What are the responsibilities and job description for the CFD Engineer position at NORTH WIND SYSTEMS LLC?
Join North Wind – Accelerating Hypersonic Innovation
At North Wind, we are advancing hypersonic technologies through cutting-edge research, system development, and flight testing. Our team drives innovation in high-speed aerodynamics, propulsion systems, and mission-critical components, supporting every phase of hypersonic programs—from R&D to flight testing. If you are passionate about pushing technological boundaries in a dynamic environment, we invite you to join us.
CFD Aerospace Engineer
The Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Aerospace Engineer is a key contributor who develops and executes high-fidelity simulations to analyze aerodynamic performance, thermal environments, and complex flow physics for high-speed aerospace systems. This role supports system design and optimization by delivering accurate numerical insights validated against physical models and test data, while collaborating closely with multidisciplinary engineering teams.
Responsibilities:
- Develop, set-up, and execute CFD simulations using commercial or open-source solvers for high-speed aerospace system problems, including external and internal flows.
- Create aerodynamic databases for vehicle trajectory simulations and performance models.
- Perform analysis of internal flows of airbreathing propulsion flowpaths, including high-speed inlet systems with complex shock / boundary layer interactions and chemically reacting / combusting flows.
- Develop and recommend design solutions to optimize aerodynamic performance and operability for high-speed systems.
- Apply advanced data science techniques with machine learning to build surrogate models of CFD simulation results.
- Support the structural and thermal analysis teams by deriving pressure and aerothermal boundary conditions from CFD solutions.
- Support multidisciplinary design optimization (MDO) efforts, including integration of CFD-generated models with propulsion, structures, and controls simulations.
- Interpret and validate CFD simulation results against experimental data, translating findings into actionable insights in collaboration with multi-discipline teams.
- Contribute to process improvements by recommending advanced CFD methods, trajectory tools, optimization algorithms, or workflow enhancements.
- Prepare clear technical documentation, analysis summaries, charts, and presentations for internal reviews and external stakeholders.
- Interface with customer technical representatives to review and discuss analysis activities and results.
Preferred Education / Experience:
- Bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering or a related field.
- 5 years of experience in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) applied to aerospace systems; or a combination of education and experience equivalent to above.
Preferred Knowledge / Ability:
- Must be a self-starter, able to work on multiple projects, and prioritize workload.
- Proficient in CFD tools such as Pointwise and Tecplot for mesh generation software and post-processing results and familiarity with solvers such as VULCAN, CFD and CART3D
- Strong programming skills for modeling and analysis (e.g., Python, MATLAB / Simulink, Fortran, or C ), including scripting for automation of simulations and data reduction.
- Experience generating aerodynamic data for trajectory simulation, mission analysis, and performance trade studies.
- Experience with multidisciplinary design optimization frameworks and tools.
- Familiarity with high-performance computing (HPC) for large-scale CFD simulations, including operating in a Linux environment.
- Experience with testing and supporting the design of instrumentation layouts and test matrices for CFD comparisons and model validation.
- Strong written and verbal communication.
- Strong analytical mindset with rigorous attention to validation, verification, and engineering accuracy.
- Proficiency in interpreting engineering plans, technical drawings, and specifications.
- Active U.S. security clearance preferred; candidates must be U.S. citizens and eligible to obtain and maintain a clearance.
- Working knowledge of CAD systems, preferably Solidworks.