Lead Vehicle Design Engineer

Job Description

Job Description

Salary:

Lead Vehicle Design Engineer

Job Summary:

Specter Aerospace is seeking an experienced Vehicle Design Engineer to lead rapid development of high-speed airbreathing testbed vehicles. A successful candidate will have previous experience leading the development of missile systems or major components of launch vehicles. They will have the opportunity to take a hypersonic flight test vehicle from concept design through first flight, while leading and expanding a vehicle design team.

About Specter Aerospace:

Specter Aerospace is building the next generation of hypersonic vehicles for defense and commercial applications. Specter is headquartered in Peabody, MA, just north of Boston, where it leverages its advanced propulsion technologies, manufacturing, and testing capabilities to rapidly develop supersonic and hypersonic systems. Funded by a mix of government R&D organizations, commercial customers, and private funding, Specter is a growing aerospace and defense startup. Close relationships with MIT, Notre Dame, AFRL, NRL, ANL, and other research organizations provide access to cutting-edge developments, facilities, and personnel. Specter is expanding its team in preparation for flight testing and full-scale production.

Role & Responsibilities:

Reporting to the Director of Flight Sciences, serve as the Responsible Engineer of an airbreathing hypersonic flight test vehicle

Lead a vehicle design team from existing concept design through flight test

Work with Propulsion, Modeling & Simulation, and Manufacturing groups to efficiently design and optimize novel flight systems to meet internal and customer performance requirements

Manage development timelines to meet internal and customer deadlines

Design vehicle configurations and components using aerospace design best practices, proprietary optimization tools, and test and analysis data

Conduct detailed design and mechanical analyses as needed to ensure lightweight structures perform under expected loads

Work with other design engineers, analysists, and component/subsystem REs to ensure all necessary systems are integrated on hypersonic vehicles

Own documentation of requirements, design decisions, analyses, and performance outcomes for vehicles and subsystems

Lead freejet and flight test campaigns for supersonic and hypersonic vehicles

Lead technical meetings, engage in technical discussions, and contribute perspectives

Other duties as assigned by the company

Job Requirements:

Bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field

7+ years of relevant full time experience

Experience with CAD (Solidworks or NX) and vehicle configuration management

Previous experience in leading aerospace design cycles or as a system-level RE

Demonstrated ability to lead multidisciplinary engineering teams in a fast-paced environment

Strong understanding of mechanical design, material selection, and Design for Manufacture

Strong collaborative skills and a drive to produce quality work

Available for up to 10% travel for test activities

Ability to obtain a DoD security clearance (U.S. Citizenship required)

*All new employees must be able to pass a pre-employment drug screen and background check

Desired Skills:

Masters degree in Aerospace Engineering or Mechanical Engineering

CFD and FEA experience with relevant tools (StarCCM, CFD++, Vulcan, Simsolid, NASTRAN, etc.)

Experience with static and dynamic mechanical systems in flight load scenarios

Previous missile design experience

Past work in stage separation systems, flight termination systems, and range safety processes

Previous experience with RCC-319, USAFSEO, airworthiness certification process

Familiarity with aerospace and military standards such as MIL-HDBK-244A/1763/240A, MIL-STD-1289/8591,9977, 8870,810, etc.

Prior work in secure/classified environments

More About Specter Aero:

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