Senior/Staff Applied Aerodynamicist

Zipline • South San Francisco, CA

6d • $185,000 - $255,000

About The Position

This role provides foundational understanding of how to manipulate air for the Zipline design team. The team is a central force behind Zipline’s autonomous aircraft hardware and software development, working on everything from clean-sheet vehicle conceptual layout through to the detailed geometry design of all wetted surfaces using a variety of model-based and physical test approaches. The role requires an unrivaled grasp of the fundamentals of applied aerodynamics, aircraft design and aeroacoustics, and the ability to convert knowledge into excellent designs that scale rapidly.

Requirements

• Minimum of 4+ years of industry experience, with a proven record of shipping high quality products
• Detailed flow analysis via Computational Fluid Dynamics using packages such as Fluent, Star-CCM+, openFOAM, powerFlow.
• Generative design of three-dimensional aerodynamic objects, using advanced surfacing techniques in packages such as CATIA or NX
• Hands-on experimental aerodynamics, for example wind tunnel testing, using a variety of techniques including basic flow visualizations (surface oil flow, tufting), pressure measurements (e.g. pressure scanning, pressure sensitive paints), optical flow diagnostics (e.g. LDV, PIV) and load measurement
• Use of low and mid fidelity tools for basic aircraft sizing, for example XFOIL, XROTOR, OpenVSP, RCAS
• Fundamental understanding of a range of aero fundamentals, including: vortex dynamics, boundary layers, turbulence, finite wing theory, aircraft dynamics, three-dimensional flow separation, propeller theory, aeroacoustics, heat and mass transfer, internal flows, fan theory

Responsibilities

• Conceptual design for new vehicles, as well as significant hardware revisions of existing platforms
• Building high quality aerodynamics plant models that are carefully validated through ground- and flight-based testing
• Propeller designs that push the boundary of low noise, whilst maintaining high aerodynamic efficiency
• Delivering high quality CAD surfaces, which are used by mechanical designers as inputs to produce the final parts
• Designing and maintaining our test hardware and methods, including internal wind tunnels, bench test set-ups, and instrumented flight test assets, as well as the essential aero measurement tools

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed