Director Performance Engineering Jobs in California

About the Company:
We are a stealth-mode Aerospace & Defense startup headquartered in Gardena, CA. Our founding team hails from SpaceX, Anduril, and Lockheed Martin, and we are backed by Joint Staff-level military leadership and several Silicon Valley firms. With a world-class business development & leadership team already in place, we are well positioned to capitalize on already overwhelming demand.
Job Overview:
We're seeking an exceptional Director of Performance Analysis & Simulation to own the technical backbone of our defense system's development cycle - from early conceptual design through flight qualification. This is a senior individual contributor and people leadership role simultaneously: you will build and lead a team of aerodynamicists, systems analysis software engineers, and simulation engineers while remaining deeply hands-on in the work yourself, with an outsized role in informing vehicle, system, and program design. You will own our Systems Analysis Board process, drive simulation fidelity improvements from real flight data, and be a central technical voice at every major design review from CODR through CDR.
This is a full time role at a fast-growing stealth startup with a significant equity opportunity. The need for the capability we are building is at an inflection point in the United States and around the world - execution in this role will directly lead to systems deployed that protect civilians and bring warfighters home. The right person for this role will find no better environment to do the most technically demanding and consequential work of their career.
Key Responsibilities:
• Own the Systems Analysis Board end-to-end: conceptual design trade studies, design sensitivity analyses, Monte Carlo campaigns for CEP and Pk as designs mature, and cross-disciplinary coordination at CODR, PDR, and CDR
• Architect and continuously improve a high-fidelity 6-DOF simulation environment spanning aerodynamics, propulsion, GNC, seeker performance, target modeling, and radar modeling - built in Python, not Excel
• Drive closed-loop simulation fidelity improvement using flight test data; define instrumentation and data collection requirements to support this process
• Lead Multidisciplinary Design Analysis and Optimization (MDAO) efforts across the vehicle design space, working directly with propulsion, aero, GNC, and seeker teams
• Define and iterate on system-level performance requirements; translate operational requirements into traceable engineering parameters
• Contribute directly to RFP response material, new product concept modeling, and customer-facing performance characterization
• Build, lead, and mentor a team of aerodynamicists, systems analysis software engineers, and simulation engineers; set technical standards and drive a culture of rigor and speed
• Expected to own large technical outcomes and operate with the autonomy and accountability of a company-level leader reporting to the CEO, not a functional manager
Qualifications:
• Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Applied Mathematics, or a related technical field
• 10+ years of hands-on systems analysis, simulation, or performance engineering experience in defense, missile, or aerospace programs
• Demonstrated ownership of flight vehicle simulation development - you have personally written and validated 6-DOF or higher-fidelity simulations in Python or equivalent production-quality code, not wrapped legacy tools
• Deep working knowledge across at least four of the following domains: aerodynamics, solid rocket propulsion, GNC, seeker/sensor modeling, radar cross-section and target modeling, flight mechanics, lethality and Pk analysis
• Direct experience with Monte Carlo analysis for CEP and kill probability across a design maturation cycle
• Hands-on experience with MDAO frameworks and design space exploration at the vehicle system level
• Experience owning or leading major design reviews (PDR, CDR) in a flight hardware program
• Demonstrated ability to set system-level performance requirements from first principles and defend them under scrutiny from both engineers and customers
• Proven track record as a strong individual contributor who also builds and elevates teams - this is not a purely managerial role
Preferred Skills
• Master's or PhD in Aerospace Engineering, Applied Mathematics, or a related field
• Experience at a high-velocity defense or aerospace organization
• Background in missile system performance analysis
• Experience with hardware-in-the-loop (HWIL) or software-in-the-loop (SWIL) simulation integration
• Familiarity with radar phenomenology, seeker discrimination, or EO/IR target modeling
• Prior contribution to government RFP responses, CDRL deliverables, or program-of-record performance documentation
• Experience deriving simulation fidelity improvements directly from flight test telemetry and reconstruction
• Comfort operating at the intersection of classified program requirements and fast-moving commercial development processes
Itar Requirements

• To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C.1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C.1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR