Senior Engineer for Propulsion Airframe Integration

BNH•San Marcos, TX

4d•$135,000 - $190,000•Onsite

About The Position

Beyond New Horizons, LLC (BNH) has an exciting opportunity for a Principal Engineer, Propulsion-Airframe Integration, supporting the Test Operations and Sustainment contract at Arnold Engineering Development Complex (AEDC) at Arnold AFB, TN. This engineer will serve as the technical architect for a new, national-scale test capability. You will lead the effort to develop a rigorous framework that unifies force, momentum, and pressure measurements from our world-class propulsion test cells and wind tunnels. This role is crucial for advancing the development of next-generation aircraft, including blended-wing-body and embedded-propulsion designs, where traditional measurement techniques are no longer sufficient. This role centers on pioneering a methodology to resolve the complex, coupled aerodynamic forces in advanced propulsion-airframe systems. You will be responsible for creating a single, consistent global force and energy budget with quantified uncertainty, integrating data from multiple, distinct test facilities and simulations. The position requires a unique blend of expertise in propulsion testing and force measurement metrology. The successful candidate will be a proven technical leader, capable of architecting a new test methodology from the ground up and mentoring a world-class engineering team.

Requirements

Bachelor of Science in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering (or a closely related field)
Grade 10: Minimum of 10 years of relevant experience
Grade 10: Minimum of 14 years of relevant experience
Demonstrated expertise in either: (a) Propulsion/aerothermodynamic test engineering (engine performance, thrust-drag bookkeeping, inlet/nozzle aerodynamics, gas-path instrumentation, altitude/sea-level engine testing) OR (b) Force measurement/metrology (multi-axis strain-gauge balance design and calibration, load-cell systems, calibration standards, measurement uncertainty)
Must be able to obtain and maintain a Department of Defense Secret level security clearance and access to the AEDC local area network
Due to Air Force Security requirements, U.S. Citizenship is required for employment at AEDC

Nice To Haves

Demonstrated working fluency in the other of the two domains listed above
Proven ability to architect a new test capability or methodology, not merely operate an existing one
Rigorous command of measurement uncertainty quantification (as applied to force and/or thrust measurement)
Master’s or PhD in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering
Hands-on experience with blended-wing-body (BWB), hybrid-wing, embedded propulsion, S-duct/serpentine inlets, or boundary-layer-ingesting (BLI) configurations
Experience with engine and/or wind-tunnel model testing and the associated thrust/drag bookkeeping challenge
Experience with data fusion across facilities, control-volume/CFD-informed force decomposition, and test-data systems/programming (Python, MATLAB)
Education in fundamental engineering and science, and advanced knowledge of mathematics, algorithms and computer languages
Strong oral and written communication skills with demonstrated ability to convey highly technical information effectively to a wide audience with varying levels of technical understanding

Responsibilities

Architect a comprehensive methodology for reconciling force and energy measurements by defining consistent control volumes, reference frames, and sign conventions that span propulsion test cells, altitude facilities, and wind tunnels
Adapt and extend classical thrust-drag bookkeeping methods for highly integrated and coupled aircraft configurations
Incorporate modern power balance and exergy-based frameworks to analyze tightly coupled aerodynamic flows
Specify, oversee, and interpret complex force and flow measurements, including multi-component strain-gauge balances, thrust stands, and advanced gas-path instrumentation
Lead the technical approach for testing, developing bookkeeping strategies that separate thrust from model drag in the presence of strong external-flow coupling
Own the end-to-end measurement uncertainty budget, propagating uncertainties through the cross-facility rollup to ensure the credibility of results where thrust-minus-drag is a small difference of large numbers
Develop and build the data-fusion methodology and supporting software/models required to integrate multi-facility datasets into a global accounting framework
Serve as a senior technical authority and mentor, interfacing with Air Force customers, engine OEMs, airframers, and other contractor teams to drive technical consensus and collaboration
Perform other related duties as required