Aerodynamics Design Engineer

About Us

Harmattan AI is a next-generation defense prime building autonomous and scalable defense systems. Following the close of a $200M Series B, valuing the company at $1.4 billion, we are expanding our teams and capabilities to deliver mission-critical systems to allied forces.

Our work is guided by clear values: building technologies with real-world impact, pursuing excellence in everything we do, setting ambitious goals, and taking on the hardest technical challenges. We operate in a demanding environment where rigor, ownership, and execution are expected.

Role

Harmattan is seeking a highly skilled Aerodynamic Design Engineer to join our team in designing the next generation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). You will be the technical anchor for our flight physics, transforming mission profiles into optimised airframe configurations. You will bridge the gap between theoretical concepts and flight-ready hardware, working at the intersection of the Mechanical and Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) teams to ensure our platforms are high-performing, stable, and manufacturable.

Responsibilities

• Conceptual Design & Architecture: Lead the aerodynamic layout for fixed-wing, multicopter, and eVTOL configurations. Translate mission requirements (range, speed, payload) into technical specifications.

• Multi-fidelity analysis: Develop and utilize a full spectrum of numerical methods for analysis, ranging from rapid analytical/empirical methods to high-fidelity CFD, including potential and/or panel methods.

• End-to-End CFD Workflow: Execute the full simulation pipeline: geometry cleanup, meshing, solver execution, and post-processing.

• Optimization: Apply gradient-based or adjoint methods to refine surfaces for drag reduction and maximum lift-to-drag ratios.

• GNC & Flight Physics Support: Generate high-fidelity aero-databases and stability derivatives to support the GNC team in control law development and autopilot tuning.

Requirements

• Education: B.S., M.S., or Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering, Aeronautical Engineering, or a related field

• Technical Knowledge: Strong foundation in aircraft architecture, systems integration, subsonic aerodynamics, flight mechanics, and low-Reynolds number flows.

• Design Sense: A proven "aerospace intuition"—the ability to look at a design and identify potential flow separation or stability issues before running a single simulation.

• Multidisciplinary Mindset: Experience working with structural, propulsion or GNC engineers.

• Software Proficiency: the ideal candidate must have hands-on experience with the following stack, or similar alternatives:

  • CFD Solvers: OpenFOAM, ANSYS CFD Suite (Fluent/CFX), Star-CCM+.

  • Low Fidelity and Low Level Design Packages: OpenVSP, XFoil, AVL, XFLR5, FlightStream

  • Meshing: Pointwise, HyperMesh, ICEM CFD.

  • CAD: SolidWorks, CATIA.

  • Python: NumPy, SciPy, Pandas, AeroSandbox, SMT, OpenMDAO, Matplotlib, Plotly, or PyVista.

Nice-to-have

• Hands-on experience building or piloting RC aircraft or drones.

• Familiarity with UAV airworthiness standards (e.g., STANAG 4671) and flying qualities (MIL-STD-1797).

We look forward to hearing how you can help shape the future of autonomous defense systems at Harmattan AI.