Principal Aerospace Engineer

The ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance), Aviation, and Security (IAS) business area is a leader in ISR and aviation, it is a leading prime manned and unmanned aircraft systems integrator for innovative, high-performance ISR and aviation systems. Its end-to-end Command, Control, Computers, Communications and Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance (C4ISR) capabilities encompass design, integration, test, certification, ground/flight training and complete logistics support. IAS tailors solutions to customer cost, performance, and schedule requirements and designs to consistently exceed expectations – with an unrivaled record of on time and on (or under) budget deliveries.

SNC has led thoughtful and disruptive change in the aerospace and defense industry for the past 60 years and now, we’re applying this tenacity and expertise to the U.S. Air Force’s (USAF) Survivable Airborne Operations Center (SAOC) mission. Join the SNC-led SAOC team and be a part of exciting and meaningful work to modernize and deliver the next-generation SAOC aircraft trusted by the President, Secretary of Defense and Chairs of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to ensure continued critical command, control and communication during national emergencies. If you’re passionate about building the airborne command post of the future, consider SNC for your next mission. Learn more about NC3 and SAOC here ( .

Do you love bringing "out-there" ideas to life? We are innovators on a mission to unite, explore and inspire. As a lead aerospace engineer, you will lead a team to research, design, develop, test, certify, deploy and improve cutting edge products and services. These cover a very wide range from advanced mission payloads and electronic systems through highly integrated aircraft. You'll develop complex aerodynamic components, structures, and systems. Your technical duties involve the design and development, analysis, and test of new products and processes throughout the product lifecycle. Aerospace engineers are responsible for generating external loads, aircraft performance estimates, stability and control assessments, and other efforts that involve fluid dynamics analysis through the use of handbook methods, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), and/or test data reduction (flight test data and wind tunnel data).

At SNC’s ISR, Aviation and Security (IAS) team we are a leading manned and unmanned aircraft systems integrator for high-performance intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and aviation systems. IAS tailors solutions to customer cost, performance, and schedule requirements and designs to consistently exceed expectations and provide a turnkey approach to enable our customers to focus on their mission. Learn more about IAS (

Here’s what you can expect:

Generous paid time off and flex time

Friendly and talented colleagues

Exclusive SNC company events

Leadership and development training

SNC Mentorship Program

Education reimbursement

Additional location specific amenities:

Modern Campus setting built with collaboration spaces, spectacular mountain views and natural light throughout

Free to use fitness center on-site

State-of-the-art coffee house

Full-service Cafeteria with planned breakfast and lunch options

Access to walking and biking trails

Responsibilities

You will be the point of contact between the aerodynamics team and program leadership / external customers

You will be responsible for direct management of the aerospace engineers assigned to the program

You will be responsible for task planning and execution within your team

You will review analytical aerodynamic data produced by your team and organize wind tunnel test events

You will work with Flight Sciences functional leadership to guide processes and procedures within the greater Flight Sciences team

Qualifications You Must Have:

Bachelor's of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, or other related discipline and typically 14 or more years of relevant experience

Higher education may substitute for relevant experience

Experience leading a technical team

Demonstrated knowledge of engineering principles and practices

Thorough understanding of Computer Aided Engineering tools and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)

Experience working in multi-disciplinary design and development teams

Experience with wind tunnel testing

Understanding of aircraft external loads, aircraft performance and stability and control

Qualifications We Prefer:

Exposure to Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) tools such as Siemens Star-CCM+ or NASA FUN3D

Experience with Earned Value Management (EVM) and/or experience as a Control Account Manager (CAM)

Familiarity with aircraft flight testing

Background in the Aerospace and Defense Industry

Understanding of system-level static and dynamic modeling and simulation

Exposure to aircraft flight control system design and analysis

Knowledge of industry-standard aerospace principles, to include, but not limited to parametric design, model-based definition, and fundamentals of flight mechanics

At Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) we deliver customer-focused technology and best-of-breed integrations in the aerospace and defense sectors. SNC has been honored as one of the most innovative U.S. companies in space, a Tier One Superior Supplier for the U.S. Air Force, and as one of America’s fastest-growing companies. Learn more about SNC (

Estimated Starting Salary Range: $165,010.21 - $226,889.04. Compensation varies depending on a wide array of factors, such as candidates' key skills, relevant work experience, and education/training/certifications. The disclosed range estimate may be adjusted for any applicable geographic differential associated with the location at which the position may be filled.

SNC offers annual incentive pay based upon performance that is commensurate with the level of the position.

SNC offers a generous benefit package, including medical, dental, and vision plans, 401(k) with 150% match up to 6%, life insurance, 3 weeks paid time off, tuition reimbursement, and more ( .

IMPORTANT NOTICE:

This position requires the ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret U.S. Security Clearance. U.S. Citizenship status is required as this position needs an active U.S. Security Clearance for employment. Non-U.S. Citizens may not be eligible to obtain a security clearance. The Department of Defense Consolidated Adjudications Facility (DoD CAF), a federal government agency, handles the adjudicative aspects of the security clearance eligibility process for industry applicants. Adjudicative factors which affect the outcome of the eligibility determination include, but are not limited to, allegiance to the U.S., foreign influence, foreign preference, criminal conduct, security violations and illegal drug use.

Learn more about the background check process for Security Clearances. (

SNC is a global leader in aerospace and national security committed to moving the American Dream forward. We’re known and respected for our mission and execution focus, agility, and disruptive and rapid innovation. We provide leading edge technologies and transformative solutions that support our nation’s most critical security needs. If you are mission-focused, thrive in collaborative environments, and want to make our country stronger with state-of-the-art technologies that safeguard freedom, join our team!

SNC is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to an environment free of discrimination. Employment decisions are made based on merit without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran or other characteristics protected by law.