Principal Engineer Applied Aerodynamics

ABOUT EDGE

At EDGE bold ideas are engineered into technologies that protect, improve and save lives.

Headquartered in the United Arab Emirates, EDGE is a leading advanced technology group working at the forefront of defence and emerging technologies. Spanning more than 35 specialised companies and multiple centres of excellence, we are purpose-built to move fast. Free from heavy legacy processes, we give our people the autonomy, accountability, and agility to bring breakthrough technologies from concept to reality.

Based in Abu Dhabi, a globally connected hub at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, EDGE is home to a truly multicultural community where bold ideas thrive, and the future is shaped.

Together, we are shaping the future.

ABOUT THE ROLE

The Principal Applied Aerodynamics Engineer shall demonstrate technical ownership, sound physical intuition, disciplined judgment, and accountability for the aerodynamic products assigned to the position. The engineer shall treat aerodynamic predictions as evidence with defined assumptions, uncertainty, configuration, and validity limits rather than as unquestionable numerical outputs. The engineer shall develop and maintain a mental model of the expected flow physics before reviewing computational or experimental results. 

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Develop aerodynamic concepts and configuration solutions that support aircraft-level mission and performance requirements.
• Evaluate candidate wing, tail, canard, fuselage, forebody, control-surface, nacelle, inlet, propulsion, and external-store arrangements.
• Define aerodynamic requirements and design objectives for assigned configurations or work packages.
• Establish appropriate aerodynamic analysis plans using analytical, empirical, computational, and experimental methods.
• Develop and maintain aerodynamic geometry suitable for analysis, design optimization, wind-tunnel models, and aircraft definition.
• Assess aerodynamic implications of outer-mold-line changes and manufacturing deviations.
• Conduct aerodynamic analyses using handbook, empirical, lifting-line, vortex-lattice, panel, Euler, RANS, or higher-fidelity methods as appropriate.
• Define CFD domains, meshes, boundary conditions, numerical schemes, turbulence models, transition assumptions, convergence requirements, and reporting criteria.
• Conduct mesh-sensitivity, timestep-sensitivity, domain-sensitivity, and model-sensitivity studies.
• Review surface pressures, flow topology, shocks, separation, wakes, vortices, and other physical evidence in addition to integrated coefficients.
• Develop airfoil, wing, twist, camber, thickness, spanload, and tip-shape solutions.
• Develop or assess high-lift systems and control-surface aerodynamic characteristics.
• Perform aerodynamic drag breakdowns and identify credible drag-reduction opportunities.
• Determine lift, drag, force, moment, stability, and control characteristics across the required flight envelope.
• Assess nonlinear, high-angle-of-attack, post-stall, asymmetric, and control-saturation behavior where applicable.
• Evaluate control effectiveness, aerodynamic balance, hinge moments, flow blanketing, and adverse aerodynamic interactions.
• Support wing loading, thrust-to-weight, design lift coefficient, cruise condition, takeoff, landing, maneuver, and envelope trades.
• Assess aerodynamic compatibility with mass properties and center-of-gravity ranges.
• Support propulsion integration, including inlet, nacelle, propeller, exhaust, cooling-flow, and engine-out effects.
• Assess the aerodynamic effects of landing gear, antennas, sensors, payloads, stores, gaps, steps, protuberances, and other installed features.
• Define wind-tunnel objectives, model requirements, test matrices, instrumentation, corrections, repeatability requirements, and acceptance criteria.
• Support wind-tunnel testing, monitor data quality, and direct changes to test priorities when evidence requires it.
• Reduce and interpret wind-tunnel data, including relevant tares, blockage, wall, support, transition, deformation, and scale corrections.
• Reconcile analytical, CFD, wind-tunnel, ground-test, supplier, and flight-test aerodynamic information.
• Develop and maintain aerodynamic databases for Performance, Flight Qualities, Guidance and Control, Loads, Simulation, Safety, and Flight Test.
• Define database conventions, reference quantities, independent variables, configuration identifiers, interpolation rules, uncertainty, and validity limits.
• Maintain traceability between aerodynamic requirements, source data, geometry, analyses, tests, databases, and verification evidence.
• Perform uncertainty, sensitivity, robustness, and design-of-experiments studies.
• Support aerodynamic optimization and multidisciplinary design optimization.
• Investigate aerodynamic anomalies, unexpected performance, control-effectiveness deficiencies, buffet, separation, or model-test discrepancies.
• Support flight-test planning, test-point definition, aerodynamic parameter identification, and flight-data correlation

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace, Aeronautical, Mechanical, Applied Mathematics, Physics, Computational Engineering, or a closely related discipline.
• Master’s degree or PhD in Aerodynamics, Fluid Mechanics, Computational Fluid Dynamics, Aircraft Design, Experimental Aerodynamics, or a related field is preferred.
• Typically 10 or more years of relevant aerospace or comparable applied-fluid-dynamics experience.
• Substantial experience applying aerodynamic analysis to the design or development of a complete aircraft, missile, unmanned vehicle, or major aerodynamic component.
• Strong practical knowledge of subsonic, transonic, supersonic, or hypersonic aerodynamics as appropriate to the program portfolio.
• Experience with lift, drag, stability, control, aerodynamic interference, trim, and configuration development.
• Experience with airfoil, wing, body, control-surface, high-lift, inlet, nacelle, or complete-aircraft aerodynamic design.
• Proficiency with relevant CFD tools and supporting geometry, meshing, post-processing, scripting, and automation environments.
• Experience with lower-order aerodynamic tools, empirical methods, handbook methods, or reduced-order models.
• Experience defining, supporting, or interpreting wind-tunnel tests.
• Experience assessing mesh sensitivity, convergence, turbulence modeling, numerical uncertainty, and model-form uncertainty.
• Experience developing aerodynamic databases or structured aerodynamic datasets.
• Experience correlating analytical, CFD, wind-tunnel, and flight-test information.
• Familiarity with CAD and geometry-management processes.
• Familiarity with MATLAB, Python, C/C++, optimization frameworks, workflow automation, or equivalent engineering environments.
• Experience supporting multidisciplinary design trades and major aerospace lifecycle reviews.
• Demonstrated ability to lead a significant aerodynamic work package with limited supervision.
• Experience preparing controlled analysis reports, aerodynamic-data reports, test plans, test reports, and substantiation evidence.
• Professional proficiency in written and spoken English.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

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WHY CHOOSE EDGE

Launched in November 2019, the UAE's EDGE is one of the world's leading advanced technology groups, established to develop agile, bold and disruptive solutions for defence and beyond, and to be a catalyst for change and transformation. It is dedicated to bringing breakthrough innovations, products, and services to market with greater speed and efficiency, to position the UAE as a leading global hub for future industries, and to creating clear paths within the sector for the next generation of highly skilled talent to thrive.

At EDGE, the real investment goes beyond compensation. Through our dedicated learning academy and digital learning platforms, employees have access to extensive opportunities to develop new skills, deepen their expertise, and advance their careers. Combined with the freedom to innovate, strong career support, and the opportunity to collaborate with world-class talent from across the globe, EDGE is a place where you can continue to grow, keep learning, and turn ambitious ideas into meaningful outcomes.

Working at EDGE also comes with a package that genuinely reflects how much we value our people. Salaries are highly competitive and tax-free and, depending on your role and seniority, benefits can include family visas, annual flight tickets, medical insurance for you and your dependents, and education allowances for your children.

CANDIDATE PRIVACY & EQUAL OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT

If you feel your skills, experience and potential are a strong match for a role, we encourage you to apply even if you don’t meet every requirement. We are genuinely interested in what you can bring to EDGE.

Any information you share as part of your EDGE candidate profile or job application will be handled in accordance with applicable data protection and privacy regulations.

EDGE is an equal opportunity employer committed to building a diverse, inclusive, and high-performing workforce. We believe every individual deserves to be treated with fairness, respect and dignity, and our employment decisions reflect that. We do not discriminate based on race, colour, nationality, ethnicity, religion, gender, marital status, age, disability, pregnancy or parental status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

As a global organisation, effective collaboration across international teams is central to how we work, so English proficiency is required for all roles unless otherwise stated in the job posting.

Please note that EDGE does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruitment agencies. Any resumes in the absence of a formally executed agreement in place will be deemed the property of EDGE, and no placement fees or compensation will be payable in respect of such submissions.