Flight Physics & Performance Engineer at Destinus · Zurich

We are looking for a highly capable Flight Physics & Performance Engineer to support the development, implementation, and validation of high-fidelity simulation environments for missile system performance analysis. In this role, you will design and maintain 6-degree-of-freedom (6-DoF) simulation frameworks, implement flight physics and guidance models, and ensure simulation tools are robust, scalable, and aligned with system requirements. You will work closely with multidisciplinary teams to enable accurate performance predictions and support broader system design activities.

This position is ideal for an engineer with strong analytical skills, hands-on experience in simulation toolchains, and a passion for advancing the modelling capabilities behind next-generation missile systems.

Responsibilities

· Develop, maintain, and extend 6-DoF simulation environments for missile performance assessment, system trade studies, and design validation.

· Implement and refine flight physics models, including aerodynamics, propulsion behavior, actuator dynamics, sensor models, and environmental effects.

· Build and integrate simulation tools and analysis utilities to support SIL, CIL, and HIL test configurations.

· Define, decompose, and manage system and simulation requirements using DOORS NG or similar systems engineering tools.

· Generate clear, structured, and technically rigorous documentation, covering modelling assumptions, equations of motion, validation results, and verification.

· Produce and execute test cases for requirement verification across multiple simulation levels (SIL, CIL, HIL).

· Work cross-functionally with Guidance, Navigation & Control (GNC), Systems Engineering, Software, and Flight Dynamics teams to ensure model fidelity and alignment with system needs.

· Participate in design and technical reviews, presenting simulation methodologies, performance outcomes, and model limitations.

· Support algorithm development teams by providing simulation environments, interfaces, and validation scenarios.

· Actively contribute to continuous improvement of internal simulation capabilities, toolchains, and workflows.

· Represent the simulation domain in external collaborations, technical meetings, or strategic advisory groups when required.

· Proven experience developing and managing 6-DoF simulations for aerospace or missile systems.

· Strong understanding of flight mechanics, aerodynamics, propulsion models, rigid-body dynamics, and related numerical methods.

· Hands-on experience with simulation tool development, including model integration, scenario generation, and test automation.

· Proven coding experience preferred: Python, C/C++, Rust.

· Experience with SIL, CIL, and HIL simulations and verification processes.

· Strong technical writing skills and experience in producing advanced engineering documentation.

· Proficiency with MATLAB/Simulink or equivalent modelling environments; experience with MathWorks tools is highly valued.

· Ability to work collaboratively in multidisciplinary teams and communicate complex technical topics clearly.

· Proactive attitude, good problem-solving skills, and willingness to take ownership of simulation tasks and toolchain development.

MSc in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Applied Mathematics, or related fields.

· Fluency in English is a must.