Lead CFD Engineer
About the role
At Zone 5 Technologies, we're redefining what's possible in unmanned aircraft systems. Our team of engineers and innovators is developing cutting-edge autonomous solutions that push the boundaries of UAS technology - solving complex challenges that matter. We're building the future of UAS capabilities, and we're looking for exceptional talent to join us. If you're driven by hard problems, energized by rapid innovation, and ready to make an impact on next-generation flight systems, you belong here. We are seeking an experienced CFD Lead to join our Weapons Performance team. In this role, you will lead computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis to characterize the aerodynamic and ballistic performance of Zone 5's air-launched effects, tactical interceptors, and next-generation munitions — from early concept and trade studies through wind tunnel and flight test correlation to fielded performance. You'll work within your organization to help set technical direction for CFD, mentor other aerodynamicists using CFD, and partner closely with Propulsion, GNC, Design, Analysis, Systems Engineering, and Flight Test to ensure our systems perform reliably under demanding launch, flight, and terminal conditions. Innovative Environment: Work on cutting-edge technology that is shaping the future of defense and aerospace. Collaborative Culture: Join a team of passionate professionals dedicated to pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. Career Growth: Opportunities for professional development and career advancement.
Responsibilities
- Lead high-fidelity CFD analysis (RANS, URANS, and DES where required) across speed regimes typical to the defense industry to characterize aerodynamic performance — drag, lift, moment coefficients, and stability derivatives — for missiles, interceptors, and other types of hardware.
- Work with the Weapons Performance team to establish shared analysis standards and document the procedures and processes used for CFD-based aerodynamic database development, improving turnaround time and ensuring data consistency for use in GNC flight control law development, trajectory simulation, and mission performance analysis.
- Participate in program-level resource allocation, timeline, and deliverable estimates.
- Validate CFD models against wind tunnel and flight test data and help lead root-cause investigation of discrepancies between simulation and test.
- Develop mesh generation and grid convergence techniques and studies for complex, high-speed vehicle geometries.
- Collaborate with Design, Propulsion, GNC, Analysis, and Systems Engineering to integrate aerodynamic performance data into vehicle-level design, sizing, and performance models.
- Present technical findings, aerodynamic performance data, and CFD methodology at design reviews (PDR, CDR) and internal engineering discussions.
- Mentor and provide technical guidance to other aerodynamics and CFD engineers and review their analysis approaches and results.
- Develop and lead automated workflows and scripts for batch HPC job generation, post-processing, and data reduction, streamlining deliverables for Aerodynamics, GNC, and Systems Engineering teams.
- Perform lightweight HPC administrative responsibilities such as tracking compute usage and software licensing and assisting the team with HPC environment usage.