Handling Qualities Engineer

JT4•Las Vegas, NV

5d•$135,000 - $250,000•Hybrid

About The Position

JT4, LLC provides engineering and technical support to multiple western test ranges for the U.S. Air Force, Space Force, and Navy under the Joint Range Technical Services Contract, better known as J-Tech II. JT4 develops and maintains realistic, integrated test and training environments and prepares our nation's war-fighting aircraft, weapons systems, and aircrews for today's missions and tomorrow's global challenges. The Flight Controls / Aerodynamics / Handling Qualities Engineer is responsible for supporting airworthiness, flight controls integration, aerodynamic assessment, handling qualities evaluation, and T2 engineering activities across multiple airborne platforms including rotary-wing, fixed-wing, fighter, and specialized mission aircraft. This position provides independent technical assessment, peer review, integration-level engineering support, and airworthiness risk evaluation for aircraft modifications, external stores, instrumentation installations, Outer Mold Line (OML) changes, control-system updates, and contractor-developed engineering packages.

Requirements

A Master of Science in engineering from an accredited academic institution and 16 years of related engineering experience, or an accredited doctorate degree in engineering and a minimum of 12 years of related engineering experience are required for this position.
A well-established, substantial, professional reputation in one or more of the principal technical disciplines of the company
Demonstrated ability to direct senior technical personnel in project assignments involving research, development, integration, and sustainment of complex systems or processes
Superior communications skills, both verbal and written, in day-to-day project activities as well as in briefing customers and in writing reports and proposals
Working knowledge of computer systems and computer-based engineering tools

Responsibilities

Perform effectively both independently and as part of a multi-disciplined engineering team in a fast-paced and dynamic environment.
Provide technical review and integration support for flight controls, aerodynamics, stability and control, and handling qualities across multiple aircraft platforms.
Assess stability and control impacts associated with T2 modifications, including external stores, antennas, instrumentation, mission equipment, fairings, apertures, and OML changes.
Evaluate aerodynamic interference, flow-field effects, control-surface impacts, trim changes, performance effects, and potential impacts to aircraft flying qualities and mission effectiveness.
Develop, review, or validate aerodynamic loads and pressure distributions used by structures engineers to substantiate modified aircraft configurations.
Review contractor-developed aerodynamic analyses, control-law assessments, simulation results, wind-tunnel data, flight-test data, and technical substantiation packages for airworthiness adequacy.
Evaluate flight-control laws, gain schedules, control margins, actuator authority, redundancy, failure modes, and potential common-mode or adverse coupling effects.
Support definition of flight-envelope limitations, operating restrictions, test build-up approaches, and risk mitigations for modified aircraft configurations.
Develop or review aerodynamic models, six-degree-of-freedom simulation inputs, configuration databases, engineering assumptions, and integration documentation supporting T2 modifications.
Support airworthiness assessments, technical review boards, flight release discussions, systems safety activities, and incremental flight-test authorization decisions.
Interface extensively with test pilots, flight-test engineers, instrumentation engineers, Government Chief Engineers, Technical Authorities (TA), and platform contractors.
Coordinate integration impacts across structures, propulsion, electrical/avionics, systems safety, systems engineering, configuration management, and sustainment engineering disciplines.
Prepare technical assessment memorandums, flight-envelope recommendations, risk summaries, engineering positions, and customer briefings.
Provide engineering judgment, mentorship, and technical leadership while operating within defined Government airworthiness and contractual boundaries.
Each employee must read, understand and implement the general and specific operational, safety, quality, and environmental requirements of all plans, procedures, and policies pertaining to their job.