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Aircraft Performance Engineer Jobs in California

Develop novel and targeted methods of characterizing cell performance as they relate to aircraft ... MS or above in in materials science, chemistry, electrical engineering, or related field

We are looking for software engineers, hardware engineers, roboticists, and front-end mobile ... Evaluate impacts of configuration changes on performance of the aircraft. * Flight Simulation ...

Software Engineer, Data Infrastructure

Palo Alto, CA · Hybrid

$134K - $161K/yr

Your work will empower engineering and flight operations teams to understand aircraft performance and debug issues in the fleet, while also providing the datasets necessary to train and validate ...

Conduct propeller and mission performance calculations and the underlying engineering analyses that provide inputs to aircraft-level performance calculations related to product requirements.

Flight Sciences Engineer

Costa Mesa, CA · On-site

$166K - $220K/yr

Utilize simulation to evaluate aircraft performance and reliability. * Validate simulation accuracy against wind tunnel and flight test results * Testing: * Work with Flight Test personnel to plan ...

Performance Lead/DER

Santa Cruz, CA · On-site

$126K - $277K/yr

Conduct propeller and mission performance calculations and the underlying engineering analyses that provide inputs to aircraft-level performance calculations related to product requirements.

Performance Lead/DER

Santa Cruz, CA · On-site

$126K - $277K/yr

Conduct propeller and mission performance calculations and the underlying engineering analyses that provide inputs to aircraft-level performance calculations related to product requirements.

Flight Sciences Engineer

Costa Mesa, CA · On-site

$166K - $220K/yr

Utilize simulation to evaluate aircraft performance and reliability. * Validate simulation accuracy against wind tunnel and flight test results * Testing: * Work with Flight Test personnel to plan ...

Develop novel and targeted methods of characterizing cell performance as they relate to aircraft ... MS or above in in materials science, chemistry, electrical engineering, or related field

Cell Testing Engineer

San Carlos, CA · On-site

$104K - $183K/yr

Develop novel and targeted methods of characterizing cell performance as they relate to aircraft ... MS or above in in materials science, chemistry, electrical engineering, or related field

Lead a highly skilled engineering team consisting of engineers covering Stability and Control ... Experience with aerodynamic design and analysis of aircraft to meet performance goals * Experience ...

Showing results 41-60

Aircraft Performance Engineer information

See California salary details

$47.9K

$79.7K

$117.4K

How much do aircraft performance engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 9, 2026, the average yearly pay for aircraft performance engineer in California is $79,731.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $64,600.00 and $94,200.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are some typical challenges faced by aircraft performance engineers in their daily work?

Aircraft Performance Engineers often encounter challenges such as balancing competing performance requirements, analyzing vast amounts of flight test and simulation data, and meeting strict regulatory and safety standards. The role requires troubleshooting performance issues that may arise during the aircraft design, testing, or operational phases, often working closely with design, flight test, and certification teams to resolve complex problems. Additionally, adapting to evolving technologies and staying updated with the latest industry regulations are ongoing aspects of the job. Overcoming these challenges successfully is crucial for developing safe, reliable, and high-performing aircraft.

What does an aircraft performance engineer do?

An Aircraft Performance Engineer is responsible for analyzing and optimizing an aircraft's performance characteristics, such as takeoff, climb, cruise, and landing. They use aerodynamic principles, simulation tools, and regulatory guidelines to ensure the aircraft meets efficiency, safety, and operational requirements. Their work influences fuel consumption, payload capacity, and regulatory compliance. They collaborate with design teams, pilots, and airline operators to enhance aircraft performance under various flight conditions.

What are the most commonly searched types of Aircraft Performance Engineer jobs in California? The most popular types of Aircraft Performance Engineer jobs in California are:
What cities in California are hiring for Aircraft Performance Engineer jobs? Cities in California with the most Aircraft Performance Engineer job openings:
Infographic showing various Aircraft Performance Engineer job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 87% Full Time, 10% Part Time, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 83% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 14% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $79,731 per year, or $38.3 per hour.

Senior Aerodynamics Engineer, Omen

Anduril Industries

Costa Mesa, CA • Hybrid

$112K - $154K/yr

Full-time

Re-posted 14 days ago


Anduril rating

9.1

Company rating: 9.1 out of 10

Anduril

Based on 17 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

7.4

Company rating compared to similar companies: 7.4 out of 10

Manufacturers average

Based on 75,130 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz


Job description

ABOUT THE TEAM

Anduril is seeking an Aerodynamicist to join the Omen team at either our Costa Mesa HQ, or Melbourne, Australia office. Omen is Anduril's hover-to-cruise autonomous air vehicle (AAV) that packs the endurance, payload, and mission flexibility of much larger airplanes into a novel runway-independent Group 3 platform. Omen can operate from ship decks, beaches, or remote island clearings, providing true runway independence and freedom of maneuver across defense and civilian domains. Omen is the first tail-sitter aircraft with a mass-production contract, with an order of 50 systems representing a decisive investment that anchors production and accelerates the development of future systems.
You will work on new aircraft development in a lean, high-ownership culture where you directly shape the product and operate at a velocity to fly new designs within months, not years.

ABOUT THE ROLE

As an Aerodynamicist on the Maneuver Dominance Team, you will be designing unmanned vehicles intended to revolutionize the aerospace field. You will be engaged in the full development lifecycle. You possess strong programming and analytical skills with a focus on aerodynamic design, analysis, and testing. Competitive compensation and top-tier benefits are provided, along with a commitment to innovation in military technology..
WHAT YOU'LL DO

  • Aerodynamic design of unmanned air vehicles/missiles at conceptual, preliminary, and detail design maturities
  • Aerodynamic analysis of unmanned air vehicles, using both low and high order methods, including analysis tool development and improvement as needed
  • Stability and control analysis
  • Aircraft performance modeling and simulation
  • Aerodynamic loads generation
  • Wind tunnel test planning, execution, and analysis
  • Flight test planning, execution, and analysis
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
  • High-ownership and a bias toward action - if you see a problem, you want to fix it
  • Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineer, Robotics, Physics, or related technical discipline
  • 8-10+ years of work experience as an individual contributing engineer in a high-impact, start-up environment
  • Experience with aircraft performance, analysis predictions, and Stability & Control.
  • Competent in a variety of aerodynamic analysis techniques including hand calculations, vortex, lattice methods, panel methods, and computational fluid dynamics (CFD)
  • Wind tunnel and flight test experience including data acquisition, data analysis and project coordination
  • Strong programming skills in higher-level languages (e.g., MATLAB, Python) for internal tool development in a version-controlled environment
  • Experience preparing formal documentation (i.e., specifications, test procedures, technical reports, etc.)
  • Experience in engineering team leadership and project execution for aerospace, automotive, or defense sectors with focus on electric or hybrid propulsion
  • Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Secret security clearance (US applicant) or NV-1 AUS security clearance (AUS applicant)
  • Travel to test sites and vendors as needed
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
  • StarCCM+ and/or Flow360 experience
  • Experience with subsonic, transonic and supersonic flow regimes
  • Active U.S. Secret security clearance (US applicant), or active NV-1 security clearance (AUS applicant)

Working at Anduril

About Anduril, in their own words

From Anduril

As the world enters an era of strategic competition, Anduril delivers cutting-edge autonomy, AI, computer vision, sensor fusion, and networking technology to the warfighter in months, not years.


What Anduril employees say

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Benefits

Hours and flexibility

Workplace

Get the full story on Breakroom


Anduril Industries logo

About Anduril Industries

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

Anduril Industries is a trailblazer in the technology industry based in Costa Mesa, CA, US. Founded in 2017 by Palmer Luckey, the creator of Oculus VR, the company focuses on developing innovative technology to equip and empower those in the defense sector. Its primary products include cutting-edge autonomous systems and AI software that assist in combating threats to national and global security. The mission of Anduril Industries is to integrate technology and defense by building transformative, scalable solutions that ensure a safer world.

Industry

Guided missile and space vehicle manufacturing

Company size

501 - 1,000 Employees

Headquarters location

Costa Mesa, CA, US

Year founded

2017

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