SHY Aerothermal Lead - 19022

Northrop Grumman•Roy, UT

4d•$152,900 - $229,300•Onsite

About The Position

The Flight Systems Futures operating unit within Strategic Deterrent Systems is seeking an Aerothermal Lead that is highly motivated to join a team at the forefront of next-generation hypersonic capabilities. Our team focuses on the design, development, and demonstration of hypersonic re-entry vehicles and advanced payloads, with an emphasis on rapid development and prototyping aligned to specific customer missions. We operate in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment where innovative concepts are matured quickly into credible, testable solutions that address our nation’s most demanding strategic deterrence needs. This role will be the aerothermal lead on one of our upcoming hypersonic programs located in Roy, Utah. This role may offer a competitive relocation assistance package. This position is contingent upon award.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) with 12 years of experience; or Master's degree with 10 years of experience; or PhD with 8 years of experience.
US Citizenship with Active DoD Secret clearance with a reinvestigation date occurring in the last 6 years.
Ability to obtain Top Secret (TS) clearance.
5+ years of relevant experience in aerothermodynamics, thermal analysis, or high-speed aerodynamics (hypersonics strongly preferred).
Hands-on experience with CFD tools for high-speed flow (e.g., ANSYS Fluent/CFX, STAR-CCM+, US3D, CFD++ or similar).
Experience performing coupled aeroheating and thermal protection system (TPS) analyses for high-speed or reentry vehicles.
Demonstrated ability to develop, execute, and document analysis plans (loads/thermal environments, heating predictions, thermal margins).
Proficiency in at least one scripting or analysis language (e.g., Python, MATLAB, Fortran, C/C++) for data processing and tool automation.
Experience leading technical trades and presenting results to internal stakeholders (design, structures, systems engineering).
Strong written and verbal communication; ability to produce clear technical documentation and present to senior leadership and customers.

Nice To Haves

Direct experience on hypersonic vehicle programs (boost-glide, cruise missiles, reentry vehicles, or similar).
Experience defining and validating aeroheating environments for system- and subsystem-level requirements (e.g., TPS, structures, GNC, sensors).
Background in high-temperature materials, TPS design, or thermal-structural interaction for high-speed flight.
Experience with wind tunnel testing, flight test data analysis, or correlation of CFD/analysis results to test data.
Familiarity with non-equilibrium chemistry, high-enthalpy flow modeling, and radiation/ablation modeling for hypersonic applications.
Experience providing technical leadership to small analysis teams, including mentoring junior engineers and coordinating tasking.
Familiarity with systems engineering practices (requirements development, verification/validation, risk management, configuration control).
Experience working with suppliers or partners on aerothermal/TPS design and analysis.
Experience with CFD++, US3D, or FUN3D.
Experience with Missile Datcom.
Experience with Aeroheating and Thermal Analysis Code (ATAC).
Experience with Pointwise.
Experience with Tecplot or Paraview.
Experience with STABL3D or LASTRAC.
Experience with SPARTA or DAC97.
Experience with CEA, ACE, or Chemics.
Experience with CMA, FIAT, or similar.
Experience developing meshes for fluid analysis.
Experience post processing fluid analysis.
Experience with Boundary Layer Transition (BLT).

Responsibilities

Develop and maintain the aeroheating and thermal environment definition for the system and key subsystems (TPS, structures, avionics, sensors).
Generate heating maps, thermal loads, and margin assessments across the flight envelope (boost, cruise, reentry, etc.).
Define worst-case and design-to conditions (e.g., hot/cold cases, off-nominal trajectories, abort scenarios).
Plan and execute CFD and aerothermal analysis campaigns for different configurations and flight regimes.
Lead technical trades (e.g., nose shape, leading edge concepts, material selections, TPS architectures) using aerothermal results.
Evaluate design changes and configuration updates for impact on heating, thermal margins, and performance.
Work closely with TPS and structural teams to translate aeroheating predictions into design loads and requirements.
Provide aerothermal input to systems engineering for requirements allocation, verification approaches, and margin policy.
Support GNC and vehicle performance teams with aerothermal forces/torques or constraints where relevant (e.g., trim, controllability limits due to heating).