Flight Dynamics Engineer

Job Description

Analytical Mechanics Associates, Inc. (AMA) of Hampton, VA (www.ama-inc.com) is actively seeking a motivated and experienced Engineer to provide support for flight dynamics/mechanics, modeling and simulation, and guidance, navigation, and controls in the area of planetary and human spaceflight.

This position support projects in the flight dynamics discipline at NASA Langley Research Center which may include simulation of aerospace vehicles in many phases of flight including launch, entry, aerobraking, aerocapture, interplanetary, under parachute. Relevant skills include orbital mechanics, astrodynamics, trajectory design and optimization, and atmospheric flight modeling and simulation. The selected candidate will provide expertise for a wide range of customer flight mechanics needs, supporting both analysis and research and development requests. The work will require candidates to provide deep technical solutions while also collaborating with engineering partners to facilitate integrated solutions for our customers’ hardest problems. The group regularly interacts with many customers at NASA Ames, Marshall, Johnson, Kennedy, and others as well as outside organizations such as JPL and APL.

The salary range for this position will be contingent on education and experience relevant to the required qualifications: $90,000-$130,000.

Specific Responsibilities Will Include

Modeling and analysis of aerospace vehicles

• Performance evaluation (3-DOF, 6-DOF, and multi-DOF for multiple body interactions)
• Trajectory optimization
• Vehicle Stability
• Vehicle and system robustness analysis
• Guidance and control system development
• Navigation filter design
• Simulation development
• Monte Carlo and uncertainty quantification analysis
  
  

Required Qualifications

• B.S. in Aerospace/Aeronautical Engineering or equivalent (minimum)**
• Experience/familiarity with flight mechanics, control systems, and dynamics simulation is critical.
• Candidates should have a strong background in one or more of the following areas:
• entry descent and landing (EDL) design and analysis,
• launch vehicle analysis,
• flight testing including post-flight data analysis,
• simulation development,
• trajectory optimization,
• orbital dynamics,
• parameter identification.
• Candidates must be able to conduct code development, debugging, unit testing, and version control.
• Background in multi-body dynamics and/or subsystem modeling is important.
• Perform software documentation and contribute to design reviews, sprint planning, and technical reporting
• Candidates must possess strong written and oral communication skills.
• Candidates should be able to look at existing components or systems, understand how they work, and know what changes need to be made to satisfy requirements.
• Candidates with advanced degrees are highly encouraged to apply.
  

Desired Qualifications

• Advanced degree in aeronautical/astronautical engineering, physics or applied mathematics, or related disciplines is strongly desired.
• Experience with Matlab/Simulink, FORTRAN, C programming, and NASA's Program to Optimize Simulated Trajectories II (POST2).
• Graduate level course work, research and/or experience in one or more of the following areas: orbital mechanics, astrodynamics, ascent trajectory modeling, hypersonic flight simulation, optimal control, flight mechanics, and/or trajectory modeling and simulation.
• Experience using or building analysis software to combine numerical methods, orbital or flight mechanics, and optimization approaches for launch vehicles, spacecraft, or reentry vehicles.
• Experience with non-linear programming, direct methods, gradient-based optimization, parameter optimization, genetic algorithms, evolutionary algorithms, heuristic optimization methods, indirect methods, and/or calculus of variations.
• Advanced algorithm development skills to include parallel processing and scripting experience.
  
  

U.S. Citizenship or Permanent Residence Required due to facility requirements.

Analytical Mechanics Associates (AMA) is proud of our customer relationships, our diverse and dynamic work environment, and our employees' career satisfaction. AMA is a small business with a wide reach; headquartered in Hampton, VA, AMA has operations in Greenbelt, MD; Huntsville, AL; Dallas and Houston, TX; Denver, CO; Mountain View, CA; and Edwards Air Force Base, CA. With over 60 years of experience, AMA specializes in aerospace engineering, science, analytics, information technology, and visualization solutions. AMA combines the best of engineering, science, and mathematics capabilities with the latest in information technologies, visualization, and multimedia to build creative solutions. We offer competitive salaries and a substantial benefits package, including but not limited to paid personal and federally recognized holiday leave, salary deferrals into a 401(k)-matching plan with immediate vesting, tuition reimbursement, short/long term disability plans, and a variety of medical, dental, and vision insurance options.

AMA is committed to the professional growth of every employee, understanding that the successes of our employees drive our success. We provide a work environment that is engaging, collaborative, and supportive. To learn more about our company, please visit our website at www.ama-inc.com/careers and follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn.

AMA is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against any applicant for employment or employee because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic prohibited under federal, state, or local laws.