Associate Staff - Aerospace Engineer

Date: May 26, 2026 Location: Lexington, MA, US Company: MIT Lincoln Laboratory Job Description The Structural & Thermal-Fluids Engineering Group develops first-of-a-kind prototype systems across underwater, ground, air, and space domains for high-impact national security missions. Engineers work on advanced structural and material systems for space-based imaging and laser communications, thermal management solutions from cryogenic to hypersonic regimes, and aerodynamic design and assessment for unmanned aerial vehicles, airborne pods, and hypersonic platforms. Solutions are realized through the integration of high-fidelity analytical and computational modeling, multidisciplinary simulation, environmental testing, and advanced materials, addressing demanding performance, size, weight, power, and environmental constraints that are at the forefront of current engineering capabilities. The Group offers a collaborative, hands-on environment where engineers pair deep analytical expertise with direct ownership of hardware development, integration, and testing. Engineers are supported in their growth through mentorship and opportunities for increasing technical and programmatic leadership, participation in conferences and professional societies, and direct engagement with mission partners and government sponsors. Responsibilities The Group is seeking an engineer with expertise in aerodynamic design and computational fluid dynamics simulation of aircraft ranging from low-speed to hypersonic flow regimes. Job responsibilities include building and executing large-scale design analysis of aircraft, presenting technical results to both internal and external audiences, and supporting multiple programs related to aircraft technology development and associated aero/thermal test activities. Engineers are expected to continuously learn about new tools, technologies and mission areas, and apply their expertise to a wide variety of problems. Specific experience with Linux and using High Performance Computing clusters is desired. Experience with one or more of the following CFD solvers and meshing tools is also desirable: US3D, SPARC, FUN3D, Kestrel, Cart3D, Pointwise, and/or Link3D. Experience in surrogate modeling and machine learning is desired. The successful candidate will be part of an interdisciplinary engineering team contributing to the development of operational prototype hardware, spanning the full program life cycle from concept development to fielding and test. The position may require special security clearances and travel to meetings and field sites. Requirements M.S. in Aerospace, Mechanical Engineering or related field. Candidates with a B.S. degree and 3 years of direct relevant experience will also be considered. Coursework in computational fluid dynamics and high-speed flows. Experience with modern numerical simulation tools for fluid dynamic simulation. Experience in programming to develop engineering algorithms. The ability to work in interdisciplinary teams. The ability to clearly communicate results in oral presentations and written reports. Preferred Qualifications Experience with high-performance computing (HPC) environments for large-scale simulations. Experience implementing multidisciplinary design optimization (MDO) frameworks. Experience in machine learning and surrogate modeling approaches for simulation. Experience in aircraft design. Relevant graduate level research. Familiarity with software development best practices, including version control (e.g., Git). Recent Graduate Hiring Range: $116,400 - $140,000 Experienced Hiring Range: $116,400 - $182,200 Disclaimer: MIT Lincoln Laboratory provides a typical hiring range as a good faith estimate of what we reasonably expect to offer for this position at the time of posting. The final salary offered to a selected candidate will depend on various factors, including but not limited to the scope and responsibilities of the role, the candidate's experience, skills and education/training, internal equity considerations and applicable legal requirements. This range reflects base salary only and does not include additional forms of compensation or benefits. Benefits Comprehensive health, dental, and vision plans MIT-funded pension Matching 401K Paid leave (including vacation, sick, parental, military, etc.) Tuition reimbursement and continuing education programs Mentorship programs A range of work-life balance options ... and much more! Please visit our Benefits page for more information. As an employee of MIT, you can also take advantage of other voluntary benefits, discounts and perks. Selected candidate will be subject to a pre-employment background investigation and must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret level DoD security clearance. MIT Lincoln Laboratory is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, veteran status, disability status, or genetic information; U.S. citizenship is required. Requisition ID: 43008 Nearest Major Market: Boston Job Segment: Thermal Engineering, Testing, R&D Engineer, Aerospace Engineering, Aerospace, Engineering, Technology, Aviation #J-18808-Ljbffr MIT Lincoln Laboratory