Atropos Group
Principal Aerodynamicist Arlington, VA, Mountain View, CA, San Diego, CA
Atropos Group, Mountain View, California, us, 94039
Overview
About Us We’re a combat-tested group of engineers, operators, and entrepreneurs who believe America’s edge depends on autonomous airpower that’s trusted and deployable today not in 2040. Backed by tier-one investors, we’ve secured the runway — financial, regulatory, and literal — to move at startup speed while tackling a national-security mission that matters. We’ve structured the company for radical ownership: no silos, no “systems integrator” overhead, just tightly knit mission-focused IPTs that live and breathe the hardware and code they ship. If you thrive where hard-tech ambition meets national-security urgency, you’ll build faster here than anywhere else. Let’s get after it. Culture That Ships
Strong Core Values, Startup Execution.
Integrity, Service Before Self, Excellence, Honor, Courage, Commitment—powered by a bias for action and a “figure it out” mindset. Self-Starters Only.
You’ll have clear objectives, a blank sheet of paper, and the trust (plus capital) to move fast. Bureaucracy stays out of your way. One Team, No Tourists.
Whether you’re tuning a control law at 2 a.m. or heat-treating a Ti-6Al-4V spar, everyone sweats the details. We celebrate wins together and own failures together. What’s In It for You
Mission With a Pulse.
Every line of code, bracket, or test you deliver expands the toolbox of the warfighter on Day 1 of a conflict. Resources Without Red Tape.
VC speed + DoD customer pull: access to test ranges, flight hours, and operator feedback while retaining startup agility. Career-Defining Upside.
Significant equity, best-in-class benefits, and the chance to see your product deliver in months, not decades. What You’ll Do
Lead aerodynamic design, analysis, and wind-tunnel/CFD correlation for a clean-sheet, long-range autonomous air vehicle. Optimize planform, airfoil, and high-lift devices to maximize range and payload while meeting survivability constraints. Create rapid-iteration tools and templates for sizing trades. Collaborate daily with GNC, Flight Controls, and Structures IPTs to mature configuration through CoDR/PDR/CDR. Support flight-test envelope expansion and post-flight data reduction. What You Bring
M.S. or Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering (or equivalent) with ≥ 7 yrs relevant experience. Deep expertise in CFD (e.g., SU2, Fluent, OVERFLOW), panel methods, and wind-tunnel test design. Demonstrated history of hands-on, first-principles analysis in rapid-development programs. Ability to convey complex results to cross-functional audiences. Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Top Secret security clearance. Bonus Points
Prior LO (low observables) signature shaping experience. Experience coupling aerodynamics with AI-enabled design-of-experiments workflows. Why You’ll Love Working Here (Compensation and Benefits)
Base Salary: $195,000 to 255,000 USD The salary range for this role is an estimate based on a wide range of compensation factors, inclusive of base salary only. Actual salary offer may vary based on work experience, education and/or training, critical skills, and/or business considerations. Highly competitive equity grants are included in the majority of full-time offers and are considered part of Atropos\' total compensation package. Additionally, Atropos offers top-tier benefits for full-time employees, including: Platinum Healthcare Benefits: comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans with 100% employer-paid premiums and little to no cost to you Basic Life/AD&D and long-term disability insurance 100% covered by Atropos, with option to purchase additional life insurance for you and your dependents Unlimited PTO, with minimum of 15 days enforced 20 weeks of paid Caregiver & Wellness Leave Family Planning & Parenting Support: Fertility, adoption, and gestational carrier coverage with additional benefits Mental Health Resources: free therapy, life coaching, and more Tuition and professional development reimbursement for STEM, MBA, and licenses Daily Lunch catered Company-funded child care stipend Company-funded commuter benefits (region dependent) Relocation assistance (role eligibility) 401(k) with 6% employer matching The recruiter assigned to this role can share more information about compensation and benefits during the hiring process. Equal Opportunity
Atropos is an equal-opportunity employer committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. All qualified applicants will be treated with respect and receive equal consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, uniform service, Veteran status, age, or any other protected characteristic. We actively encourage members of recognized minorities, women, Veterans, and those with disabilities to apply. Apply for this job
indicates a required field First Name * Last Name * Preferred First Name Email * Phone Country Resume/CV * Education School * Degree * LinkedIn Profile Voluntary Self-Identification For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion is voluntary and will not affect hiring decisions. Any information provided will be confidential. We do not discriminate on protected characteristics and comply with applicable equal employment opportunity laws. Voluntary categories and definitions are provided for government reporting purposes. Form CC-305, OMB Control Number 1250-0005, Expires 04/30/2026
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About Us We’re a combat-tested group of engineers, operators, and entrepreneurs who believe America’s edge depends on autonomous airpower that’s trusted and deployable today not in 2040. Backed by tier-one investors, we’ve secured the runway — financial, regulatory, and literal — to move at startup speed while tackling a national-security mission that matters. We’ve structured the company for radical ownership: no silos, no “systems integrator” overhead, just tightly knit mission-focused IPTs that live and breathe the hardware and code they ship. If you thrive where hard-tech ambition meets national-security urgency, you’ll build faster here than anywhere else. Let’s get after it. Culture That Ships
Strong Core Values, Startup Execution.
Integrity, Service Before Self, Excellence, Honor, Courage, Commitment—powered by a bias for action and a “figure it out” mindset. Self-Starters Only.
You’ll have clear objectives, a blank sheet of paper, and the trust (plus capital) to move fast. Bureaucracy stays out of your way. One Team, No Tourists.
Whether you’re tuning a control law at 2 a.m. or heat-treating a Ti-6Al-4V spar, everyone sweats the details. We celebrate wins together and own failures together. What’s In It for You
Mission With a Pulse.
Every line of code, bracket, or test you deliver expands the toolbox of the warfighter on Day 1 of a conflict. Resources Without Red Tape.
VC speed + DoD customer pull: access to test ranges, flight hours, and operator feedback while retaining startup agility. Career-Defining Upside.
Significant equity, best-in-class benefits, and the chance to see your product deliver in months, not decades. What You’ll Do
Lead aerodynamic design, analysis, and wind-tunnel/CFD correlation for a clean-sheet, long-range autonomous air vehicle. Optimize planform, airfoil, and high-lift devices to maximize range and payload while meeting survivability constraints. Create rapid-iteration tools and templates for sizing trades. Collaborate daily with GNC, Flight Controls, and Structures IPTs to mature configuration through CoDR/PDR/CDR. Support flight-test envelope expansion and post-flight data reduction. What You Bring
M.S. or Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering (or equivalent) with ≥ 7 yrs relevant experience. Deep expertise in CFD (e.g., SU2, Fluent, OVERFLOW), panel methods, and wind-tunnel test design. Demonstrated history of hands-on, first-principles analysis in rapid-development programs. Ability to convey complex results to cross-functional audiences. Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Top Secret security clearance. Bonus Points
Prior LO (low observables) signature shaping experience. Experience coupling aerodynamics with AI-enabled design-of-experiments workflows. Why You’ll Love Working Here (Compensation and Benefits)
Base Salary: $195,000 to 255,000 USD The salary range for this role is an estimate based on a wide range of compensation factors, inclusive of base salary only. Actual salary offer may vary based on work experience, education and/or training, critical skills, and/or business considerations. Highly competitive equity grants are included in the majority of full-time offers and are considered part of Atropos\' total compensation package. Additionally, Atropos offers top-tier benefits for full-time employees, including: Platinum Healthcare Benefits: comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans with 100% employer-paid premiums and little to no cost to you Basic Life/AD&D and long-term disability insurance 100% covered by Atropos, with option to purchase additional life insurance for you and your dependents Unlimited PTO, with minimum of 15 days enforced 20 weeks of paid Caregiver & Wellness Leave Family Planning & Parenting Support: Fertility, adoption, and gestational carrier coverage with additional benefits Mental Health Resources: free therapy, life coaching, and more Tuition and professional development reimbursement for STEM, MBA, and licenses Daily Lunch catered Company-funded child care stipend Company-funded commuter benefits (region dependent) Relocation assistance (role eligibility) 401(k) with 6% employer matching The recruiter assigned to this role can share more information about compensation and benefits during the hiring process. Equal Opportunity
Atropos is an equal-opportunity employer committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. All qualified applicants will be treated with respect and receive equal consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, uniform service, Veteran status, age, or any other protected characteristic. We actively encourage members of recognized minorities, women, Veterans, and those with disabilities to apply. Apply for this job
indicates a required field First Name * Last Name * Preferred First Name Email * Phone Country Resume/CV * Education School * Degree * LinkedIn Profile Voluntary Self-Identification For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion is voluntary and will not affect hiring decisions. Any information provided will be confidential. We do not discriminate on protected characteristics and comply with applicable equal employment opportunity laws. Voluntary categories and definitions are provided for government reporting purposes. Form CC-305, OMB Control Number 1250-0005, Expires 04/30/2026
#J-18808-Ljbffr