Senior Aeronautical Engineer

Join the integrated Government-industry team delivering Phalanx Griffon (PG)-a platform-agnostic, open-architecture aerial node that pushes real-time, multi-level-secure data to the tactical edge. As the Senior Aeronautical Engineer, you will be the program's primary air-vehicle integration lead, translating the digital design into safe, air-worthy hardware and ensuring seamless fit, form, and function across multiple aircraft types.

Essential Job Functions:

• 
  Platform Integration Lead
  
  • 
    Own the aircraft-level mechanical & structural integration of the Nomad hardware stack, SATCOM apertures, and platform-interface modules (PIMs).
    
    Develop and coordinate AF Form 1067 packages, air-worthiness artifacts, and flight-clearance data with System Program Offices (SPOs), Flight Test Centers, and OEMs.
    
    Perform trade studies and SWaP-C analyses to down-select form-factor options for priority platforms.
    
• 
  Digital Engineering & Model-Based Design
  
  • 
    Author/maintain 3-D CAD assemblies, interface-control models, and parametric weight/balance data inside the program's government-owned digital thread.
    
  • 
    Feed real-time design feedback to Nomad, Smith, and Watch IPTs and the Government architecture team.
    
• 
  System Integration Laboratory (SIL) Support
  
  • 
    Define aircraft-representative fixtures, wiring harnesses, and environmental test setups; oversee buildout and day-to-day operation of the Integration SIL.
    
  • 
    Execute vibration, EMI/EMC, thermal, and functional checkout testing prior to DT/OT.
    
• 
  Flight Test & Fielding
  
  • 
    Draft test plans, hazard analyses, and Interim Authorizations to Test (IATT); serve as on-board or ground-test engineer during developmental and operational flights.
    
  • 
    Lead red-line capture, root-cause analysis, and incorporation of lessons learned into subsequent builds and Product Delivery Orders (PDOs).
    
• 
  Program Execution & Mentorship
  
  • 
    Maintain integration milestones within the Integrated Master Schedule; brief risk, cost, and readiness metrics to Government leadership.
    
  • 
    Provide technical mentorship to mid-level engineers; cultivate a culture of agile, DevSecOps-aligned hardware development.
    

Required Skills:

Due to the sensitivity of customer related requirements, U.S. Citizenship is required.

B.S. in Aeronautical, Aerospace, or Mechanical Engineering (M.S. preferred) and 10+ years of aircraft modification or avionics-hardware integration experience (military platforms highly desired).

Demonstrated expertise in: structural analysis (FEM), weight & balance, wiring/HARNESS integration, and MIL-STD environmental qualification.

Hands-on experience guiding systems from lab to flight test to fielding within USAF or DoD acquisition frameworks (AFI 63-101/20-101).

Proficiency with CREO, NX, CATIA, or SolidWorks; familiarity with MBSE (SysML/CAMEO) a plus.

Active TS/SCI clearance.

Desired Skills:

Prior involvement in ABMS, OMS/UCI, CJADC2, or open-architecture avionics programs.

Working knowledge of multiband SATCOM hardware, NSA-accredited crypto devices, and cross-domain solutions.

Experience authoring or reviewing Air Force flight-clearance and air-worthiness documentation (AF 879, AFCB, E-Series).

Agile/Scrum or SAFe certification; familiarity with DevSecOps toolchains in classified environments.