Senior Engineer for Propulsion Airframe Integration

Overview

Job Title: Senior Engineer for Propulsion Airframe Integration

Location: Arnold AFB, TN

Job Family Code: O-Engineering

Function/Branch : Engineering/Engineering Solutions

Directorate: Engineering & Tech Support

Position Type: Regular, Full Time

Pay Type: Exempt

Grade : L10 (OA1015) -L11 (OA1115)

Salary Range : L10: $135,000 - $181,000; L11: $155,000 - $190,000 /year

Overview

Beyond New Horizons, LLC (BNH) has an exciting opportunity for a Principal Engineer, Propulsion-Airframe Integration, supporting the Test Operations and Sustainment contract at Arnold Engineering Development Complex (AEDC) at Arnold AFB, TN.

Open to internal and external candidates.

Job Summary

This engineer will serve as the technical architect for a new, national-scale test capability. You will lead the effort to develop a rigorous framework that unifies force, momentum, and pressure measurements from our world-class propulsion test cells and wind tunnels. This role is crucial for advancing the development of next-generation aircraft, including blended-wing-body and embedded-propulsion designs, where traditional measurement techniques are no longer sufficient.

This role centers on pioneering a methodology to resolve the complex, coupled aerodynamic forces in advanced propulsion-airframe systems. You will be responsible for creating a single, consistent global force and energy budget with quantified uncertainty, integrating data from multiple, distinct test facilities and simulations. The position requires a unique blend of expertise in propulsion testing and force measurement metrology. The successful candidate will be a proven technical leader, capable of architecting a new test methodology from the ground up and mentoring a world-class engineering team.

Job Duties

• Architect a comprehensive methodology for reconciling force and energy measurements by defining consistent control volumes, reference frames, and sign conventions that span propulsion test cells, altitude facilities, and wind tunnels
• Adapt and extend classical thrust-drag bookkeeping methods for highly integrated and coupled aircraft configurations
• Incorporate modern power balance and exergy-based frameworks to analyze tightly coupled aerodynamic flows
• Specify, oversee, and interpret complex force and flow measurements, including multi-component strain-gauge balances, thrust stands, and advanced gas-path instrumentation
• Lead the technical approach for testing, developing bookkeeping strategies that separate thrust from model drag in the presence of strong external-flow coupling
• Own the end-to-end measurement uncertainty budget, propagating uncertainties through the cross-facility rollup to ensure the credibility of results where thrust-minus-drag is a small difference of large numbers
• Develop and build the data-fusion methodology and supporting software/models required to integrate multi-facility datasets into a global accounting framework
• Serve as a senior technical authority and mentor, interfacing with Air Force customers, engine OEMs, airframers, and other contractor teams to drive technical consensus and collaboration
• It is a condition of employment to wear company issued PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) in accordance with supervisory direction and company policy
• Perform other related duties as required

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science in Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering (or a closely related field)
• Grade 10: Minimum of 10 years of relevant experience
• Grade 10: Minimum of 14 years of relevant experience
• Demonstrated expertise in either:
• (a) Propulsion/aerothermodynamic test engineering (engine performance, thrust-drag bookkeeping, inlet/nozzle aerodynamics, gas-path instrumentation, altitude/sea-level engine testing) OR
• (b) Force measurement/metrology (multi-axis strain-gauge balance design and calibration, load-cell systems, calibration standards, measurement uncertainty)
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Department of Defense Secret level security clearance and access to the AEDC local area network
• Due to Air Force Security requirements, U.S. Citizenship is required for employment at AEDC

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated working fluency in the other of the two domains listed above
• Proven ability to architect a new test capability or methodology, not merely operate an existing one
• Rigorous command of measurement uncertainty quantification (as applied to force and/or thrust measurement)
• Master’s or PhD in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering
• Hands-on experience with blended-wing-body (BWB), hybrid-wing, embedded propulsion, S-duct/serpentine inlets, or boundary-layer-ingesting (BLI) configurations
• Experience with engine and/or wind-tunnel model testing and the associated thrust/drag bookkeeping challenge
• Experience with data fusion across facilities, control-volume/CFD-informed force decomposition, and test-data systems/programming (Python, MATLAB)
• Education in fundamental engineering and science, and advanced knowledge of mathematics, algorithms and computer languages
• Strong oral and written communication skills with demonstrated ability to convey highly technical information effectively to a wide audience with varying levels of technical understanding

What We Offer

• Competitive salaries
• Continuing education assistance
• Multiple healthcare benefits packages
• 401K with employer matching
• Paid time off (PTO) along with a federally recognized holiday schedule

Who We Are

Beyond New Horizons (BNH) is a fully populated joint venture of Astrion and Fluor Federal Services, Inc. formed to provide unmatched Test Operations and Sustainment services for the Arnold Engineering Development Complex.

We chose our name to serve as an enduring reminder of our commitment to AEDC’s rich aerospace research and development legacy anchored in AEDC’s Toward New Horizons founding study and the unprecedented opportunities to greatly expand AEDC’s capabilities and capacity Beyond those existing today. Leveraging the capabilities of our parent companies, BNH specializes in testing and evaluation for military and space systems combined with proven capability in large-scale Government program management, integration, engineering, and construction services for specialized and technically advanced high-hazard facilities.

Join our Team!

U.S. Citizenship is required. At this time BNH will not sponsor any applicants for employment authorization or offer any immigration related support for this position (i.e. H1b, F1 OPT, F-1 STEM OPT, F-1 CPT, J-1, E-2, E-3, L-1, or other forms of work authorization that require immigration support from an employer).

The minimum and maximum full-time annual salaries for this role are listed below, by location. Please note that this salary information is solely for candidates hired to perform work within one of these locations and refers to the amount BNH is willing to pay at the time of this posting. Salaries for part-time jobs will be adjusted based upon the number of hours agreed to work.

L10: $135,000 - $181,000; L11: $155,000 - $190,000 /year at location Arnold AFB, TN

BNH is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. We provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibit discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, veteran status, and any other grounds for discrimination prohibited by applicable law. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training