Aerodynamics Research Scientist

• Check extracted lift, drag and moment coefficients against the physics of each test, and flag values that cannot be right.
• Review how each report applied wall, blockage and other tunnel corrections, and record which corrections a value includes.
• Reconcile coefficient conventions across reports, including reference areas and lengths, axis systems, signs and units.
• Settle disputed values when two readings of the same table or plot disagree, and write down the reason for each decision.
• Design evaluation tasks that test whether a model reads aerodynamic data in a physically consistent way.
• Write short guidance on test conditions such as Reynolds number, Mach number and model configuration for the people who review the data.
• Review samples of curated records and report the patterns in the errors you find.

• Wind-tunnel test experience.
• A degree in aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering or physics.
• Working knowledge of wind-tunnel corrections and how they change reported coefficients.
• Fluency with aerodynamic coefficients, reference conventions and nondimensional parameters.
• Careful written judgments that another engineer can follow and check.

• A PhD in aerospace or mechanical engineering.
• Experience with older test reports and the conventions and units they used.
• Experience comparing wind-tunnel data with computational fluid dynamics results.
• Python for checking data and plotting results.

$63.71 to $102.15 an hour

Part-time W-2 employment with health insurance, a retirement plan and paid leave.

No application deadline. We accept applications for this role on an ongoing basis.

Remote, United States