Hypersonic Wind Tunnel Lead Engineer

Responsibilities

• Providing Technical Oversight & Contractor Evaluation
• Serving as the primary technical advisor to the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR), overseeing the design-build prime contractor’s design and execution of a wind tunnel test capability
• Serving as the authoritative technical Point of Contact (POC), providing critical feedback and strategic guidance to the contractor to ensure designs align with government safety, reliability, and performance requirements
• Leveraging deep expertise of wind tunnel design, wind tunnel operations, and wind tunnel test planning to identify, own, manage, and communicate technical risk, developing mitigation plans in partnership with the Assistant Project Manager (APM)
• Representing the government program office while attending contractor-chaired Integrated Product Team (IPT) meetings, Technical Interchange Meetings (TIMs), technical design reviews, and milestone reviews applying subject matter expertise to provide insights and communicate government questions and concerns to the contractor
• Conducting detailed technical reviews of contractor-developed designs, drawings, specifications, and analyses such as Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)
• Validating contractor technical findings by performing independent verification analyses and coordinating with external SMEs, FFRDCs, UARCs, etc., to assess risk and inform government decisions
• Possessing and applying a strong safety ethos, leading and contributing to safety reviews and audits
• Contributing to programmatic planning by developing Statements of Work (SOW), Independent Government Cost Estimates (IGCEs), and facility requirement documentation
• Collaborating seamlessly within a highly matrixed team of mechanical, electrical, aerothermal, controls and instrumentation, and systems engineers, program management, program controls, physical security, cybersecurity, and construction professionals
• Reporting Translating complex project data into decision-ready insights; lead executive briefings to present technical summaries, risk assessments, and recommendations to support government action and decisions
• Adhering to, and reviewing internal and external work products for adherence to administrative and sensitive data protection guidelines

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical discipline and 10+ years of experience in the aerospace or defense industry
• Direct experience with the design, construction, operation, and/or modernization of large-scale Test and Evaluation (T&E) facilities such as wind tunnels, arc jets, rocket stands, turbine cells, etc.
• Proven ability to conduct comprehensive technical reviews and assessments, resolve complex technical issues, and oversee project phases from initial design through closeout
• Exceptional communication skills with a proven ability to translate complex engineering data into decision-ready briefings for government and contractor stakeholders
• Proven tactical project management skills with a demonstrated ability to drive accountability, manage action plans, and maintain project momentum
• Experience integrating complex systems
• Knowledge of engineering principles related to mechanical, electrical, instrumentation, and control systems
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office 365 suite of software
• Must possess an active SECRET security clearance