Technical Staff - Hypersonic and multi-physics simulation (Group 91)

Technical Staff - Hypersonic and multi-physics simulation

We are seeking a physicist, engineer or computational scientist to develop advanced modeling and simulation capabilities for complex national security systems.

The successful candidate will connect detailed physics-based simulations with computationally efficient models that enable trade-space exploration, uncertainty analysis, optimization, and system- or mission-level decision making.

Responsibilities

• Develop and apply high-fidelity CFD, hydrodynamic, and multi-physics simulations involving compressible flows, shocks, high-temperature environments, impact, material response, and related phenomena.
• Develop reduced-order, surrogate models that retain essential physics while reducing computational cost.
• Apply uncertainty quantification, sensitivity analysis, verification and validation, and optimization to assess model credibility and identify key performance drivers.
• Integrate physics-based models into system and mission simulations for performance assessment, architecture evaluation, and technology trades.

Requirements

•  PhD in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering, Applied Mathematics, Computational Science, Physics, or a related field.
  • In lieue of the above, a Master's and 5+ years of demonstrated experience or a Bachelor's and 10+ years of demonstrated experience may be considered.
• Proficiency with continuum, transitional, and kinetic methods and relevant tools such as LeMANS, DPLR, LAURA, US3D, FUN3D, and SPARTA is desired.
• Strong understanding of numerical methods for partial differential equations and experience developing, modifying, or applying computational simulation software.
• Experience with reduced-order or multi-fidelity modeling, uncertainty quantification, surrogate modeling, or optimization.
• Proficiency in scientific computing using MATLAB, Python, or similar tools.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in high-enthalpy hypersonic aerothermodynamics, including thermochemical nonequilibrium, finite-rate chemistry, high-temperature gas effects, gas–surface interactions, and aerothermal/TPS coupling.
• Proficient with hydrocodes or shock-physics frameworks such as ALE3D, FLAG, CTH, or comparable tools.
• Reduced-order modeling, multi-fidelity methods, Bayesian inference, uncertainty quantification, or scientific machine-learning methods.
• High-performance computing, GPU acceleration, or adaptive mesh refinement.
• Experience with verification and validation, multidisciplinary optimization, or large-scale system trade studies.
• Aerospace, hypersonics, missile defense, space systems, or other national-security applications.