functional engineering manager

Job Summary

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), an affiliate of General Atomics, is a world leader in proven, reliable remotely piloted aircraft and tactical reconnaissance radars, as well as advanced high-resolution surveillance systems.

We have an exciting opportunity for a functional engineering manager to lead a team of aerospace engineers working on external aerodynamics and aircraft performance for all GA-ASI aircraft programs. Aerodynamic work ranges from handbook methods and 2D airfoil codes to Navier-Stokes CFD and wind tunnel testing. Aircraft performance spans from textbook methods to flight test substantiation. This position is within the Flight Technologies department in San Diego, CA. Responsibilities include personnel management and reviews, management and execution of aero-performance projects, technical leadership, collaborating with multiple disciplines, and the estimation of budgets and schedules.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Manage the workload for a team of approximately 30 engineers, including four supervisors with their own direct reports, in coordination with other supervisors and managers and with internal and external customers.
• Manage, lead, develop, and mentor the team of engineers with specializations in aerodynamics, aircraft performance, and/or CFD.
• Review the work, documentation, and job performance of your team members.
• Provide technical leadership and guidance in the areas of external aerodynamics and aircraft performance for aircraft ranging from subsonic UAVs with extensive natural laminar flow (NLF) to transonic UAVs with shock-laden flows.
• Manage and execute analyses regarding external aerodynamics. Examples include the creation of aerodynamic databases based on wind tunnel tests and/or CFD, and the assessment of stability and control (S&C) impacts of new payloads.
• Manage and execute analyses regarding aircraft performance. Examples include the application of our in-house Matlab performance code to generate performance charts for flight manuals, and the customization of our in-house aircraft sizing code to fly new designs through new missions.
• Provide advice on external aerodynamic and performance predictions for conceptual design of new aircraft concepts.
• Provide advice on aircraft sizing, wing sizing, airfoil selection, and tail sizing for conceptual design of new aircraft concepts.
• Provide technical direction on adoption of new aero-performance tools and techniques to our internal Tools Development team.
• Collaborate with other groups within the Flight Technologies department to provide meaningful and actionable input on new designs as well as enhancements to existing GA aircraft.
• Present results within the Engineering Organization, to internal program offices, as well as to external customers and professional organizations.

We recognize and appreciate the value and contributions of individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences and welcome all qualified individuals to apply.

Job Qualifications

• Typically requires a Bachelors, Masters or PhD in engineering or a related technical field as well as eleven or more years of progressively complex engineering experience. May substitute equivalent experience in lieu of education.
• Requires a strong and respectful communicator with excellent interpersonal skills.
• Requires very strong technical knowledge of external aerodynamics, including the creation of aerodynamic databases, wind tunnel testing, CFD, and the estimation of associated uncertainties.
• Requires a thorough understanding of bid and proposal activities.
• Requires a demonstrated ability to produce staffing plans in environments with a high level of uncertainty.
• Requires a solid foundation in aerodynamics ranging from the subsonic regime well into the transonic regime, including natural transition.
• Requires familiarity with aerodynamic analysis tools of multiple fidelities, ranging from 3D inviscid tools and 2D airfoil tools to 3D Navier-Stokes CFD tools.
• Requires familiarity with the challenges of geometry repair, surface meshing, and volume meshing.
• Requires very strong technical knowledge of aircraft performance, ranging from the creation of performance charts to the evaluation of flight test data.
• Requires a solid understanding of the aerodynamic stability and controllability requirements for aircraft, from both a mathematical and the regulatory perspective.
• Requires a strong understanding of aircraft sizing, wing sizing, airfoil selection, and tail sizing for conceptual design of new aircraft concepts.
• Requires solid programming knowledge (C, C++, Fortran, Python, preferably Matlab).
• Requires occasional travel to wind tunnels, flight test sites, customer sites, and conferences.
• Highly desirable: hands-on experience with commercial meshing and CFD software, especially ANSA and STAR-CCM+.
• Highly desirable: experience with 2D airfoil codes, esp. XFoil and MSES.
• Highly desirable: experience with 3D inviscid solvers such as vortex lattice methods (VLM), lifting lines, panel codes.

Desired:

• Experience with laminar flow and transition prediction.
• Experience with flying wings.
• Pilot’s license.
• Experience with airworthiness certification.

Job Type:

Full-Time Salary

Salary range:

125,810 - 229,670