Aerothermodynamics Engineer

Job Description:

Analytical Mechanics Associates, Inc. is seeking an Aerothermodynamics Engineer to support the Aerothermodynamics branch (Code TSA) within the Entry Systems and Technology Division at NASA Ames Research Center. The selected candidate will serve as the lead for development of computational fluid dynamics simulation software for aerothermodynamics on modern HPC platforms including GPU-based clusters. Primary focus will be scientific software development and HPC modernization of NASA tools, including CFD, material response, and radiative heat transfer. Tasks may include porting mature CPU- and MPI-based applications to GPU-accelerated and exascale computing platforms. Develop Python interfaces, workflows, testing infrastructure, and automation. Work with engineers to translate mission needs to develop numerical algorithms that are then implemented efficiently on modern hardware. This is an onsite position at NASA Ames in Mountain View, CA. Salary range is $125k-$200k, depending on skills and experience.

Responsibilities

• Develop computational simulation software for multi-physics aerothermodynamics simulations of reentry bodies.
• Prepare computational geometries, generate and evaluate meshes, and develop simulation inputs and established best practices.
• Set up, execute, and monitor computational fluid dynamics simulations on high-performance computing systems.
• Post-process simulation results and evaluate convective and radiative thermal environments.
• Support verification and validation activities, including convergence assessment, mesh-resolution studies, and comparisons between computational methods.
• Document computational methods, assumptions, configurations and results in archival medium, including NASA technical reports, international conferences and journal-publications.

Minimum Qualifications

• Master’s degree or higher in Aerospace Engineering, Aeronautical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a closely related engineering field.
• Strong background in numerical methods for computational fluid dynamic through academic research, thesis work, internships, or professional employment.
• Demonstrated experience developing massively parallel CFD solvers for Linux based computing environments with CPU & GPU hardware.
• Familiarity with scale-resolving or high-fidelity simulation methods, including hybrid RANS-LES, LES, DNS, or related approaches.
• Knowledge of computational mesh generation, aerothermodynamic data analysis, and CFD verification and validation practices.
• Experience using scientific programming or scripting languages for engineering analysis and data processing.
• Experience running multi-physics aerothermodynamics simulations for hypersonic flows.
• Experience comparing computational results with wind-tunnel or other experimental data.
• Ability to document technical work and communicate computational results clearly.

Preferred Qualifications

• Proficiency in Fortran, C++, and Python.
• Proficiency in GPU computing using CUDA, HIP, OpenMP, Kokkos, RAJA or similar with experience porting large scientific applications from CPUS to GPUs.
• Experience implementing or maintaining numerical software such as PDE solvers, finite-volume/finite-element methods, sparse linear algebra, and iterative solvers.
• Experience working on exascale or frontier-class computing systems.
• Knowledge of PETSc, Trillions, HDF5 and other HPC libraries and ability to use modern scientific computing tools such as JAX, NumPy, or PyTorch.

Employment Eligibility

This position is open to U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents (green card holders), and eligible foreign nationals whose country of birth and current citizenship are not included on NASA’s Designated Countries List ( Employment is subject to U.S. work authorization and approval for access to NASA Ames facilities and systems.

Analytical Mechanics Associates (AMA) is proud of our customer relationships, our diverse and dynamic work environment, and our employees' career satisfaction. AMA is a small business with a wide reach; headquartered in Hampton, VA, AMA has operations in Greenbelt, MD; Huntsville, AL; Dallas and Houston, TX; Denver, CO; Mountain View, CA; and Edwards Air Force Base, CA. With over 60 years of experience, AMA specializes in aerospace engineering, science, analytics, information technology, and visualization solutions. AMA combines the best of engineering, science, and mathematics capabilities with the latest in information technologies, visualization, and multimedia to build creative solutions. We offer competitive salaries and a substantial benefits package, including but not limited to paid personal and federally recognized holiday leave, salary deferrals into a 401(k)-matching plan with immediate vesting, tuition reimbursement, short/long term disability plans, and a variety of medical, dental, and vision insurance options.

AMA is committed to the professional growth of every employee, understanding that the successes of our employees drive our success. We provide a work environment that is engaging, collaborative, and supportive. To learn more about our company, please visit our website at and follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn.

AMA is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against any applicant for employment or employee because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic prohibited under federal, state, or local laws.