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Associate Research Engineer
Job No: 503788
Work Type: Staff Full Time (1500 hours or greater)
Location: Dayton, OH
Category: Research Institute Staff
Department: Air Vehicle Optimization - 250571
Pay Grade: R1/R2 - Exempt
Advertised: August 07, 2026
Applications close: August 21, 2026
Position Summary:
UDRI is seeking qualified applicants to apply for a Associate Research Engineer position. This position will work for the Air Vehicle Optimization Group of the Structures & Materials Division and is a full-time benefit eligible position that offers health, dental and vision insurance, retirement, disability, tuition assistance, vacation/sick accrual and holiday pay.
The Air Vehicle Optimization Group at UDRI is a diverse team of skilled engineers and scientists who work closely with the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to develop, prototype, and test numerical models, software, and hardware for the multidisciplinary design and analysis of aerospace vehicles. The group brings together specialties in Aerospace, Electrical, and Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, Mathematics, and Physics to combine state-of-the-art engineering tools with innovative ideas to support future aircraft design methods from conceptual design through flight testing. A few of the projects the group currently supports include: Computational Aircraft Prototype Synthesis (CAPS), Missile Enhancement via Reconfigurable Interceptor Nose, Efficient Supersonic Aircraft Vehicle, X-56, XQ-58, Effectiveness Assessment of Concepts and Technologies, and Sensitivity Analysis for Multidisciplinary Systems.
The group is currently seeing an Aerospace Engineer to support ongoing research and development contracts at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in the Air Force Research Laboratory to provide support for airframe propulsion and power systems integration. Research Aerospace Engineers apply fundamental engineering principles to design, develop, document, maintain, and deploy software infrastructure and engineering analyses in the support of aerospace engineering research.
The successful candidate will bring to bear their skills and experience with one or more of the following: experience in aircraft design and propulsion and power system integration, finite element analysis for structural analysis, CFD for aerospace analysis, multidisciplinary analysis, sensitivity analysis, design optimization, aeroservoelastic design optimization, and aircraft trajectory optimization framework, and computer programming. Strong communication and interpersonal skills are essential and highly valued in this role.
Minimum Qualifications:
- A Bachelors or equivalent degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or related discipline from ABET accredited institution
- Basic experience with Python/MATLAB/C++/ANSYS/SolidWorks or similar programming languages
- Knowledge of aircraft design and performance analysis
- Knowledge of propulsion systems
- Due to requirements of our research contracts with the U.S. federal government, candidates for this position must be a US Citizen
R1 Level Requirements:
Bachelors and no previous work experience
R2 Level Requirements:
Bachelors and three years previous work experience, OR
Masters and two years previous work experience
Preferred Qualifications:
While not everyone may possess all of the preferred qualifications, the ideal candidate will bring many of the following:
- A Masters or equivalent degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or related discipline from ABET accredited institution.
- In addition to the minimum qualifications, a preferred candidate will also have a background and/or proven interest in one or more of the following topics: Finite element analysis Topology optimization or other structural design methods Smart materials and systems Programming
-Proficient using Python/MATLAB, C++, Simulink, CSDL, ANSYS, SolidWorks, or similar programming languages
- Proficient in aircraft design and performance analysis
- Familiar with multidisciplinary analysis and optimization including sensitivity analysis
- Familiar with finite element method as applied to structures
- Experience with CFD tools
- Experience with aeroelastic analysis- Experience with aeroservoelastic design optimization and gradient-based aircraft trajectory optimization framework
- Experience with simulating flight dynamics- Experience with NASTRAN/ABAQUS or similar finite element modeling tools
- Research experience
Special Instructions to Applicants:
To apply please submit a cover letter addressing each minimum qualification and any applicable preferred qualifications that you meet.
Closing Statement:
Informed by its Catholic and Marianist mission, the University is committed to the dignity of every human being. Informed by this commitment, we seek to increase diversity in all of its forms, achieve fair outcomes, and model inclusion across our campus community. The University is committed to policies of affirmative action designed to increase the employment opportunities of individuals with disabilities and protected veterans in compliance with the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act of 1973.
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