight mechanics, orbital mechanics, trajectory optimization, vehicle stability and control, mass properties, and aerospace vehicle performance.
• Experience with aerospace modeling and simulation tools such as MATLAB/Simulink, Python, STK, GMAT, FORTRAN, C/C++, or similar engineering software environments.
• Experience performing multidisciplinary trade studies and translating analytical results into system-level design recommendations.
• Ability to work effectively within cross-functional engineering teams in a fast-paced development environment.
• Experience supporting technical proposals, customer interactions, and engineering reviews.
• Active Secret security clearance with the ability to obtain and maintain higher clearances as required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's Degree or PhD in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, Applied Mathematics, or related discipline.
• Experience supporting hypersonic systems, missile systems, space vehicles, launch vehicles, reentry vehicles, or advanced weapons programs.
• Experience with digital engineering, model-based systems engineering (MBSE), or integrated modeling and simulation environments.
• Experience supporting flight test programs including mission planning, trajectory reconstruction, and post-flight analysis.
• Familiarity with guidance, navigation, and control design, Monte Carlo analysis, uncertainty quantification, and optimization techniques.
• Experience supporting DoD, AFRL, MDA, NASA, Space Force, Navy, or Air Force aerospace programs.
• Active TS Clearance.