Chief Engineer Sandusky, OH - WindWright : Job Details

NOTE: WindWright positions are contingent on contract award expected June 2025

WindWright, a subsidiary of Stratolaunch, accelerates hypersonic development by improving the capacity and capabilities of ground test facilities using digital engineering environments. Our advanced modeling and simulation, synthesized with ground and flight test data, are integrated into authoritative digital models that advance ground test productivity, accuracy, and repeatability improvements across the full customer development campaign. WindWright's digital engineering framework also enables efficient test planning, rapid test data review, and deeper analysis of the test results, leading to reduced customer costs and risks.

To achieve these efforts, WindWright seeks a Chief Engineer to lead the design, development, integration, commissioning, and operation of hypersonic ground test facilities. This position requires guiding and developing a multi-disciplined group of engineers and suppliers that perform modeling & simulations, system and subsystem design, safety assessments, capability & capacity improvements for ground test facilities with an emphasis on systems engineering and balancing system-of-system-level decisions to meet customer and internal requirements. In this role, you will be responsible for all aspects of mechanical, electro-mechanical, fluid, thermal, control systems and instrumentation for a wind tunnel facility. An ideal candidate will have experience and engineering judgment in aerothermodynamics, aero-propulsion, thermal-structural-mechanical design, controls and hypersonic ground test systems.

Essential duties and responsibilities:

• Work hand-in-hand with the Program Manager, Systems Engineer and engineering team to lead the program to a successful outcome, filling in gaps where needed
• Lead a diverse team of multi-disciplined engineers to execute the development of hypersonic ground test facilities..
• Lead trade studies and make final technical decisions, requiring balance across a wide breadth of disciplines, including: aerothermodynamics, structures, controls, fluid systems, etc.
• Guide the team to identify and resolve system-level architecture requirements issues
• Identify and mitigate technical risks through risk-reduction testing campaigns
• Lead the successful execution of design reviews to advance the program through manufacturing and into flight test
• Create engineering staffing plans and identify skillset gaps in the team

Qualifications :

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Required:

• Significant experience with the development and operation of ground test facilities
• Proficient with systems engineering practices, tools, and approaches
• Significant experience as a design engineering lead and/or analyst on more than ground test systems
• Significant experience leading or participating in ground test campaigns
• Experience with technical risk identification, management, and mitigation
• Significant experience working with and maintaining customer relationships
• Experience working in small engineering teams where each member often has multiple responsibilities
• Experience and comfort working in engineering environments without significant processes and guard-rails in place
• Proficient with MS Office
• Familiarity with configuration management systems such as JIRA, GIT, JAMA, etc.
• Citizenship / ability to hold a US security clearance (Active TS/SCI clearance is preferred)

Preferred:

• Experience with hypersonic ground test facility development
• Experience with modeling & simulation
• Active security clearance
• Experience with Siemens NX/Teamcenter
• MS Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint)

Education/experience/certifications

• Bachelor's degree (B.S.) from accredited institution and 10-20 years of engineering experience, OR equivalent combination of education and experience

Special remarks regarding work environment

• Travel estimated to be approximately