Specialist Engineer, Aerothermal

Virgin Galactic is seeking a highly experienced Aerothermal Specialist Engineer to join our multidisciplinary System Analysis organization. Guided by our values, "Safety Above All", we proactively manage the risks inherent in human spaceflight through our daily actions. Serve as the SME for Aerothermal within the System Analysis team, owning technical depth in that domain while interfacing with adjacent disciplines across engineering. In this role, you will support aerothermal modeling, CFD based analysis, thermal design, flight test correlation, and system level integration across our suborbital SpaceShip, Launch Vehicle, and special mission programs. You will apply advanced CFD and thermal modeling techniques to characterize heating environments, develop thermal requirements, and integrate aerothermal performance across vehicle systems.

This position offers the opportunity to work hands on in a dynamic test environment where high fidelity analysis, real world data, and technical judgment directly shape vehicle performance, safety, and operational capability. Maintain focus on timeliness and execution of tasks and deliverables every day.

Why This Role Is Unique

This role combines deep technical challenge with broad cross disciplinary influence. Serve as the SME for Aerothermal within the System Analysis team, owning technical depth in that domain while interfacing with adjacent disciplines across engineering. As part of a unified System Analysis team, you'll work at the intersection of aerodynamics, thermal analysis, CFD modeling, and flight test-helping shape how these disciplines integrate across the full vehicle lifecycle. You will have direct impact on active flight test campaigns, heating environment predictions, and thermal architecture decisions, with opportunities to validate your models against real flight and ground test data.

Beyond technical execution, this role offers leadership growth. You will guide analytical strategy, develop engineering standards and methods, mentor other engineers, and influence the future direction of aerothermal modeling as our fleet and capabilities expand. This is an ideal position for an experienced engineer who enjoys solving complex aerothermal challenges and wants meaningful influence on both near term vehicle performance and long term system design.

Responsibilities

• Develop high fidelity aerothermal environments using CFD, in-house solvers, and commercial tools
• Lead thermal modeling and correlation efforts using flight test data, component tests, and analytical predictions
• Develop and substantiate aerothermal and thermal design requirements for unconventional vehicle configurations
• Build and refine heat transfer models across conduction, convection, radiation, plume interaction, aero heating, and solar environments
• Support preflight preparation including test limitation reviews, flight test plans and procedures, readiness reviews, mission control room support, and postflight analysis
• Develop standardized analysis and reporting methods for CFD, aerothermal modeling, and thermal evaluation
• Integrate aerothermal predictions with loads, structures, aeroelasticity, avionics, and systems engineering
• Lead model updates and tuning using ground test and flight test data
• Provide technical leadership across the System Analysis team and broader engineering organization
• Mentor and coach engineers to elevate aerothermal and thermal analysis capability
• Support program planning by defining aerothermal scope, building work packages, and coordinating team deliverables
• Lead teams in identifying aerothermal risks, developing mitigation strategies, and making technical recommendations
• Drive improvements to system analysis standards, processes, and best practices

Required Skills and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in engineering from an accredited institution with ~12+ years of relevant experience (Advanced degrees may reduce the experience requirement)
• Deep expertise in CFD for subsonic, transonic, and supersonic flow regimes
• Proven experience developing aerothermal heating models and heat transfer environments
• Experience correlating CFD or thermal models against flight test or component test data
• Strong background in external aerodynamics as relevant to thermal environments
• Proficiency with commercial and government CFD tools (e.g., FUN3D, STAR‑CCM+, ANSYS Fluent)
• Familiarity with meshing and post‑processing tools (Pointwise, Tecplot, ParaView)
• Experience developing thermal models using FEM or finite difference tools (Thermal Desktop, FEMAP/TMG, or equivalent)
• Strong programming skills in MATLAB and/or Python, including sound software development practices
• Working knowledge of aircraft or spacecraft systems
• Familiarity with aerospace thermal and aerothermal standards and environments (FAA, FAA‑AST, NASA, MilSpec)
• Excellent communication, collaboration, and technical presentation skills
• Demonstrate willingness to adjust thinking and behavior

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Experience with conjugate heat transfer modeling
• Experience with avionics and electronics thermal environments
• Familiarity with plume heating or radiation modeling
• Experience with flight test instrumentation and thermal data acquisition
• Experience with full vehicle aerothermal assessments
• Handson participation in ground or flight test campaigns
• Experience developing automated analysis workflows in Python or MATLAB
• FAA pilot certificate (optional)

#LI-MS1

The annual U.S. base salary range for this full-time position is $136,063.00-$207,596.00. The base pay actually offered will vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, location, and experience and take into account internal equity. Other forms of pay (e.g., bonus or long term incentive) may be provided as part of the compensation package, in addition to a full range of medical, financial, and other benefits, dependent on the position offered. For more information regarding Virgin Galactic benefits, please visit https://vgcareers.virgingalactic.com/global/en/benefits

Who We Are

Virgin Galactic is an aerospace and space travel company, pioneering human spaceflight for private individuals and researchers with its advanced air and space vehicles. We are making the dream of space travel a reality, delivering spaceflight at an unprecedented frequency, with the development of next generation space vehicles.

Export Requirements

To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a U.S. Person (either a U.S. citizen, a lawful permanent resident or a protected individual as defined 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3) or be able to obtain the required authorization from either the U.S. Department of State or the U.S. Department of Commerce. The applicant must also not be included in the list of Specifically Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons maintained by the Office of Foreign Assets Control. See list here.

EEO Statement

Virgin Galactic is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Virgin Galactic is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.

Drug Free Workplace

Virgin Galactic is committed to a Drug Free Workplace. All applicants post offer and active teammates are subject to testing for marijuana, cocaine, opioids, amphetamines, PCP, and alcohol when criteria is met as outlined in our policies. This can include pre-employment, random, reasonable suspicion, and accident related drug and alcohol testing.

Phoenix Employment Requirements

For individuals seeking employment at our Phoenix Mesa Gateway Airport facility, employment is contingent upon you obtaining and maintaining a TSA authorized security badge. This includes initial and annual mandatory background checks that are governed by TSA, and conducted by the Phoenix Mesa Gateway Airport badging office.