Aerodynamics Engineering Lead, Blades - Maneuver Dominance

Anduril Industries is a defense technology company with a mission to transform U.S. and allied military capabilities with advanced technology. By bringing the expertise, technology, and business model of the 21st century’s most innovative companies to the defense industry, Anduril is changing how military systems are designed, built and sold. Anduril’s family of systems is powered by Lattice OS, an AI-powered operating system that turns thousands of data streams into a realtime, 3D command and control center. As the world enters an era of strategic competition, Anduril is committed to bringing cutting-edge autonomy, AI, computer vision, sensor fusion, and networking technology to the military in months, not years.

WHY WE'RE HERE:
The Maneuver Dominance (MD) Team at Anduril develops aerial robotic systems designed to operate in large coordinated teams. We leverage existing Anduril drone platforms like Ghost, Altius, or Roadrunner, in addition to bringing 3rd party platforms into Anduril’s Lattice ecosystem. We develop perception and autonomy algorithms to solve some of the hardest problems facing our customers.

Anduril Industries is looking for an Aerodynamics Engineering Lead for our Maneuver Dominance Division. This individual will be pivotal in leading the development of state-of-the-art rotor systems, blades and other lifting surfaces for vertical flight solutions, with a focus on autonomous aerial platforms designed for defense applications.

WHAT YOU'LL DO:

• Assemble and lead an aerodynamics team focused on the design and analysis of aerodynamic lifting surfaces
• Develop and qualify advanced aerodynamic design and analysis toolsets for rotor sizing and optimization, as well as detailed airfoil and blade OML development.
• This role will ideally require both analysis and design experience and aptitude.
• Support the modeling and simulation team’s development of various 6DOF models though the development of aerodynamic tables.
• Define airfoil geometry, performance and optimization to support the demanding design objectives.
• Integrate blade aerodynamic design processes with structural and systems engineering teams.
• Conduct aerodynamic performance predictions, stability analyses, and handling quality assessments for various vehicle concepts and rotor systems.
• Navigate the team through design reviews (PDR and CDR), focusing on aerodynamic definition, performance, loads, stability, structural integration, and ultimately through design release and manufacturing.
• Plan and support wind tunnel and flight test campaigns, including data analysis and model validation.
• Drive ongoing design evolutions based on test results, operational feedback, and technological advancements.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
The ideal candidate will possess a blend of technical acumen and strategic insight, coupled with a history of managing intricate aerospace endeavors. Your leadership will be instrumental in propelling the Maneuver Dominance Division to new heights, delivering unparalleled solutions to our defense partners.

• Bachelor's or Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field with a focus on aerodynamics.
• Minimum 10 years of experience in rotorcraft or eVTOL aerodynamics, with a strong background in rotor sizing and optimization, and blade design.
• Proficiency in aerodynamic analysis tools for airfoil development, including 2-D panel codes and 3-D CFD software including codes like STAR CCM+, ANSYS Fluent, Fun3D, and OpenFOAM.
• Demonstrated experience with rotor-specific analysis tools such as CHARM, CAMRAD II, or RCAS for sizing and loads, as well as well as coupled CFD-CSD approaches using Helios w/ Overflow + RCAS, or Dymore.
• Proven track record of technical leadership in aerodynamics through the entire design and development process.
• Strong project management skills and experience with cross-disciplinary team collaboration.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Advanced degree in a relevant field.
• Active security clearance or the ability to obtain one.
• Experience with aero-acoustic analysis and noise reduction techniques for rotorcraft and eVTOL vehicles.
• Familiarity with design for manufacturability, especially involving composite materials and processes.
• Knowledge and experience applying military specifications and standards in the development of defense-related aerospace projects. Experience w/ Military Airworthiness.
• Pilot or exposure to flight testing.

US Salary Range$170,000—$255,000 USD

 

The salary range for this role is an estimate based on a wide range of compensation factors, inclusive of base salary