Aero/Aerothermal Engineering Co-op- Fall 2026

Aero/Aerothermal Engineering Co-op

Job Description

Specter Aerospace is seeking an Aero/Aerothermal engineer co-op (4-6 month term) to support the design and analysis of high-speed airbreathing testbed vehicles. A successful candidate will be excited about conducting numerical simulations of high speed flight vehicles, supporting wind tunnel tests, and conducting detailed analyses of aerodynamic and aerothermal performance.

About Specter Aerospace:

Specter Aerospace is building the next generation of hypersonic vehicles for defense and commercial applications. Specter is headquartered in Peabody, MA, just north of Boston, where it leverages its advanced propulsion technologies, manufacturing, and testing capabilities to rapidly develop supersonic and hypersonic systems. Funded by a mix of government R&D organizations, commercial customers, and private funding, Specter is a growing aerospace and defense startup. Close relationships with MIT, Notre Dame, AFRL, NRL, ANL, and other research organizations provide access to cutting-edge developments, facilities, and personnel. Specter is expanding its team in preparation for flight testing and full-scale production.

Role & Responsibilities

· Conduct aerodynamic and aerothermal numerical simulations of high-speed flight systems

· Utilize varying levels of fidelity to support model build up

· Support wind tunnel test preparation and execution

· Coordinate with design team to provide feedback on system design

· Support trajectory optimization and analysis efforts (3DOF/6DOF)

· Other duties as assigned by the company

Job Requirements

For this position, it is required that applicants have:

· U.S. Citizenship

o Students with active security clearance given priority

· Majoring in an engineering/sciences field

· Interest in aerodynamics, aerothermal analyses, vehicle performance

· Interest/experience in computational fluid dynamics (CFD)

· MATLAB or Python scripting experience for creating analysis tools and post-processing data

· Comfort with project autonomy, uncertainty, and fast-paced work environment.

· Strong collaborative spirit, working well with team members in addition to other companies, laboratories, and universities.

Desired Skills

For this position, it is desired that applicants have:

· CFD experience using FUN3D, VULCAN, or other CFD solvers

· Grid generation for CFD simulations using Pointwise

· Experience working in a Linux computing environment

· Prior experience with fluid dynamics, thermodynamics, gas dynamics, or combustion

· Background in numerical methods/FEA/CFD