Senior/Staff Applied Aerodynamicist

About You and The Role 

It’s hard to fly without a foundational understanding of how to manipulate the air around you; this role provides exactly this to the Zipline design team.  We don’t just analyze other peoples’ designs - we are 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.  You’ll have an unrivaled grasp of the fundamentals of applied aerodynamics, aircraft design and aeroacoustics, and be able to figure out the fastest path to converting your knowledge into excellent designs that scale rapidly. 

What You'll Do

You will be owning and driving one or more of the following:

• 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 
• Having worked out how to find step improvements in range, reductions in noise and enhanced maneuverability, you deliver 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 You'll Bring

Success in this role will require a disciplined and first-principles approach, with a deep connection and understanding at the system and product levels.  You’ll be naturally curious and able to work seamlessly with individuals and teams both inside and outside of your core engineering / scientific discipline.  Extracting academic rigor and applying it seamlessly to fast-paced engineering design requires experience; this is not an entry-level position.  Experience in many of the following areas are critical to your ability to contribute at the right level:

• You will have a 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

What Else You Need To Know

The starting cash range for this role is $185,000 to $255,000. Zipline is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws or our own sensibilities.

We value diversity at Zipline and welcome applications from those who are traditionally underrepresented in tech. If you like the sound of this position but are not sure if you are the perfect fit, please apply!